Re: New "What Ifs?"

Posted by Rusty O\'Toole On 2014/6/28 13:59:47

Cadillac made their money selling a lot of expensive cars. Their advantage in being part of GM was mainly in buying power, low cost credit, sharing the cost of bodies and new tooling with Buick and Olds, and economies of scale that come from being part of a big corporation. So far as I know Cadillac showed a profit every year except for a few years in the depression. According to people who worked there in the thirties and forties they were always looking for ways to simplify and cut costs, without reducing perceived quality. I could give examples if you like. This was standard practice at every company, including Packard.

Packard was hardly a dime store company and the sales figures show it. They did well most years until 1954 then went quickly down hill. This might lead one to believe their problems started in 1954, I disagree. They would have done much better if they had a V8 engine and sharper styles a few years earlier and if they had carried out their plan to ramp up production and sales to 150,000 - 200,000 a year which was not out of the question. By 1954 - 55 - 56 they had already missed the boat.