The Demise of the Independents

Posted by Michael C Wauhop On 2017/4/3 10:47:12

The sad truth is, unfortunately nothing could save the Independent carmakers save a miracle-and none was forthcoming. Studebaker made a great car in 1953 that was visually stunning but prone to severe rusting; everyone wants to take credit for its styling, no one wants to take credit for its engineering. Hudson make a great car in the step down model only to be unable to update the design at a time when a new car was expected EVERY THREE YEARS (imagine that now). Kaiser made an attractive looking car but never jumped on the V8 bandwagon which was fatal. Nash made a reliable comfortable car that was maybe visually challenged but everyone I Have ever talked to that owned one liked it. The 1955 Packard was a technological tour de force that unfortunately was rushed into production before all the bugs were out-especially the T/U automatic (I finally gave up on mine in 2014 and went with a conversion to the GM 700r). Nance did have one great idea-the banding of the surviving independents together. If the heads of the independent car companies back in 1949 when they were benefitting from a sellers market, and has cash pouring into their coffers had banded together and formed an automotive company structured like GM they might be still here today. Unfortunately in life hindsight is often 20/20.