Re: New "What Ifs?"

Posted by Rusty O\'Toole On 2014/6/28 7:33:09
Saying Packard's problems started in 56, 55 or even 54 is too simple. They made some bad decisions before that, with a big company it takes a long time before it is obvious they are on the skids. By that time it is usually too late to do anything.

They were doing great through the war years and in the post war seller's market, which lasted through 1948. It was during this time period that they should have taken advantage of their prosperity to map out a plan for the future. This they did, but either they didn't follow it up, or they didn't adjust their plans to move with the times.

It only took Studebaker 2 years to come up with their own V8, which was frankly inspired by the 49 Cadillac. Likewise Chrysler, who had been working along similar lines with their own V8 since the end of the war.

It was inexcusable for Packard to lag 6 years behind Cadillac, and 4 years behind Studebaker and Chrysler. In those days you had to have something new to sell every year and being that far behind the parade made you a dinosaur, and eventually extinct.

1945 - 55 was the heyday of the medium priced and high priced car, with expensive special editions selling like hot cakes. Packard should have been right in the middle of this market, selling up to 200,000 cars a year. Was that even possible, given a V8 and hotter styling? I don't know, but without the volume there is no way they could make enough profit to develop new models and stay in business. That is what killed them in the end. Not the flaws of the 1955 V8 and Twin Ultramatic. The lack of sales and profits between 1945 and 1955, that left them behind the 8 ball.

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