Re: A CANADIAN-built Packard?!?

Posted by JWL On 2010/12/17 17:53:46

Rolls Royce established a factory in Springfield, Mass. to avoid US import taxes. I don't know if they were as high as the British were charging, but having a plant here gave them an advantage to better compete with the US luxury marques. It was in production through most of the Twenties. Don't know how much was made here versus in Crewe, but suspect most of it was US made. I believe the plant closed due to the Great Depression.

Some years ago there was a reception at the Blackhawk Museum for the new US manager of a Japanese auto maker. While talking with him I mentioned that Rolls Royce had done in the Twenties what his company had done recently, opened a US plant. He was unaware of this activity. To illustrate, I showed him a Springfield-RR that we had on exhibit.

(o{I}o)