Re: Are 57 and 58 Packards really Packards

Posted by kens53clip On 2009/9/9 9:26:17

On the point on who did the 57 Packard styling, it is my understanding that the basic design (for the 1956 Studebaker President) was Vince Gardner based on an article by Ross Miller in the PAC's Packard Cormorant in which Hal Hermann's 1957 Packard Clipper was featured. Nat Dawes in his book on Packards 1942-1962 says that Duncan McRae and William Schmidt made the alterations to the basic Studebaker President design to create the 1957 Packard Clipper and that they did so with 4 weeks lead time. So it was definitely a rush job that I think came off pretty good. I seem to recall (probably from the PAC's Packard Cormorant) that someone asked Dick Teague about the use of his 1956 Clipper taillights on the 1957 and he said something to the effect that it made him want to throw up. I doubt if he would have said that if he had been involved in the styling of the 1957. But personally, I think the taillights on the 1957 look good. To each his own, I guess. (I did not like Dick Teague's AMC Pacer.) They did have to wedge the taillights in somewhat, by raising the fender (by a fender cap) and reducing the width of the rear bumper.