The Packard Motor Car Company was not necessarily known for sporty cars, yet by the early 1950s was experimenting with the very of-the-moment sports car concept, resulting in the striking Pan American show car of 1952.

Alas, with its costly “sectioned” bodywork and lack of a rear seat, the Pan American was dubbed a bit too far afield for the automaker and was not greenlit for full production.

It did, however, lead directly to the Packard Caribbean, which used many Pan American styling cues in a more practical package.

Each of these “factory custom” cars was built by Mitchell-Bentley of Ionia, Michigan, which gave them a hood with a prominent full-width scoop, a marked lack of side chrome, special flared wheel openings, and Senior-style horizontal taillights.

Under the hood was Packard’s legendarily smooth 327-cubic-inch inline eight-cylinder engine, producing 180 horsepower and considerable torque.

The Caribbean’s substantial $5,210 price tag and limited run of just 750 examples f...