Re: Packard Seniors 1940-56

Posted by Mahoning63 On 2015/4/27 19:01:48

"If you look at performance, Packard enjoys an advantage in power/weight until mid-fifties, well after the Caddy V8 intro. To me, these tables again show that the smaller company's tooling costs kept models in production longer, which became an increasing problem."

Point well taken. My question is, did this really need to be a problem? In 1937, Packard sold 1300 Twelves despite wearing a 3-year old body and facing competition (Cadillac) with more modern all-steel, streamlined and quite beautiful bodies. For Packard, timeless design had staying power.

Cadillac sold the same body from 1950-53 so for Packard to have sold the same one from 1951-54 need not have been a problem. Had Packard consistently sold more cars and/or a richer mix they would have earned enough money to completely redesign for 1955 and again for 1959, and 1963, etc. By the mid-Sixties even Cadillac had to throttle back and keep the same basic body shell for a longer period. Cadillac platforms were already on extended lifecycles, the 1959-64 cars being common as were the 1965-76 cars. Mercedes S-Class ran from 1973-79 and again from 1980-89.

Am looking at Table 2 and thinking that by 1953 Packard had all the features it needed to take Cadillac head-on except for an OHV V8. OK, so it didn't have a V8. Somehow the idea that a V8 would have sold lots more 1951-54 Packards doesn't quite jive. Buick continued with its inline Eight through 1952 with no let-up in sales. Hudson and Nash finally got their V8 in 1955 and look how much good it did them. I think there was more to Packard's challenges than lack of a V8.