For many the great unwashed , Packard was , in its heyday , " the supreme combination of all that is fine in motor - cars . " It may not have always been the technical " Standard of the World , " but it was the social Standard of America , even for millions of would - be buyers who could never give one .
In 1929 , more people have stock certificate in Packard than any other company save General Motors , and there were far more Packard shareholder than Packard owner .
Packard get its start in Warren , Ohio , in 1899 , when James Ward Packard figured he could build a better gondola than the Winton he had purchased . His first was a small one - cylinder model with automatic glint onward motion . James B. Joy withdraw over the concern in 1901 and moved it to Detroit in 1903 , the year of the first four - cylinder Packard .
The car that moved Packard steadfastly into the industry ’s front rank was its 48 - horsepower Six of 1912 . Packard then leap - frogged Cadillac ’s unexampled 1915 V-8 with a V-12 the be year – the fabled " Twin Six , " though that only lasted until 1923 . A raw straight - eight arrive for the 1924 season . Packard did enclose a less - prestigious Six in 1921 , but that was send away well before 1930 . The make then maintained its reputation principally with eight - cylinder engine right on through its deplorable death in 1958 .
For a company so single - mindedly devoted to luxury , Packard compiled a remarkable production record . It regularly outproduced Cadillac in 1925 - 30 , even though its GM rival had help from LaSalle begin in 1927 . Except for 1931 , ' 32 , and ' 34 , Packard keep on to out - build Cadillac / LaSalle until WWII .
Like other luxury work , Packard relied on middle - priced Cartesian product to survive the Depression , most notably the One Twenty , new for 1935 . This , together with the fellow traveler One Ten , enabled Packard not only to endure " hard times " but to grow rapidly from low - loudness sumptuousness to true aggregative - market manufacturer . alas , the firm was far slower to abandon intermediate - Leontyne Price products after World War II than either Cadillac or Lincoln , thus inseminate the ejaculate of its ultimate dying .
In 1923 , Packard began using a " series " number to designate each class ’s model seam , a practice it go forward into the ' 50s . Historians have since converted these to model year for easiness of recognition . The Seventh Series , for example , coincides with 1930 .
That hierarchy began with a standard Eight , which had the least - ostentatious body on comparatively short wheelbase of 127.5 and 134.5 inches . Power do from a 320 - cubic - column inch inline railway locomotive making 90 bhp . Next up was the dashing Speedster Eight , offering lithe boattail and received roadsters , plus phaeton , victoria , and sedan , all on a 134 - column inch chassis .
Speedsters cost the world – $ 5200-$6000 – so only 150 were build before the series was canceled after 1930 . A 385 - Criminal Investigation Command eight hand over 125 - 145 bhp in Speedsters . A 106 - bhp version powered Custom and DeLuxe Eights on respective wheelbase of 140.5 and 145.5 inches . These were mostly built with unopen bodies , but were also uncommitted in phaeton , buggy , and convertible styles by Packard and various custom four-in-hand - builders . price here were n’t quite the world , graze from $ 3200 to over $ 5000 . Then again , such sums buy a rather nice sign of the zodiac at the time .
The 1931 Eighth Series comprised standard , Custom , and DeLuxe Eights . The received line now offered " Individual Customs " on the 134.5 - in build . Included were a Dietrich convertible sedan and victoria , plus Packard ’s own cab , townspeople gondola , and landaulet styles . stock models retained the 320 engine , now 10 bhp richer ; Custom and DeLuxe again carried the 385 unit of measurement , now with 120 bhp .
The redundant world power came from modified consumption and eat up passages similar to those on the 1930 Speedsters . Other linewide mechanical change included automatonlike Bijur chassis - lubrication system and a fresh prompt - shift mechanism for the four - hurrying gearbox to reduce effort .
For more on defunct American cars, see:
Packard Ninth Series
For 1932 ’s Packard Ninth Series came a more - established three - swiftness all - synchromesh transmittance , plus broken , more - streamlined styling that was nevertheless similar to unsloped 1930 - 31 appearing .
But the big word occurred at the top and bottom of the business line . Leading the fleet was a raw Twin Six , which was renamed Twelve after this one yr . It stand no kinship to the 1916 - 23 original , with a new 445.5 - Criminal Investigation Command V-12 that had actually been be after for an aborted front - private road chassis . Though a fairly low numerical axle proportion was useable , most of these cars pay off gearsets of 4.41:1 or higher .
The result was bland , comparatively shift - devoid motoring rather than high performance . The factory exact a free burning 100 mph was well within the new V-12 ’s capabilities , but that was under tryout conditions ; the 160 - bhp engine usually ran out of intimation at about 90 mph in bloodline tune . At 60 or 70 mph , though , it was whispering smooth and highly refined .
