Re: Packard & Hudson proximity

Posted by Craig the Clipper Man On 2013/2/14 10:16:36

Here is my alternative history:

It is 1921. Packard President and General Manager James Alvan Macauley reviews a business analysis white paper regarding the corporate structure of General Motors. Intrigued, Macauley invites Roy D. Chapin, Sr., chairman of Hudson Motor Car Company, to play golf and over lunch in the clubhouse, discusses what he had read and asks Chapin's thoughts about possibly merging with Packard. Hudson is in solid financial condition and had recently acquired Essex. Chapin is non-committal but promises to think about it.

In the meantime, Macauley meets with Walter P. Chrysler, who has recently resigned as president of Buick and vice president of GM production. Chrysler is trying to buy debt-ridden Willys-Overland and is making overtures to Maxwell. Macauley tells Chrysler that Packard is in a position to assist Chrysler with acquiring both companies and setting up his own umbrella corporation, Chrysler Motors, if he would consider a merger with Packard. In a few days, Chrysler contacts Macauley and agrees, and soon articles of incorporation are drafted.

In the meantime, Chapin has met with his board of directors and has concluded that a merger with Chrysler-Packard would indeed be in all parties' interest. Chapin meets with Macauley and Chrysler and floats his own idea: why not fill in the base car market with, say, Nash? Chrysler had worked with Charles Nash at GM and admired and respected Nash for his ability to organize and his knowledge of the industry. Macauley thinks Nash would be a great addition and the three men decide to approach Nash with the offer to serve as CEO of a conglomerate corporation. When the four men meet in Macauley offices at Packard, Nash agrees to the arrangement and suggests a new name - the American Motors Corporation.

During the next 16 years American Motors (or AM) expands to include Dodge Brothers, DeSoto, and Graham. Packard acquires Marmon in 1928 and Plymouth joins in 1934, which locks in the corporate structure for the next 20 years. During this time, AM moves to the No. 2 position behind GM and well ahead of struggling Ford. Packard becomes the undisputed luxury car manufacturer and astonishes the world in 1941 by bringing out an all-new model called Clipper, which features a high-output V-8 engine, a torsion bar suspension, factory air-conditioning, and automatic transmission - all offered as standard equipment. At this point, Packard is selling nearly three times as many units as Cadillac.

By 1957, Packard is the No. 1 luxury carmaker in the world and in 1966, AMC supplants GM as the No. 1 car manufacturer worldwide.