Re: More on the Facel-Packard . . .

Posted by Fyreline On 2013/6/8 21:02:01

A few further remembrances from that day (and shortly thereafter) . . . A few of the dealership mechanics and salesmen nosed around the two cars a bit as well, until Bob Perry chased them away (and back to work!). I don't think any of them had ever heard of the Facel Vega. They didn't much care for the suicide doors either. . . . "Yeah, they look great, but wait 'till you drive over some railroad tracks". A few days after the cars were together, some of the salesmen were trying to figure out what the Facel Vega's price tag was (it was around $13,000 - even more than the Mercedes-Benz 300). At no time did anyone mention the possibility of a Packard-based Facel Vega Excellence, even though a couple of guys (including me) thought it had a distinct Packard flavor about it. One of the salesmen wondered what kind of engine it had, and the mechanics all ribbed him about not knowing a 392 Chrysler Hemi when he heard one.

Other than a few visits by Mercedes-Benz zone reps, I don't recall any further visits by M-B executives and darned few from Studebacker-Packard execs either. Of course, by 1966 Studebaker was gone. The A. Robert Perry dealership hung on into the late 1970's as a Mercedes-Benz dealer, eventually closing and now it's a video store.

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi.