Anyone Want to Guess? #2

[Dave Czirr]

Anyone want to take a shot at identifying this incident? Car year and model? Year and location of the incident? Parties involved? Clue - it was a major world-wide news story at the time and resulted in the death of a member of one or Europe’s royal families. (Photos from Time, Inc.)

[JD in KC]

Date of accident: August 29, 1935
Place: Kussnacht, Switzerland
Death of Royal Personage: Astrid, Queen of Belgium.

As reported by Time at the time:

"For days it had been raining in Switzerland. Leopold of Belgium and Queen Astrid, vacationing in the Villa Haslihorn near Lucerne, sent their three small children back to Brussels. But next morning the sun came out hot and strong, with the promise of a fine day for a mountain climb, a sport of which Leopold was just as fond as his father. Hobnail boots, ropes and alpenstocks were piled into the back of the royal Packard touring car beside the chauffeur. In front Leopold took the wheel while Astrid sat beside him, holding a road map. They started down the lakeside road, keeping close to the curb because the pavement was slippery. In a second it was all over. Just before reaching Kussnacht, with the car rolling along at 50 m.p.h. Leopold turned his head to look at the road map. The right wheels of the car slipped through one of the 18-ft. openings in the concrete curb. For some 95 feet it careened along, the right wheels at times three feet lower than the left. Then it struck a young pear tree, swerved at right angles. The Queen and the chauffeur were thrown clear. The car rolled down the bank, caromed off another tree and into the shallow water of the lake."

Year of Packard: early 1936? or maybe the grill got the raked-back look through the accident.
Model: 120? Convertible

Pre-1941 Packards are not something I'm very good at identifying so I'll leave that up to someone with greater expertise.

[Dave Czirr]

So JD, you get the golden lug nut award! And so quickly, what was my mistake? I'm guessing it was citing Time as the source of the photo? Live and learn, I'll try to make the next one more difficult! Congratulations on your researching!

Dave

[Ozstatman]

Congratulations JD, well done!

[Adam]

Very comprehensive answer JD !!

Keep them coming Dave....

Since it is Armistice day, are there any military themed pics in existence, perhaps from 1914-18?

Adam..

[mikegrimes]

There are a large number of pictures posted on another Packard website that you might try:
www.packardinfo.com
Have a great day, Mike