The 1932 - 34 V-12s shared the same two wheelbase and most bodies with the upper Eight series , which was again call DeLuxe for ' 32 , then Super . In all cases , the prospicient chassis was hold for Individual Customs and a received seven - rider sedan and limo .
Despite their prestigiousness as the ultimate Packards , the V-12s arrived at only $ 100-$200 above similitude DeLuxes with manufacturing plant bodywork , but the col grew as metre overtake , especially between the various custom - body models .
In 1935 , when " senior " product was consolidate to make room for the new high - book One Twenty , the Twelve reach a stroked 473 - cid engine with 175 bhp , and shift to 139- and 144 - inch wheelbase . Super Eights offered like body styles on those same chassis , as well as a trim 132 - inch chopine . tradition body thinned rapidly as coachbuilders either proceed bankrupt or were bought out , but a few were always list through 1942 .
As an independent , Packard could n’t confront the Depression with substantial financial backing from a big parent , so it taste medium - price car well before Cadillac or Lincoln . Its first was the 1932 Light Eight , appear two years ahead of a smaller , cheaper LaSalle and four twelvemonth ahead of Lincoln ’s Zephyr .
A quality Cartesian product built with the same meticulous charge as other Packards , the Light Eight was on-key to its name . It rode a lighter , trimmer 127.8 - inch chassis mount the stock Eight ’s 320 engine , rated that year at 110 bhp . The Light Eight was thus faster than its big sisters . Body style comprised four - door sedan , five - passenger coupe - sedan chair , and rumble - seat roadster and coupe .
But the Light Eight looked chunkier than other ' 32 Packards because it was shorter overall , and its attractively affordable pricing – around $ 2000 – was more liability than plus . A Light Eight cost almost as much to build as a represent standard Eight yet sold for $ 500-$850 less , so Packard was lucky to disclose even on any Light Eight sell . The line was accordingly drop after this one yr .
Packard lost $ 7 million in 1932 , much of it on the Light Eight , so company president Alvan Macauley set out search the rank and file of GM executive for someone wise in the ways of volume product who could help the firm evolve a profitable middle - priced car . Ironically , the house web $ 500,000 with 1933 sales that number to 38 percent of the high - priced market place – well above Cadillac ’s share . problem was , the high - price mart was near gone .
But Macauley ’s hunt was about to pay big dividend . Soon coming alongside were Max Gilman , " that hardboiled guy in New York " ( he ’d started as a Brooklyn truck salesman in 1919 ) , and George T. Christopher , a production whiz enticed out of retreat from GM . ( Gilman put back Macauley as president in 1938 , when the latter became chairman ; Christopher replaced Gilman in 1942 . ) While Gilman astutely set the publicity leg , Christopher modernise Packard ’s plant goal - to - final stage for much high book . The yield of their combined labour was unveiled on January 6 , 1935 , as the One Twenty .
The Packard One Twenty
The One Twenty was a dramatic departure for Packard . Bowing in seven models , the One Twenty price a little more than half as much as the unmourned Light Eight – $ 1000-$1100 – hone for those who ’d always need a Packard but had never been able to afford one .
There were traditional hallmark like the " ox - yoke " radiator and red hexagon wheel - hub emblems , but styling was updated , emerging conservative but modern-day with rounded contours , " tater - shape " windows , fullsome fender , and a radiator rake 30 point from vertical – all moderately daring for Packard .
Designed largely by former GM the great unwashed , the One Twenty locomotive was a straightforward L - head eight of 257.2 cid and 110 bhp . Features included a heavily laugh at pulley , private exhaust porthole , ample piddle jacket , five main mien , and counterpoise overlapping journal . It was a smooth locomotive engine , easy on gas , and granite strong . After 1935 , a foresightful stroke move over 282 cid and 120 bhp . Most One Twentys could reach 85 mph and do 0 - 60 in less than 20 sec – not regretful for a 3500 - pound sterling prewar elevator car .
For 1936 , the One Twenty added a translatable sedan take over " Dietrich " trunk plates , though Ray Dietrich personally had nothing to do with it ; his name had been possess by the Murray Body Company since the other ' 30s .
The trace class lend a place Plough , three DeLuxe closed models , and a 138 - inch wheelbase saloon and limo . The ' 37 Senior Packards joined the One Twenty in offer independent front break , grime fittings ( instead of the Bijur reflexive chassis - lube scheme ) , and hydraulic brakes . For 1938 , when the One Twenty was simply called Eight ( one twelvemonth only ) , the stock wheelbase lengthen to 127 inches .
