Re: Continuing the Packard

Posted by Mahoning63 On 2012/10/12 8:09:35

I have an image work-up but don't want to show it because I don't know who owns the original car and it's too obvious who's it might be.

Have tried hidden lights with the '56 grill/hood and couldn't get the appearance and packaging right. Agree with you, the hiddens might have best been used for an Eldorado-competitor. Or maybe just for all the coupes, or for all the highest trimmed series for all body configurations.

I think we need to acknowledge two industry trends that helped drive '56 and '57 sales: 4 dr hardtops and lower height. Consider these sales percentages of 4d HTs as % of all 4 door models sold for that brand:

1956 Buick: 69%
1957 Buick: 70%

1956 Cadillac: 49%
1957 Cadillac: 100%

1956 Clipper & Packard: 0%

Packard's 1956 sales problems went beyond its '55 quality issues. They didn't have a 4HT.

Here's height data that I have shown before. 1957 was the first big drop for O/B/C, Chrysler Corp. and Ford/Merc. Lincoln's came in '58, GM had a second drop in '59. Packard would have been uncompetitive in 1957 had it left its height unchanged.

Attach file:

---

  (91.52 KB)