Re: Merger of Nash/Kelvinator, Packard & Hudson
Posted by Mahoning63 On 2015/4/17 19:26:29
Great post, Roger and thanks for sharing that wonderful historical account.
On the timeline, the Standard Catalogue says that on January 14, 1954 the Hudson directors approved the merger, on March 24, 1954 the Hudson stockholders approved it and on May 1, 1954 Hudson officially became part of AMC. I have also read that while Barit went forward with merger negotiations throughout the last half of 1953, he held back final approval until it was clear that the '54 Wasp/Hornet freshening would not turn things around. If this is true it would make sense that Hudson suddenly joined the plan in early January, 1954, at least from the vantage point of Conde and possibly Packard. Mason, of course, was courting Hudson and Packard simultaneously.
On the product, the 1955 Packard sales versus large 1955 Nash+Hudsons were similar, the AMC cars selling around 10,000 more but with lower average transaction prices. I think the Nash would have been the more risky platform because of its odd greenhouse, the windshield shaped oddly and the C-pillar not very inspiring or American mainstream. On the other hand the cars had more interior space when the 121.5 wb cars were compared with the 122 wb Clipper. The plan to sell the shorter 114.5 wheelbase Statesman, Wasp and Clipper needed to be scrapped because their stubby proportions made them PUG UGLY. That Mason saw such cars attractive - and with enclosed front fenders!! - tells me he was tone deaf in matters aesthetic and therefore disqualified from remaining CEO unless he kept his meat hooks off Design. Nance had the best eye, Romney somewhere in between. Had Nance's new studio team taken responsibility for all AMC design they might have cleaned up the '55s enough to coax total 1955 sales over 100,000 and half as many in 1956. The '57 redesign would have been the big bet.
Regarding the plan's 121.5 wheelbase Patrician... no frigg'n way. It needed at least 7 to 8 more inches both up front and in back. I monkeyed around with a revived Pierce-Arrow on a Nash body shell a few years ago doing just that and working in a taller grill, archer, open front fenders and 16 inch wheels. That's what these AMC cars needed. Also tried an extra long wheelbase Town Car that used longer front and rear doors and carryover roof top, cut short (so much for the unibody).
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On the timeline, the Standard Catalogue says that on January 14, 1954 the Hudson directors approved the merger, on March 24, 1954 the Hudson stockholders approved it and on May 1, 1954 Hudson officially became part of AMC. I have also read that while Barit went forward with merger negotiations throughout the last half of 1953, he held back final approval until it was clear that the '54 Wasp/Hornet freshening would not turn things around. If this is true it would make sense that Hudson suddenly joined the plan in early January, 1954, at least from the vantage point of Conde and possibly Packard. Mason, of course, was courting Hudson and Packard simultaneously.
On the product, the 1955 Packard sales versus large 1955 Nash+Hudsons were similar, the AMC cars selling around 10,000 more but with lower average transaction prices. I think the Nash would have been the more risky platform because of its odd greenhouse, the windshield shaped oddly and the C-pillar not very inspiring or American mainstream. On the other hand the cars had more interior space when the 121.5 wb cars were compared with the 122 wb Clipper. The plan to sell the shorter 114.5 wheelbase Statesman, Wasp and Clipper needed to be scrapped because their stubby proportions made them PUG UGLY. That Mason saw such cars attractive - and with enclosed front fenders!! - tells me he was tone deaf in matters aesthetic and therefore disqualified from remaining CEO unless he kept his meat hooks off Design. Nance had the best eye, Romney somewhere in between. Had Nance's new studio team taken responsibility for all AMC design they might have cleaned up the '55s enough to coax total 1955 sales over 100,000 and half as many in 1956. The '57 redesign would have been the big bet.
Regarding the plan's 121.5 wheelbase Patrician... no frigg'n way. It needed at least 7 to 8 more inches both up front and in back. I monkeyed around with a revived Pierce-Arrow on a Nash body shell a few years ago doing just that and working in a taller grill, archer, open front fenders and 16 inch wheels. That's what these AMC cars needed. Also tried an extra long wheelbase Town Car that used longer front and rear doors and carryover roof top, cut short (so much for the unibody).
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