Though long and below the belt criticized as " cheap , " the One Twenty was a genuine Packard in appearance , road behaviour , and craftsmanship . To no one ’s surprisal , it sold like atomic number 28 red-hot wienerwurst . As a consequence , Packard rocketed to 12th in industry production for 1935 , jump from 8000 to near 32,000 . And it keep right on soaring , touch about 61,000 in ' 36 and 122,000 in ' 37 . A sharp recession hold 1938 volume to some 56,000 , but the business firm before long recovered , and yield remained healthy until World War II .
Contributing to that 1937 record was an even less - expensive line , the new Six , call One - Ten for 1940 - 42 . Arriving on a 115 - inch wheelbase , it used what was basically an over - bored One Twenty eight with two few cylinders , which made for a 237 - Criminal Investigation Command six with 100 bhp . Wheelbase stretch to 122 inches for 1938 - 39 , when displacement went up to 245 Criminal Investigation Command , though horsepower was unchanged .
Offerings basically parallel the One Twenty ’s , but prices averaged some $ 150 lower , so the One Ten outsold the One Twenty by 13 - to-10 in 1937 . Though its six was n’t as smooth or potent as the One Twenty eight , it did offer splendid gasoline mileage and tolerable performance .
The One Ten complete Packard ’s transmutation from a purveyor of virtually handmade luxury cars to one of Detroit ’s top-10 producers . Of course , the firm still sold steady and Super Eights and opulent Twelves through 10 ’s end , but at a rate of only some 6000 a year . The One Twenty was far and aside the breadwinning eight , cost some $ 1200 less than a standard Eight . testify to its winner , the Super Eight drop off its 385 engine after 1936 , bump to the 320 unit of the received Eight , which itself disappeared after 1937 , though not in name .
But the rather small and dumpy One Ten / Six was by no mean a Packard in the traditional sense . Perhaps the firm had become too grasping for sales , blinded by George Christopher ’s button for ever - higher product .
irrespective , by the remnant of the ' thirty , Cadillac was in firm complaint as the sales and prestige leader of the mellow - dollar class . Many people who antecedently would n’t have been date in a Caddy now buy them or else of self-aggrandising Packards , which had been upstaged by the low - cost One Ten / One Twenty that looked almost the same , at least in front .
Packard Design Changes and the Darrin-Packards
A definite ingredient in Cadillac ’s spring to luxury - league supremacy was its more - modern Harley Earl styling . unfeigned to custom , Packard maintain a magniloquent , stately look that seemed quite stodgy by 1939 , not least because it had n’t deepen much since the capital design overhaul of four years before .
The line was again anchored for ' 39 by the Six ( shortly to be call One Ten ) , price as low as $ 1000 for the business coupe . ( Fords and Chevys cost $ 600-$900 that year . ) The One Twenty name return on ingress - spirit level eight - piston chamber models , with 127- and 148 - column inch wheelbase ; prices were $ 1245-$1700 .
Super Eights offer the same two soma , but model were reduce to hide a $ 1650-$2300 spread . The Twelve , however , still ran a very broad gamut of example and prices ( $ 4155-$8355 ) , including custom styles by Rollston and Brunn . However , the magnificent Twelve was in its terminal year ; the Depression had return it an unnecessary anachronism . Only 5744 were progress during its eight - year reign as poove of the course ( include 1932 Twin Sixes ) .
More major styling adjustment occur for 1940 , when a raw 160 - bhp 356 - cid engine bow in an expanded Super Eight line split between One Sixty and Custom One Eighty fashion model . These spanned wheelbases of 127 , 138 , and 148 inches and a price banding of $ 1500-$2900 with received bodywork .
The new 356 was impressively subdued , what with nine independent bearings and a crankshaft that press 105 lb . It was also stiff enough to advertise the swooning example to well over 100 mph . The 356 would power Supers through 1947 and Customs through 1950 . Another new lineament for 1940 was zephyr conditioning . Packard was the first product motorcar to volunteer it , though it was bulky and not as good as late units .
meanwhile , the low - priced Six was again a One Ten for 1940 , but neither it nor the One Twenty was much change mechanically . However , rumble - seat models were eliminated , and the One Twenty extended its coverage with four Modern DeLuxe - trim model : a sedan , nightspot coupe and sedan chair , and exchangeable coupe in the $ 1160-$1300 Leontyne Price compass .
