Re: Continuing the Packard

Posted by 55PackardGuy On 2012/10/11 22:51:09

Muck it up all you want, Mahoning, with nifty re-styles like these. As I've re-iterated o-so-many-times, a striking upgrade to the body was all Packard really needed in '57. Heck, the '57 Chevy was just an upgraded "shoebox" going back to '54. And it didn't have an all-new torsion bar suspension. Packard's V8 was also only 2 years old, with a big upgrade in '56 seniors. The re-styled body was only 2 years old as well. Why not put some more energy into evolving it before '58, which was the first year everybody jumped on the wider, lower body bandwagon anyway.

The expense of hidden headlights would've been worth it, as it would put one of the Predictor's most striking concepts right into the mainstream. Here's where the 400 would've started eating into the Eldorado sales IMHO. A gimmick, yes, but a really good one, with a heritage going back to the revered '36 Cord.

Build it if you can!