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

Posted by 58L8134 On 2017/9/3 13:37:28

Hi

Paul's proportional explorations clearly demonstrate management badly undersized the Contour Patricians to affectively compete with any Cadillac beyond the basic Series 62 sedan, though it was still important to have a car to challenge it in size and price. During Contour development, they apparently benchmarked overall length to best its 215 7/8" but only by an 1 7/8", barely noticeable. While the Series 62 sedan was their best seller, luxury cars then were all about body style choice as well length. The 60 Special was priced 17-20% higher than the 62 sedan, a good premium but immeasurable prestige.

"The '41 LeBaron Sport Brougham, with its wonderful design details and proportions, was available for design inspiration in early 1949. So were the Darrins. Since Packard was copying everyone else, why not copy itself too?"

Narrow, chromed window frames may have been more costly to build but they made an immense difference in an elegant appearance. The best example is the '49-'51 Lincoln Cosmopolitan compared to the standard Lincoln with its shared Mercury body. The Cosmopolitan's ponderous styling is somewhat redeemed by its elegant greenhouse. 1940-'48 Lincoln Continental coupes all feature those chromed frames imparting almost a hardtop look, light and airy. A number of the design concept clays by Reinhart and staff had those chromed frames; see Mr. Neal's Packard 1951 To 1954, Chapter 1. We can only surmise when it came to tooling costs decisions, stamped, full-door construction won out for their lower unit cost.

Instrument panel design was important to create a luxury impression, after all, it was where the owners spent the majority of their time. Looking at a plain-Jane dash panel didn't help the owner feel his money was well spent. Succeeding the 23rd Series, which has a rich-looking dash, Contours needed something much more appealing. Even the Kaiser and Chrysler had padded dashes, the former one of the best, so too should have all Packards.

"The Cadillac "Park Avenue" in the 60's went the other way - essentially a shorter rear deck DeVille to be less unwieldy in the city."

A short-decked luxury car was an idea out of its time. The '61 deVille Town Sedan was a hastily-contrived, midyear-introduced response to the '61 Lincoln Continental: 215" vs. 212.4 respectively. Only 3,756 Town Sedans vs. 26,415 Sedan deVilles for '61 could have been a first year anomaly. For 1962, an effort was made to broaden the appeal: 62 Town Sedan: 2,600; deVille Park Avenue 2,600. The numbers suggest this was a managed effort, limiting the stamping commitment. One more try for 1963: only as the deVille Park Avenue: 1,575: time to throw in the towel. Pricing wasn't an issue, each year identically priced to the long-decked which sold in multiples quantities by comparison. Maybe Cadillac buyers expected a price discount for less sheet metal.

Its worth noting the '61-'63 Lincoln OAL didn't come from a shortened deck but an "intimate" accommodations. The lack of rear seat legroom was the most frequent complaint by Continental owners, a situation corrected for 1964 when 3" were added to the wheelbase, all of it to the rear doors and rear legroom.

Paul's full line of properly-sized Patrician premium sedans, hardtops and convertibles would have done just what Nance strived to do later: put the public on notice that Packard was back in a big way, committed to bringing them motorcars they would be proud to own and brag about.

Steve