A stunning elision to Packard ’s more - militant 1940 toll social system was a novel quartet of rakish custom - build Darrin models , the work of notable fashion designer Howard A. " Dutch " Darrin .
in effect filling the glamor gap leave by the straggle Twelve , these comprised a One Twenty convertible victoria , a Custom Super Eight One Eighty version on the same short wheelbase , and a recollective - soma Custom Super convertible saloon and closed Sport Sedan . All boasted ground - hugging silhouette enhanced by the complete absence of track boards ( Dutch detested track boards , though they were fast - fading anyway ) . The Victoria were dainty : smooth , miserable , ideally proportioned , yet with just the right amount of proper Packard dignity .
The Darrin - Packards evolved from a handful of 1938 - 39 specials that Dutch had built at his Hollywood exploit for various renown , include actor / crooner Dick Powell . Strong response encouraged Dutch to convert Packard to catalogue such merchandise on a special - order basis . In a cagey gambit to do just that , he got the Powell car parked at the Packard Proving Grounds in the summer of 1939 , where it was brusquely cheered by dealer attending their annual sales meeting .
salve sectioned radiators and cowling , the Darrins tire unique torso panel . The Sport Sedan was a handsome " gentleman ’s " gondola with a semblance of Bill Mitchell ’s 1938 Cadillac Sixty Special in its curved , unreasoning - quarter ceiling , chrome - edged windows , and sharp beltline . But the veridical eye - catcher was the sleek victoria , with cut back - down windshield and an precipitous kickup to the rearward flanks from a gradually sloped doorline – the famous " Darrin notch . "
The Packard Clipper
The Darrins were naturally Packard ’s pricey forties – $ 3819 for the One Twenty victoria , $ 6332 for the Custom Super transformable sedan – so sales were naturally minuscule . Then , too , design production ( at the sure-enough Auburn flora in Connersville , Indiana ) was deliberately limit . Only 50 victorias were built for 1940 and a mere 12 convertible sedan chair ( of which nine survive today ) .
The Sport Sedan was herald as " about a request railroad car – build up for those who look to Packard to … produce the new , the finest , the most luxurious in machine transportation . " But it never got going , and was dropped after only two were dispatch at Dutch ’s store .
Packard itself built two " Darrinized " sedans with stock 1940 front ends , but they were n’t nearly as pretty and led nowhere productwise . As you might expect , all Darrin - Packards have long been deemed " Classics " by the Classic Car Club of America ( CCCA ) .
Also offer for 1940 were an all - weather cabriolet and town car by Rollston , price at $ 4473 and $ 4599 , respectively . Only a handful were built . But even some regular models were quite scarce . Of the 98,000 Packards build for 1940 , only 5662 were Super Eights and just 1900 were Customs . The rest were One Tens and One Twentys .
Packard lastly rebodied its entire line for 1941 , though it was n’t blindingly obvious . The main ocular clues were more or less larger windows and – in a big styling innovation for Packard – headlamps dress firmly within the front buffer . Wheelbases were unchanged , but floors were lowered , abatement was suitably revised , motor mount were enlarged , and engines benefit from steel - back rod bearings and an crude - bathing tub air cleaner .
These changes also apply to Darrins , but there was only one now : a Custom Super Eight One Eighty Victoria . This retain its world-wide 1940 appearing save nonaged clipping , a slightly different " notch " intervention , and the flush headlamp .
One other difference : Its output was transferred to Cincinnati , where ambulance / hearse builder Sayers and Scoville craft 35 as ' 41 models and another 15 to little - changed 1942 specifications . Overdrive was still optional throughout the Packard line , but for 1941 it could team with a new $ 37.50 " Electromatic " clutch . This disengage by multiplex vacuum upon releasing the accelerator to let " clutchless " driving in second gear , which cover most Clarence Day - to - day use ; the treadle could still be knock down to select first .
But Packard saved its bragging ' 41 tidings for mid - time of year when it unveiled the Clipper , a four - door sedan priced at $ 1420 , straightforwardly between the One Twenty and One Sixty . Though built on the One Twenty chassis , it looked like no Packard before : legato and modern – a bold , unexpected bid for manufacture excogitation leadership .
The Clipper bore the unmistakable Darrin signature but was actually a joint project with share from Packard ’s own stylists under Werner Gubitz , plus several star consultant . Still , it was mostly Darrin , seen in the descending beltline , tapered seat , and long prow - front with the slimmest Packard radiator yet . foretell postwar styling at Packard and elsewhere was a virtually flush - sided " envelope " dead body with front fenders " swept - through " into the door – and width that exceeded height .
Dutch had crash off the Clipper in just 10 years to suffer Packard ’s deadline , but never got a promised $ 10,000 fee . That was piteous form , for the Clipper alone pull together some 16,000 sales – 22 pct of Packard ’s total ' 41 volume , which was down some 25,000 from 1940 .
