Re: 6 cyl in a 55...another wacky idea?

Posted by R Anderson On 2010/12/28 21:26:50

The previous may be true, but by '55 whatever damage might have theoretically been done by the 110/115 was long done, and by introducing the problem prone 55th series it merely sealed the fate of an ailing Packard by signifcantly compromising their heretofore sterling reputation for quality and reliability with major mechanical issues in ALL models, the pretender to the throne Seniors included. They would not have made it to '55 without the Jrs. A mechanically proven reliable Jr line anchored by the stalwart L head 6 would have been the lone throwback to when Packard meant relatively "problem free", something that no 55/56 can seriously claim.

As has been pointed out, the proliferation of Mercedes 190/200/220/240D taxis worldwide for the last 40+ years has hardly hurt DB, because the taxis were quality products. If anything, their ability to absorb the punishment required of a taxi only enhances the overall brand. The whole canard of the 110/115/120 diminishing the Packard reputation disregards the costs involved in volume manufacturing. No company was able to survive by making only those kind of automobiles. GM was able to sucessfully sell a Cadillac as well as a Chevy/Pontiac/Olds/Buick simultaneously since people understood and bought the concept of brand differentiation and a value continuum Packard could, imo, have carried off a simple bifurcated product line: Clipper (Buick/Olds) congruently with Patrician/Carib (Cad/Linc), if only the plan had been executed properly with cars that worked as they should have, with ohv V8 engines when they should have had them, in 1950, and promoted with astute marketing.

They didn't and they couldn't. Any brand that foisted such flawed products on the public didn't deserve acceptance in the marketplace, brilliant attempts such as TL and Teague's heroic restyle notwithstanding, and the public rationally responded by staying away in droves. IMO believing that Packard could have survived by producing only top line cars after WWII with no higher volume models is tantamount to living on that river in Egypt. Even GM couldn't have pulled that one off, and it's precisely why Daimler Benz makes the C class, why Bentley is now owned by VW and Rolls is owned by BMW/Mini.