Re: What would a traditional Packard "Senior" have looked like in 1951?
Posted by 58L8134 On 2017/7/30 7:55:10
Hi
Fine proportions elevate a design, as Paul's exercise demonstrates. For comparison, here are the 1949 Cadillac 60 Special, 133 inch wheelbase and Series 62, 126 inch wheelbase. Note that while the longitudinal length of the V8 is approximately half a straight eight, Cadillac styling still saw fit to proportion their cars such that the cowl-to-front-axle length is appropriate to the latter configuration purely for style and marketing considerations.
For the 23rd Series, management decided to move the Super Eight from the 120 inch to the 127 inch wheelbase chassis shared with the Custom Eight. Spatially there was no need for an additional seven inches to fit the 327 engine into the chassis. Although Custom Eight tooling amortization was one reason; beyond the practical realities was recognition that buyers in the premium/luxury segment expected the car to look the part as well when compared to competitive models. Unfortunately, this approach didn't carryover to the 24th Series development.
An extended deck was another feature which would become increasing popular throughout the '50's and '60's; the 1948-'49 60 Special the first postwar examples. GM employed this approach with significant success throughout all their makes except Chevrolet over the next two decades. The premium price percentage over the standard models ran anywhere from five to thirty percent greater, multiplied over tens of thousands of units. Packard missed this opportunity just when they could have benefited most.
In that era of rising general affluence, sport models with verve created by lowered proportions, Darrin drip and lengthened hood could hardly but been a hit. Subtle changes can render the Contours so much more appealing.
Larger displacement, higher horsepower engines were also expected as one moved up the price scale. Going to the trouble and expense to build a nine main bearing engine without enlarging it for noticeably better performance exposes another aspect about which management appeared to been clueless.
Steve
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Fine proportions elevate a design, as Paul's exercise demonstrates. For comparison, here are the 1949 Cadillac 60 Special, 133 inch wheelbase and Series 62, 126 inch wheelbase. Note that while the longitudinal length of the V8 is approximately half a straight eight, Cadillac styling still saw fit to proportion their cars such that the cowl-to-front-axle length is appropriate to the latter configuration purely for style and marketing considerations.
For the 23rd Series, management decided to move the Super Eight from the 120 inch to the 127 inch wheelbase chassis shared with the Custom Eight. Spatially there was no need for an additional seven inches to fit the 327 engine into the chassis. Although Custom Eight tooling amortization was one reason; beyond the practical realities was recognition that buyers in the premium/luxury segment expected the car to look the part as well when compared to competitive models. Unfortunately, this approach didn't carryover to the 24th Series development.
An extended deck was another feature which would become increasing popular throughout the '50's and '60's; the 1948-'49 60 Special the first postwar examples. GM employed this approach with significant success throughout all their makes except Chevrolet over the next two decades. The premium price percentage over the standard models ran anywhere from five to thirty percent greater, multiplied over tens of thousands of units. Packard missed this opportunity just when they could have benefited most.
In that era of rising general affluence, sport models with verve created by lowered proportions, Darrin drip and lengthened hood could hardly but been a hit. Subtle changes can render the Contours so much more appealing.
Larger displacement, higher horsepower engines were also expected as one moved up the price scale. Going to the trouble and expense to build a nine main bearing engine without enlarging it for noticeably better performance exposes another aspect about which management appeared to been clueless.
Steve
Attach file:
(49.51 KB)
(53.06 KB)
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