Still , this operation encouraged Packard to go forward with bring in " Clipper styling " virtually linewide for 1942 . The sole exception were commercial vehicles , One Sixty / One Eighty convertible coupes , and custom bodies . The last again included the Rollston styles as well as unexampled LeBaron - built long sedans and limo and a attractively formal Sport Brougham .
Like other brand , Packard ’s 1942 production was cut short by America ’s entry into World War II , the total terminate just unsure of 34,000 , mostly clipper ship - styled 110/120 and One Sixty / One Eighty framework .
Packard After World War II
After building Rolls - Royce Merlin aero engines and major power units for military vehicle and PT sauceboat , Packard returned to peacetime as the only sovereign free of debt . But then came a decision that would ultimately prove fatal .
Instead of reverting to luxury cars alone , Packard continue to stress medium - price simulation in the One Twenty custom . While such cars had been life-sustaining during the Depression , they simply were n’t needed in the feverish sell - everything postwar economy , and they severely squandered what remain of Packard ’s sumptuous - luxe image .
Still , disaster was a prospicient way off in 1946 , when Packard followed most other Detroit pee-pee in reprise its last prewar line , though abbreviated . That yr ’s low - priced Clipper Six sedan and coupe expect exactly like the Clipper Eight exemplar , which included DeLuxe versions . All used the conversant 120 - inch wheelbase .
limiter Super and Custom sedans and coupes had the equally intimate 127 - in chassis save the seven - passenger Custom saloon and limousine ( which had a 148 - column inch wheelbase ) . Basic Eights retain the 282 engine with 125 bhp , Supers and Customs kept the 165 - bhp 356 from ' 42 , and the Six continued with its 105 - bhp 245 . Overdrive and Electromatic clutch returned as options . Customs were dress with plushy broadcloth and leather upholstery , special carpeting , and beautiful imitation wood paneling . Packard moved more than 30,000 cars in 1946 and over 50,000 of the ' 47s , which were identical except for serial numbers .
There was just one job . Most automakers were capable to debase their prewar tooling through 1948 , then issue all - Modern postwar design that were ahead of the Clipper in style . But Packard , despite its postwar fiscal wellness , could n’t give to trash its prewar break so soon because they had n’t been amortized over sufficient production .
Accordingly , Packard stylists load on heavy chunks of sheetmetal to give the Clipper a modernistic " flow - through - wing " effect . It also added 200 needless pounds in curb weight .
The result looked fatter too , aggravated by a short , squat grille – eggcrate on Customs , streak - case on other models – that was far - less - elegant than the slim prow of 1941 - 47 . All this go motorcar writer Tom McCahill to pronounce the ' 48 Packard fit for " a dowager in a Queen Mary hat . " Many simply shout out it a " fraught elephant . "
Still , in 1948 it did n’t matter whether a Packard looked spare or tubby or cost $ 2500 or $ 4500 . Like most everyone else in the postwar seller ’s market , Packard could sell every car it construct , and it sold a estimable number : some 92,000 for model - year ' 48 and about 116,000 of the interchangeable ' 49s – two of its best year ever .
Engine and shape assignments altered somewhat for the ' 48 line of standard , DeLuxe , Super , and Custom Eights . Customs retained their 160 - bhp 356 locomotive , but superintendent got a new 327 unit with five main bearings and 145 bhp ; received Eights used a much squarer young 288 railway locomotive with 130 bhp . These powerplants carried through to May 1949 in the Twenty - Second Series . Then the Twenty - Third serial appeared with H.P. elevate to 135 for standards and to 150 for Supers .
As before , sedans and coupes were Packard ’s anchor in 1948 - 50 . Standards , DeLuxes , and Supers kept to 120 - column inch wheelbases , Customs to a 127 - inch shape ; a 141 - column inch program supported four novel Super Eight recollective sedans and limo , while a 148 - column inch chassis continued under opposite number Customs . Packard also crafted a few prospicient Custom commercial-grade build , plus some six - cylinder 1948 political platform for taxi and export usance .
Also new for ' 48 were Custom and Super convertible and the novel four - door Station Sedan in the received Eight serial . The last , priced at $ 3425 , had a wagonlike body made almost entirely of brand , though it employed morphological wood at the tailgate and ornamental timbre on the door . It was unusual for a Packard , which may be why it did n’t sell too well : just 3864 copy through 1950 . The Custom Eight convertible was Packard ’s pricy received simulation label at $ 4295 for 1948 - 49 , then $ 4520 .
Packard Twenty-Third Series
Ushered in with the Packard Twenty - Third series of mid-1949 was Ultramatic , the only automatic transmission develop by an independent without outside service .
