Re: What would a traditional Packard "Senior" have looked like in 1951?

Posted by Craig the Clipper Man On 2017/8/1 10:46:43

I have to disagree with concept of that 1954 Packard advertisement. No wonder James Vance hated Packard advertising! That photo shows some creepy older guy squiring an attractive younger lady with a four-door sedan in the forefront. These were not the people Packard should have been trying to appeal to. By the early 1950s the advertising industry generally tried to appeal to young families or carefree driving in convertibles. Nance was correct when he said that the ad agency handling the Packard account had dropped the ball and that what was appearing in magazines and newspapers was pathetic. By 1954 a Packard was no longer a status symbol. It had lost that appeal to Cadillac following the company's 1948-50 line. Now having decided to swim into its future tied to an anchor named Studebaker, Packard was not particularly well placed to compete in a runaway car market.

Packard had waited far too long to come out with its V-8. Had it brought out a V-8 in 1951 it might have made up for lost ground. Even Studebaker had a V-8 in 1951. I have never received a good answer as to why Packard procrastinated in bringing out something the public clearly wanted.