Re: What SINGLE factor MOST contributed to the demise of Packard?

Posted by Rusty O\'Toole On 2013/10/26 9:28:08

On an odd side note, I was listening to the radio when driving home today. Three DJs were discussing a certain rap star who was known for using brand names in his lyrics. They tried to guess which brands got the most frequent mention.

Turns out Mercedes was #1 followed by Lexus. Nike was well up on the list. Porsche appeared farther down.

So, it appears that making cheap cars has not ruined Mercedes reputation.

I doubt he was singing the praises of 4 cylinder taxicabs. No doubt he was referring to the luxury models.

I also have a hard time believing that people bought Packards in the thirties and forties, when they were making six cylinder models, but stopped buying them in the fifties when they had gone upmarket and made 8 cylinder cars exclusively - because they suddenly realized that Packard had made six cylinder cars 15 or 20 years earlier, and therefore the new models were not worth buying.

I find it much easier to believe that they did not buy Packards in the fifties because they compared them with other makes in the same price range, and found them wanting.

One other factor that has not been mentioned. Fifties Packards had a drab, cheap looking instrument panel more suited to a car in the Ford price bracket. Furthermore they used the same one in all models, even the most expensive. And they used it for several years.

This may look like a small thing but I wonder. The instrument panel is one thing the driver sees every time he gets in the car. Other makers went to a lot of trouble to make theirs attractive, or at least interesting. To give the more expensive models a different, more expensive look. And to change the design every year.

I don't think they did it for fun. I think they did it because it was a good way to differentiate the cars and it did not cost much money. In other words they considered it money well spent for the impact it had on the customer's perception of value and therefore, on sales.

I did not think this up on my own. I saw an interview with a Ford stylist who did not think much of Robert McNamara as CEO of Ford, who felt he knew nothing about cars and his ideas were worthless.

One of these worthless ideas was to save money by using the same instrument panel in all Ford, Mercury and Lincoln cars. The stylist considered this so idiotic he just shook his head.

Meanwhile Packard was doing it.