Re: 1953/4 Caribbean 4-door hardtop sedan exploration
Posted by Mahoning63 On 2020/4/24 21:50:15
The nice thing about this exercise is that we all get to pick whatever we like!
First image is 105 wb Jet with 60.9 inch height. Next to it is a version with greenhouse lowered 3 inches for a new height of 57.9 inches.
Second image pits the Willys Aero with its 108 wb and 60 inch height next to the lowered Jet.
The Jet was functional and roomy inside but at expense of styling. Lowered 3 inches as Spring had wanted it matches fairly well with Aero though the latter is several inches wider. I think the lowered Jet and Aero are equally compelling.
If Packard had bought Hudson in 1954, dropped the big Step-Down and re-purposed Clipper - perhaps as suggested, kept Jet and spent a million dollars lowering its greenhouse for '55 and adapting Torsion-Level, and made a big push to export it and the rejuvenated Packards to Europe and elsewhere, I think Packard-Hudson might have had a really good year and a bright future.
Hudson lost a ton of money in 1954 and Nance probably would have been able to determine early in the year a rough ballpark of how bad it would be. Maybe he could have given Barit an ultimatum of sorts: rework the Jet for '55 as suggested using the last of Hudson's capital, plan for a Clipper-based big Hudson for '55 and prepare for the official merger after Hudson closes the fiscal year and booked its losses. This would have made Hudson as cheap as possible for Packard. Barit would have had no other option except to sell to Nash and see Jet liquidated.
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First image is 105 wb Jet with 60.9 inch height. Next to it is a version with greenhouse lowered 3 inches for a new height of 57.9 inches.
Second image pits the Willys Aero with its 108 wb and 60 inch height next to the lowered Jet.
The Jet was functional and roomy inside but at expense of styling. Lowered 3 inches as Spring had wanted it matches fairly well with Aero though the latter is several inches wider. I think the lowered Jet and Aero are equally compelling.
If Packard had bought Hudson in 1954, dropped the big Step-Down and re-purposed Clipper - perhaps as suggested, kept Jet and spent a million dollars lowering its greenhouse for '55 and adapting Torsion-Level, and made a big push to export it and the rejuvenated Packards to Europe and elsewhere, I think Packard-Hudson might have had a really good year and a bright future.
Hudson lost a ton of money in 1954 and Nance probably would have been able to determine early in the year a rough ballpark of how bad it would be. Maybe he could have given Barit an ultimatum of sorts: rework the Jet for '55 as suggested using the last of Hudson's capital, plan for a Clipper-based big Hudson for '55 and prepare for the official merger after Hudson closes the fiscal year and booked its losses. This would have made Hudson as cheap as possible for Packard. Barit would have had no other option except to sell to Nash and see Jet liquidated.
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