This combined a torsion converter with multiple - disc and direct - drive clutches , plus forward / black eye bands . The car started from rest using the torque converter , then shifted into direct mechanically skillful drive at about 15 nautical mile an minute . Though much politic than GM ’s rival Hydra - Matic , Ultramatic provided only easy quickening , and frequent use of Low range for fast commencement caused premature wear .
Also arriving with the Twenty - Third serial was a balmy facelift distinguished by a beltline spear on most models , plus new Deluxe - trim Eight and Super Eight sedans and coupes . The Super translation carried a 327 - Criminal Investigation Command engine and the same eggcrate grille as corresponding Customs but be about $ 1000 less , so Custom sales agreement hurt mightily . So did Packard as a whole . The seller ’s securities industry was ending , and production showed it , plunge to just under 42,400 units for the mannikin year .
Packard finally managed a full redesign for 1951 , adopting John Reinhart ’s squarish , but praiseworthy , " high - pockets " notchback shape – a complete severance with the " elephants . " A newfangled 122 - inch chassis support a " 200 " serial of monetary standard and DeLuxe two- and four - threshold sedan , plus a spiffy " 250 " convertible and Mayfair hardtop coupe , the latter body style a first for Packard . A 127 - in platform was used for " 300 " and blue 400 sedans .
Like the honest-to-goodness One Ten , the 200s were n’t traditional Packards even though they conduct the same 288 engine as the previous banner Eight . The line even included a $ 2302 business coupe , $ 529 less than the crummy ' 51 Cadillac . But with the market ended , the 200s could n’t hope to do well against established damage rivals , and they did n’t .
The " substantial " Packards of 1951 were the 250s , which did sell pretty well , and the regal 300 and Patrician . At just under $ 3700 , the Patrician in effect interchange the extensive Custom Eight line . But though very placid and utterly reliable , the Custom ’s 356 locomotive cost too much to build in sparkle of expected sales , so Packard ’s biggest ' 51 locomotive engine was the destroked 327 , antecedently the middle powerplant and with virtually as much horsepower : 155 for Patricians and Ultramatic 250/300s , 150 otherwise .
Overall , Packard ’s new ' 51 package fared quite well – probably because it was new in a year when lilliputian else was . role model - yr production ended at 101,000 , more than twice the dismal 1950 sum . ( Packard also built 401 " 300 " chassis that twelvemonth for the professional car grocery and what stay of its once - thriving custom - trunk occupation . )
Unfortunately , 1952 output was down substantially , sliding to just under 63,000 units . change were few . The 200 byplay coupe was dropped , top executive brakes arrived as a ( postwar ) first - time option , and there were colourful new interiors in mellow - character cloth and leather by fashion decorator Dorothy Draper . Styling was virtually untouched , however . The most - obvious modification was a different wing position for the traditional " pelican " hood ornament .
A far more important change occurred in the executive suite during 1952 . In May , aging Chief Executive Hugh Ferry ( who ’d replaced George Christopher in 1949 ) ill-use down in party favour of James J. Nance , a market - wise adept recruited from Hotpoint to bend Packard around . That was painfully need . By the time Nance arrived , Packard ’s Detroit plant was working at only 50 percent capability . implausibly , several long - time executive felt that was dependable enough , but Nance saw then what we all see now : At that stride , Packard was sentence .
James Nance Revamps Packard
James Nance blow out in like a tornado , aggressively seeking new military business while declare that the firm ’s continued emphasis on medium - cost cars was " execute the Packard name white . "
consequently , he made the 200/250 into new Packard Clipper models for 1953 , stage - one of his design to divorce the cheap car from the sleep of the strain in both fact and name . Packard , he decreed , would henceforward build nothing but luxury cars , let in the long - wheelbase formal sedans and limousine it had of late neglected .
want of time and money precluded a line - wide makeover for ' 53 , but Nance did see to the cellular inclusion of an eight - place Executive Sedan and " Corporation Limousine " on a monumental 149 - column inch chassis , priced around $ 7000 . He also contracted with the Derham Body Company for a few conventional Patricians with leather - covered top side , tiny rear window , and $ 6531 price tags .
Also for the top of the 1953 line , Nance pushed out the Caribbean , a glamorous convertible security on the inadequate wheelbase with colorful styling by Richard A. Teague . Inspired by Richard Arbib ’s 1952 Packard Pan American show railcar ( build by Henney ) , the Caribbean hold a 180 - bhp 327 , natty rotary rearward - wheel cutouts , jaunty " Continental kit " outside spare tyre , and chrome wire wheels , plus most every optional amenity in the book . It be a rarefied $ 5210 and was deliberately limited to 750 copy – for snoot entreaty – but the Caribbean was as well - received as Cadillac ’s young ' 53 Eldorado .
cast anchor the ' 53 line were Nance ’s Clippers : two- and four - door sedans in standard and DeLuxe guise powered by unchanged 288 and 327 engines . Included in the standard mathematical group was a snazzy hardtop - style pillared two - room access holler Sportster , attractively price at $ 2805 . The 250 - series was defunct , but the Mayfair and standard convertible returned ; the cheapest long - wheelbase ' 53 was a sedan prognosticate Cavalier , supervene upon the 300 .
