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

Posted by johntrhodes81 On 2015/2/25 9:30:06

On the original question:
It seems to me that the single biggest factor was the failure of Packard to use the 120 to allow Packard to produce the senior cars in a cost effective and efficient manner. In my mind the Packard 8 should have been terminated a year early leaving the 120 to be the entry level car. The 320 straight 8 was only 7 years old in 1935 and could have been moved over to the 120. The money used to develop the 257/282 engine should have been used to bring out the 160 with the 385 engine and the 180 with the v12 in 1935.

Also the 120 should have had a different grill look than the 160/180 to keep the cars a bit more different. In 1937 the money used for the 115 could have been spent to both upgrade the v12 and use it to create a companion 6 cyl to put in the 120. The rest of the money could have been used to finish the 160/180 roll out.

The money for the 356 could have been used to bring out a family of 2 engines to replace the 320 and 385 engines.

This would have given Packard the ability to use a mid price car to support the tooling and assembly of senior cars allowing increased profit margin on the seniors to lower cost of production.

John