Re: More on the Facel-Packard . . .

Posted by Fyreline On 2013/6/9 19:30:01

I still can't help but think that a Packardized Facel Vega Excellence with the big Packard V-8, Ultramatic, and those suicide doors would have been, in the final analysis, a stylish and elegant service department nightmare. Why not throw in the torsion-bar suspension as well? Might as well go for broke, emphasis on "broke". Further, Elwood Engel's Ford Thunderbird proposal that was upgraded to become the 1961 Lincoln Continental would have made the Facel-Packard (as nice as it looked) appear hopelessly dated by comparison. Facing the new Lincoln in the public eye, Cadillac shed its fins year by year as quickly as possible while Chrysler turned to (guess who?) Elwood Engel to make their 1964 Imperial a handsome car in the Lincoln mold. By comparison, the Facel Vega Excellence, even shorn of its wrap-around windshield and tail fins in the last few cars, was plainly a product of the late 50's. No way it could ever compete. At the end of the day, walking away . . . Running, maybe . . . From this project was the correct decision for all concerned. More's the pity for those of us who would have loved to see the car made anyway. Reality has a way of focusing your attention wonderfully.

I agree that the 1937 Packard Twelve, while a wonderful machine, is a bit Brobdignagian in execution. I'll stick with my dreamt-of Super 8. Don't be quite so quick to disparage the Duesenberg Model J, though. I have been blessed with the opportunity to drive two of these cars at different times in my life, and they are very, very impressive indeed. Bear in mind that ALL Duesenberg Model J's are really 1929's, and were bodied later over the years. In the context of 1929 automobiles, it's performance envelope was astonishing. They drive like a 1970's pickup truck with a big-block V-8 - which sounds bad until you are reminded once again that this was a car designed and built in the late 1920's. No, they are NOTHING like a Packard, be it in 1929 or 1937. There is nothing at all refined about a Duesenberg . . . But they are truly worth the ridiculous prices collectors pay for them. Again, just my opinion.

The last "big" classic I drove was a 1923 Ahrens-Fox Model P-S-4 fire engine with a Fox-built straight six of well over 1000 cubic inches driving a 1300-gallon per minute front-mounted piston pump. It was like riding on the outside of a World War 1 fighter plane. Fun, though.