Nance had hoped for all - new ' 54 Packards , but time and money were again lacking , so a expect - alike interim series was field with rimmed headlight and structured computer backup lights the only visible difference . The 327 locomotive engine was enlarge to 359 Criminal Investigation Command and 212 bhp for Patrician , Caribbean and standard convertibles , commercial flesh , and a hardtop call Pacific . zephyr conditioning now return for the first time since the warfare .
But 1954 was a terrible yr , with production of only 31,000 cars . Of these , some 23,000 were Clippers : Specials and DeLuxes as before , plus new Super sedans and a Super Panama hardtop coupe . Specials again used the 288 engine , but the DeLuxe ’s 327 was relegate up five bhp ; the latter also power Supers . The Cavalier sedan used a 185 - bhp version . soma production amount to 335 .
The revolutionary Modern model Nance wanted for ' 54 was postponed to ' 55 partially by the so - shout out Studebaker - Packard fusion , which was really a Packard buyout . What Nance did n’t live when he signed the theme was that Studebaker had huge productiveness problems in its high - overhead South Bend , Indiana works , with a break - even degree somewhere over 250,000 cars .
Contrary to many accounting , Packard was still a fair healthy company at this full stop , but Studebaker was sinking and would finally sweep up Packard down with it .
Packard Builds Bodies Again
As the all - new ' 55s neared production , another smoldering trouble break into fire . Back in 1940 , Packard had stop over build its own bodies , contracting the piece of work to Briggs Manufacturing Company . But Packard lost this supplier when Chrysler bought Briggs in 1954 , and thus had to build its own bodies again . Inexplicably , it settle for a cramped body plant on Conner Avenue in Detroit .
Never heavy enough , this deftness caused crowing production affiliation - ups and timbre - control problem that hampered sales of the ' 55 Packards and force immediate cancellation of long models . Though Packard built some 55,000 automobile for prospering ' 55 , it would have done substantially to assign torso production to its honest-to-god , but passable , main flora on Detroit ’s East Grand Boulevard .
Despite these woes , the 1955 Packard was a technical marvel . Prime among its wonder was " Torsion - Level " intermission : retentive torsion bar connecting front and rear wheel on each side . A complex electrical system enabled the suspension to correct for load weightiness , and in effect interlinked all four wheels for truly extraordinary drive and handle despite two - ton bulk .
And there was more : powerful new short - stroke ohv V-8s , oust the old - fashioned flathead uncoiled - eights at last . Clipper DeLuxes and Supers ( now shorn of two - door sedans ) used a 320 - Criminal Investigation Command version with 225 bhp . A bored - out 352 delivered 245 bhp in new Clipper Customs ( a sedan and Constellation hardtop ) , 275 bhp in Caribbeans ( via twin four - barrel carbs ) and 260 bhp in Patrician sedans and young " Four Hundred " hardtop coupes . Ultramatic was suitably modified to manage the gamy V-8 torque .
The engines , improved Ultramatic , and Torsion - Level pass on the ' 55 Packards a fine physical body . Despite their heft , these were impressively loyal and roadable car – real Packards in every good sense . Styling was equally impressive . Dick Teague ’s clever facelift of the old ' 51 physical structure produce " cathedral " taillights ; top out front fenders ; an ornate radiator grille ; and that ' 55 must - have , a wrapped windscreen . Clippers gained their own especial grille and hold back 1954 - style taillights .
Production problems at the Conner plant were finally licked , but not in time for ' 56 , when customers were frighten off away by Studebaker ’s despairing struggle as well as the ' 55 Packards ' notorious quality and service problems . Ironically , the ' 56s were better build up .
Nance ’s " divorce military action " make realisation that year in an entirely separate Clipper lineage . Besides register the name as a distinct make , he decree separate Clipper and Packard dealer sign , and interchange Packard Division to the Packard - Clipper Division of Studebaker - Packard Corporation . As a final pinch , " Packard " appeared nowhere on ' 56 Clippers except for tiny decklid script – and some did n’t even have that .
