Re: Various CL Pickings

Posted by 58L8134 On 2014/8/23 15:58:23

Hi

Not often I would take issue with one of O_D's assessments but:

"For those unfamiliar with Packard's shenanigans resulting from the poor sales of the Light Eight in 1932,..."

Quite the contrary, the '32 Light Eight sold only too well, accounting for 40.7% of their total production but doing so as terrible money losers! From their original introductory Sedan prices of $1,750, adjustment came quickly to $1,895...still giving away the factory. The '31 826 comparable '32 901 sales plummeted 35%, suggesting the Light Eight cannibalized sales from its next higher sister model....the Depression did the rest.

The '33 1001's were simply restyled '32 Light Eights just to utilize the tooling in hopes of recouping some of their investments, this time at $2,150 to $2,250. It might be fair also to say it displaced the singular 129.5" wb 901 sedan successor for '33. At 1,881 units, they were still giving away the store on each one out the door.

Steve