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"The Fall of the Packard Motor Car" book
#1
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Garrett Meadows
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Has anyone read the tome "The Fall of the Packard Motor Car Company" by James Ward? It got excellent reviews on Amazon.

kind regards
Garrett Meadows

Posted on: 2014/7/28 14:53
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Re: "The Fall of the Packard Motor Car" book
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Owen_Dyneto
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Yes, it's very well read and regarded by the Packard community and has been discussed often on here. See the review of it (and most other Packard books) on the Packard Bookshelf (menu bar at left) if you haven't already.

Posted on: 2014/7/28 14:54
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Re: "The Fall of the Packard Motor Car" book
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Tim Cole
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Bought it, read it, threw it in the trash. Yuk.

At least Turnquist had experience working for a corporation (RCA).

The book is irrelevant given the disappearance of AMC, Oldsmobile, Plymouth, Mercury, and Pontiac. Oldsmobile was selling over 1,000,000 units annually in the 1980's. As well, Cadillac is selling a fraction of what they were in the 1950's.

Posted on: 2014/7/28 15:01
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Re: "The Fall of the Packard Motor Car" book
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Garrett Meadows
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Thank you for elbowing me in the direction of the Packard Bookshelf, which I totally neglected to notice.

kind regards
Garrett Meadows

Posted on: 2014/7/28 15:11
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Re: "The Fall of the Packard Motor Car" book
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Steve203
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I read it recently, and throughly enjoyed it.

Ward focuses more on the business decision making. The history of the company prior to the 50s is covered quickly.

As some here can attest, I am as much a factory and business geek as I am interested in Packard autos, so the picture the book draws of Nance being a salesman, and too reliant on advice for his decision making starts to come into focus. For instance, Nance had considered Hudson as a merger partner as the top line Hudson models fit, it terms of size and price, right below Packard and offered significant immediate synergies. Hudson even contacted Packard about a merger in August 53. But the consultants Nance had hired were telling him Studebaker was a better deal, so the board passed on Hudson and rushed into the Studebaker deal, and we know how that worked out.

Posted on: 2014/7/28 16:52
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Re: "The Fall of the Packard Motor Car" book
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Garrett Meadows
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You and I share similar interests. Not only am I interested in a particular item, occurrence, or entity, I want to know the who, what, when, where, and why behind the item, occurrence, or entity. I'm forever fascinated by the rise and fall of products/people, especially when that product/person was at one time at a vertiginous height.

kind regards
Garrett Meadows

Posted on: 2014/7/28 17:11
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Re: "The Fall of the Packard Motor Car" book
#7
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Jimmy Scichilone
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Yes, this is an excellent book and fascinating read....by far the best book ever written on the inside story of Packard and its demise. This book is used by many universities as an example of a well written and documented history of an industrial company. Ignore the (few) negative comments...they are largely ignorant about good writing and journalism.....This book and the Beverly Kimes edited book are the two definitive journals to read if you want accurate, detailed, and interesting Packard history !

Posted on: 2014/7/28 19:34
De Mortuis Nil Nisi Bonum...Speak Only Good Of The Dead.....
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Re: "The Fall of the Packard Motor Car" book
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Steve203
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<i>Ignore the (few) negative comments...</i>

Those who are dissapointed by the book are frequently the ones more interested in the cars, as there is very little product information in this book.

On the other hand, if you want to know how the Studebaker-Packard merger was structured, how the Studebaker stockholders ended up with a controlling interest, even though it was Packard that bought Studebaker, and how this hamstrung management so that they couldn't even agree to close down one of the two test tracks to save money, let alone consolidate production facilities, the Ward book is the one to read.

Google has several excerpts of the book available online if you would like to sample it. Type a topic into the "search inside" box to find a particular section.

http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Fall_of_the_Packard_Motor_Car_Compan.html?id=7D11a-EPzwMC

Posted on: 2014/7/28 20:30
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Re: "The Fall of the Packard Motor Car" book
#9
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58L8134
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Hi

It's definitely a work for those interested in the management and external forces that brought the carmaking to an end. It reads like a Greek tragedy, you know it's coming but no one at the time seemed to see the signs.

From mid-1953 onward, Packard was in such precarious financial condition, its a wonder the 1955-56 cars were built at all. Nance, for all is acumen with sales, was woefully inexperienced in finance and manufacturing. An auto industry experienced president was what was earnestly needed......and most of the old, complacent, board to be replaced with young, vibrant blood.

Those interested only in the cars or technical aspects will be disappointed, should bypass Ward's book.

Steve

Posted on: 2014/7/29 10:48
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Re: "The Fall of the Packard Motor Car" book
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Steve203
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Nance, for all is acumen with sales, was woefully inexperienced in finance and manufacturing.

I get the sense from the book that Nance knew his limitations, but the people he went to for advice gave poor advice, and Nance's applicable knowledge was so slim that he didn't know the difference.

Nance was hypnotized by the millions and millions the consultants and bankers were telling him he could save by sharing a platform with Studebaker. Problem was, Studie had moved so far down market that their existing platform was too small and cheap to make a Packard, and Packard's parts bin could not yield anything cheap enough to sell as a Studebaker. To get the synergies the bankers were touting would require 3 years and tens of millions of dollars to develop a platform that could bridge the gap between the two brands.

Nance was hypnotized by Walter Grant as well, who touted the millions that could be saved by moving final assembly into Conner. Looked good on paper, but in reality the plant was small and full of bottlenecks.

An auto industry experienced president was what was earnestly needed

That is why Henry Kaiser tapped Joe Frazer as a partner in his auto venture. Frazer was a long time auto exec with an excellent background from Chrysler and Willys. Problem was Kaiser's hubris got in the way and, when Frazer offered sound advice, Kaiser ignored it. Frazer left K-F and soon the other experienced auto industry hands he brough it left as well.

Here's a thought, what if the Packard board had hired Joe Frazer? Frazer was forced out of K-F in early 48. Christopher was fired from Packard in late 49. Hand Joe Frazer another turnaround opportunity, rather that 2 years of drift with Hugh Ferry.

Posted on: 2014/7/29 15:39
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