Stunning, gorgeous and rare, Packard's Caribbean was a belated response to convertibles from Chevrolet's Bel-Air, Ford's Crestline Sunliner and Plymouth's Belvedere. This 1953 Packard was the recipient of a comprehensive nut and bolt restoration and it shows.Dressed in a rich, Matador Maroon Metallic (code U), the paint and trim are in overall excellent order. The bodywork is straight and solid, the engine bay is very tidy and the battery looks clean. The chrome bumpers are in very good order. A power-operated white top offers a striking contrast to the body color and is in great shape.This car rolls on BFGoodrich Silvertown wide whitewall tires, size 8.20-15 at all four corners. Each tire is mounted on a Packard chrome wire wheel. The wheels are in excellent order while the tires are in very good condition.Under the hood is a 327 CID Thunderbolt inline eight-cylinder engine. Backing this motor is a Ultramatic two-speed automatic transmission.Inside is a Maroon and White leather interior (code 76), which is just as striking as the outside. The front and rear bench seats look fantastic, as does the maroon carpet. A big, two-spoke ivory steering wheel looks great, as do the inner door panels. A column-mounted shift lever and a factory AM radio round out the interior.The 1953 Caribbean was perhaps Packard's most easily identified car because of its full cutout rear wheel housing and side trim, limited to a chrome band outline that stretched the car's entire length.