Re: Great Packards

Posted by Allen Kahl On 2008/12/8 13:40:01

The merger with Studebaker must looked at in the light of not only what happened after, but what happened before and what did not happen before. If you remember Nance of Packard and Mason of Nash, were on a path to make AMC a 5 member corporation. Nance merging Studebaker/Packard and Mason merging Nash/Hudson/Rambler. Then the two mergered firms merging together to form American Motors. Had that happened they all may have staved off the end. But Mason died and George Romney wanted no part of playing second fiddle to Nance. So Nance was left holding the merger bag with no way out to complete the full plan. Although I don't doubt that Studebaker was in trouble I find it hard to believe that they could hide all of the finacial problems from Packards lawyers. I think rather they did not see them as totally dreadfull when held in the light of the merger coming down the road which was deep sixed with the death of Mason. Then they saw the 4 horsemen coming and held out as long as they could. I know some people say it was all quality and nothing more. Sorry that don't float. GM/Ford/Chrysler all had quality issues over the ensuing years and it did not end up putting them in oblivion because they had other makes to pick up the slack. Packard did not.