Re: Packard Monte Carlo

Posted by 58L8134 On 2018/2/24 8:16:16

Hi

Dave raises good points: the timing of the Monte Carlo hardtop build coincides with the development of the 24th Series. The major take away from reading Neal's Packard 1948 To 1950 covering the 1949-'50 period was that management was 'done' with the bathtubs, desperate to get a new car on the market as quickly as possible. As such they were in a crisis management mode trying to build enough cars to satisfy sales, while clearing material inventories, while maybe breakeven without the massive overproduction glut caused by Christopher's late dictates. Body style selections were reduced from the 22nd Series offering, no new body styles were added. Only the Super Deluxe model was added to utilize the discontinued Custom Eight parts, recover some investment.

From what Neal details of the Monte Carlo's development, it appears to have been purely a Henney speculation project to demonstrate design consultant Arbib's capabilities to Packard. Photos dated April 11, 1949 of the unfinished car were concurrent with the 24th Series design process which was well underway, completed October 1st. Any hope the Monte Carlo hardtop would cause management to contract Henney to build a low-volume production run was a vain hope as best.

To keep the situation then in context, the later months of 1949 were fraught with management conflicts climaxing in the ouster of Christopher, a demoralized dealer network suffering free fall loses, masses of 22nd Series leftovers stifling 23rd Series sales. Not a happy time, all around. Those dealers who stuck with Packard, pushing heavily discounted Eights to move metal, were screaming for a completely new car. 200 production began August 1st 1950, dealer introduction by late in that month, much to their relief.

Where did the Monte Carlo by Henney or a convertible version fit into current or future model planning? They really didn't!

But, that doesn't make their history or this Monte Carlo convertible any less interesting now!

Steve