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Responsible books stick to describing Packard's demise? No they don't, they're riddled with opinion.
Have you cracked open Ward's
The Fall...? It contains nearly thirty pages of bibliographic references and annotations. If his isn't a responsible book, I don't know what is.
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There is no parallel universe in which Packard could have been saved? Says who, the historians? How could they or anyone possibly know?
Historians "know" this because history is littered with companies who, like Packard, were unable to compete in America's post-war consumer marketplace. Have you been shopping for a Caloric range lately? How about a Crosley refrigerator? Can you point me to a new Philco radio? For that matter, can you buy a soda at the
local drug store or a pound of nails at the
local hardware? No, no and no...Ample evidence exists which suggests that Packard's demise wasn't unusual, unexpected or difficult to explain and seeking any alternate outcome places you directly adrift in a parallel universe.
Look, if Packard's demise was an anomaly, I would fully support the continuing effort to dissect this specimen because the Packard brand really did represent something unique in America. But it's failure wasn't an anomaly and it's death was presaged during the early post-war era in the failures of other companies with similarly once-strong brands. What's more, Packard's death was then repeated by other fine firms that simply couldn't compete as the American economy continued to evolve toward the 21st century's "global marketplace."
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And finally, the broadest sweeper of them all... all the Independents were (...cue the thunder and lightening...) DOOOOMED!!! Says who, the historians again? They may have been divine in the eyes of the publishing companies that made lots of money off them but sorry, my Ghostbusters's sniffer just isn't picking up anything other-worldly.
All of the independents are gone. Packard, Nash, Hudson, Studebaker, Crosley, Kaiser, Willys. Am I missing any? Even the valiant AMC, which soldiered on into the 80's is gone. That, alone, would suggest any historian using the term "doomed" isn't far off the mark. Of course if you know of any independent automaker that still exists, I would encourage you to write your own history refuting this conclusion.
I always return to the same question whenever I see this discussion arise: "Why would you want Packard to have survived?" Would you want to see a 1975 Packard with 5mph bumpers, a vinyl roof and opera windows? Would you want to see a 1985 Packard compact ala the Cadillac Cimmaron? How about a 2010 Packard electro-green-thingy that you plug into the wall? Really? That's what you want?
As much as I love Cary Grant, James Stewart and Grace Kelley, I realize that none of those folks would be revered in today's culture. And to change them to fit today's expectations would destroy the essence that made these individuals so unique in their time. Packard is no different. It was truly unique and meant something special in the context of its era. Things, however, have changed (for the worse, in my opinion) and, had Packard lived, would have been just as vulgar as a new Cadillac, Mercedes or BMW. If that's what you're after, fine. But I'll stick with the story of a classy marque that was the best of her era and whose name will forever represent the ultimate in American industrial craftsmanship.
SG
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