Re: More on the Facel-Packard . . .

Posted by 58L8134 On 2013/6/9 18:29:16

Hi

During the brief consideration of the Facel Excellence-based Packard, it was to use leftover Packard V8's and Ultramatics that were built for service requirements. Apparently the supply was more than ample, since the projected sales numbers for Packard 'Excellences' was to be very small.

Center-opening door Lincolns: the original design iteration was developed as a next-generation Thunderbird on 113" wb for 1961, this would been during 1957-58. Concurrently, the giant unibodied '58 Lincolns and Continentals were bombing in the market and the ever-calculating Robert McNamara was itching to rid Ford Motor Company of any makes that didn't produce profits....would have gladly scuttled Lincoln. Fortunately, viewing the various concept clay mock-ups, McNamara liked the slab-sided Thunderbird design, suggested they add ten inches to the wheelbase and make it a Lincoln. In doing so, rear seat ingress and egress was still restricted and uncomfortable with forward-hinged rears doors so rear-hinged units quickly solved that problem, plus benefitting from the following cultural shift. Although rear-hinged rear doors had been old hat just a few years prior, the '51 Lincolns and Mercurys, '52 Studebakers and '54 Chrysler long-wheelbase models the last hold-outs, once they appeared on and various GM Motorama show cars including the pillar-less '53 Cadillac Orleans, '55 & '56 Eldorado Broughams and Town Car, they became regarded as very stylishly elegant......perfect for a new type of compact luxury Lincoln Continental.

As far function, the reason they perform so well is the unibody structure is extremely heavily built relative to the size of the car: 5000 lb for a 123" wb, 212" overall compared to a '61 Cadillac 62 sedan at 4660 lb, 129.5 wb, 222" overall. Regardless of whether it was a sedan or convertible, those Lincolns have a bank-vault solidity that's amazing for it's time. And they needed that 430 cid V8 to move all that weight, always at 10 mpg regardless of how they're driven (I had a '63 convertible for a while). They're not prefect in every way, but they're a darn nice rig with a wonderfully satisfying design. But also know that I'm biased for them, having fallen instantly in love with the design as an eight year old boy in November 1960 days prior to their introduction when we happened upon the new '61 models 'hidden' out back of Arkport Motors Lincoln-Edsel-Mercury. Never been so smitten with a car since.

Steve