Re: Continuing the Packard
Posted by Mahoning63 On 2012/9/10 12:38:22
Great point, Packard could have gotten a lot of mileage out of the platform and rode the styling trends. Large car platforms in the 60s and 70s spanned upwards of a decade and longer so maybe Packard could have held pat until '69 or '70.
Was thinking about how Nash redesigned its Rambler for '56 but ended up with the same wheelbase and roughly the same height as the '55. In effect Rambler stayed with the same proportions from '54 through '62, with the shorter-wheelbase 2-dr Rambler dating back to '50. That's pretty good longevity especially considering that the strongest sales came at the end of Rambler's run. Hood was lengthened 9 inches in '58 to create the Ambassador flagship.
Have never really heard this kicked around but could Packard have reworked its '56 platform in similar fashion for '57? There might have been an opportunity to do something decent and for a cost no greater than, possibly less than, the $9M needed to adapt the '57 Lincoln body shell, and Packard would no longer have been dependent on another OEM for help.
Consider this mod. Moved the front axle forward 6 inches, made the sides straight-through and fashioned a Predictor-like front. Try to envision with the Predictor's grill and hidden headlights (single for '57, quads for '58). Packard already had the rear looking Predictor-like so it could have been saved. The Four Hundred moved the greenhouse forward 5 inches to enhance rear proportions so that task was taken care of too. The roof might have been acceptable for another couple years, ditto the glass. All Packard really needed to do was get the hood length in line with the extended rear, tool new rear doors to create a 4-dr hardtop body style, tool new front door outers and do something unique with the front fenders and frontal appearance. Might have kept them afloat until a new platform in '59? Maybe the roof's rear could have been more squared if it were affordable. Minimal changes to the interior.
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Was thinking about how Nash redesigned its Rambler for '56 but ended up with the same wheelbase and roughly the same height as the '55. In effect Rambler stayed with the same proportions from '54 through '62, with the shorter-wheelbase 2-dr Rambler dating back to '50. That's pretty good longevity especially considering that the strongest sales came at the end of Rambler's run. Hood was lengthened 9 inches in '58 to create the Ambassador flagship.
Have never really heard this kicked around but could Packard have reworked its '56 platform in similar fashion for '57? There might have been an opportunity to do something decent and for a cost no greater than, possibly less than, the $9M needed to adapt the '57 Lincoln body shell, and Packard would no longer have been dependent on another OEM for help.
Consider this mod. Moved the front axle forward 6 inches, made the sides straight-through and fashioned a Predictor-like front. Try to envision with the Predictor's grill and hidden headlights (single for '57, quads for '58). Packard already had the rear looking Predictor-like so it could have been saved. The Four Hundred moved the greenhouse forward 5 inches to enhance rear proportions so that task was taken care of too. The roof might have been acceptable for another couple years, ditto the glass. All Packard really needed to do was get the hood length in line with the extended rear, tool new rear doors to create a 4-dr hardtop body style, tool new front door outers and do something unique with the front fenders and frontal appearance. Might have kept them afloat until a new platform in '59? Maybe the roof's rear could have been more squared if it were affordable. Minimal changes to the interior.
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