Nevertheless , the line again put up five models : DeLuxe , Super , and Custom four - door sedan and Super and Custom Constellation hardtops . Wheelbase was unaltered , but horsepower was lifted to 275 for Customs and 240 for other models . tortuousness - Level was again featured too , although a conventional suspension was available on the DeLuxe . Options admit overdrive manual infection ( $ 110 ) , Ultramatic ( $ 199 ) , power steering , power brake , and airwave conditioning .
These Clippers were luxuriously trimmed and nicely style , but sales were n’t sufficient to help flounder S - P. The DeLuxe saloon was the most democratic , attracting 5715 buyers . Least popular was the handsome Custom Constellation hardtop , garnering under 1500 sales . Though still obvious Packard congeneric , the ' 56 Clippers retained their own lattice and taillamp designs , made even more different in crease with Nance ’s aims .
The Packard line still listed Clipper - eccentric model in the 1956 Executive , a sedan and hardtop coupe annunciate at midyear to bridge over the cost col with Clipper . Executives even shared the clipper ship ’s form , 275 - bhp 352 V-8 , and pointy taillights , but wore " senior " ' 56 front - ending styling , plus higher prices in the $ 3500-$3600 scope .
The long 127 - inch chassis give back for Patrician , Four Hundred , and two Caribbeans : the familiar sofa bed and a new hardtop , both with unequaled tush covering that could be reversed from fabric to leather . All these models were upgraded to a bored - out 374 V-8 packing a mighty 310 bhp in Caribbeans and 290 bhp elsewhere . But none of this helped , and only 10,353 Packards were built for ' 56 , including just 263 Caribbean hardtops and 276 convertibles .
The Packardbaker and the End of Packard
Packard was now sinking fast , being pull down with Studebaker . Including Clipper , 1956 production totaled 28,835 motorcar , just more or less more than half of ' 55 intensity .
Studebaker - Packard had planned an all - new 1957 corporate transmission line that included a shared bodyshell but totally different looks for Studebaker and Clipper , plus a much larger disjoined political program for a mathematical group of high - luxury Packards styled in the image of Dick Teague ’s 1956 Packard Predictor show car .
But S - P was on the forget me drug , so no financial support could be obtain , leading Nance to resign in August 1956 . ( He soon resurface at another ominous - fated kit : the young Edsel Division of Ford Motor Company . )
Salvation last arrived in the form of Curtiss - Wright Corporation , which break up up Studebaker - Packard as a dalliance and/or tax write - off . C - W ’s Roy Hurley begin directing S - P ’s affairs . One of his first decision was to end Packard production in Detroit and substitute Studebaker - found models built in South Bend .
Thus appeared a Modern Packard Clipper for 1957 : the infamous " Packardbaker , " as many have since called it . Though a very good Studebaker , it was hardly in the same league with the ' 55 - 56 Packards . It add up in just two models : four - door Town Sedan and Country Sedan station wagon .
The sedan was on Studebaker ’s long 120.5 - column inch chassis while the wagon was on a 116.5 - inch physique . A pressurize Studebaker 289 - Criminal Investigation Command V-8 delivered the same 275 bhp as on ' 55 Caribbeans and ' 56 Executives , but Ultramatic , Torsion - Level , and other " real Packard " features were croak .
Styling , at least , work on Packard root . toll were high than for comparable Studeys : $ 3212/$3384 . But everyone recognise this as a travesty , and only about 5000 of the ' 57s , mostly saloon , were buy .
A big - Packard revival meeting was still theoretically potential as the ' 58s were planned , so S - P again tried a hold action . This clock time there were four " Packardbakers " priced as high-pitched as $ 3995 . Studebaker ’s short 116.5 - inch platform carried a two - doorway hardtop and four - threshold wagon , the 120 - in chassis a saloon and the Packard Hawk . The last , perhaps the most - famous of this series , was a more - luxurious version of Studebaker ’s Golden Hawk .
All featured full - leather interiors and bizarre styling foretell by low-pitched , " fish - sass " grillwork . In defense force of stylist Duncan McRae , the Hawk was really built only because of Roy Hurley , who also dictated its farsighted , bolt - on fiberglass olfactory organ and gaudy atomic number 79 - mylar tailfins .
McRae , however , stupefy the inculpation for the Hawk ’s outside " armrest " and styling on the other three fashion model : also garishly finned , and with in haste contrived four - headlight systems to keep up with an industry trend . Only the Hawk was pressurize . Other ' 58 Packards used a stock 289 with 210 bhp . output was uniformly lowly : 159 wagon , 588 Hawks , 675 hardtop , and 1200 sedans .
With that , there was no dot in live on , and once - lofty Packard vanished from the scene ( though its name continued in the corporate title until 1962 ) . It was a capital departure , but it did give Studebaker a new lease on life , though that make , too , would shortly choke .
