Re: Packard Seniors 1940-56
Posted by Mahoning63 On 2015/5/8 21:05:07
Okay, onto 1953-54 and again the use of 200's roof and backlight, now a one-piece wrapped affair fully caught up with Cadillac's open airy look. Let's not let its similarity to backlights such as Jet stops us! I love the look and think it and the new surfacing at windshield transformed the Clipper this year.
The sore thumb taillights introduced for 1954 also needed to happen in 1953 (1955 would have then seen cathedrals across the board or perhaps the '56 boomerangs, the cathedrals used exclusively for the Caribbean 2 and 4 door hardtops before becoming mainstream for '57; think '55 Eldorado fins and how Cadillac morphed them into mainstream).
The Eight Clipper sedan would have otherwise been carryover save for a bump in 288's horsepower or intro of the smallest version of the much needed V8. Also upgrades to Ultramatic.
The Super Eight Victoria coupe/convertible would have followed suit, and gotten a one piece backlight this year instead of waiting until 1954. The Custom Eight Patrician and limos would have rounded out the field, all picking up the design changes. Speaking of limos, Packard certainly could have gone ahead and had Henney make an 8-pass limo, a "600" series. Because it likely would have sold poorly due to its high price, I would have also pursued a 6-pass model for the modern executive, a "500 Executive" lest they missed the point! To keep investment low Packard could have simply cut the 400's roof and floorpan at B-pillar and added a 5 inch section. With division window and other niceties Packard could have created a desirable car that Cadillac did not offer, built at EGB, priced at or below the 75 and with extras like leather covered formal roof with small backlight available upon request.
I show a Clipper with modified grill next to each sedan image to give you an idea of what I had in mind up front. Packard's Contour grill looked modern and is quite captivating when shiny and bright and I don't begrudge it, but I do think Packard could have made a grill that was more tailored and had a commanding, stand-up-and-salute presence about it in keeping with Packard tradition. Not a vertical grill though, rather something in between vertical and Contour. Look at European sports cars of the early to mid-fifties such as Maserati and Talbot Lago, very defined and together rather than American mishmash of metal. For 1953 the grill's lower horizontal bars could have wrapped around the fender as shown, for freshness up front versus 1951-52's otherwise similar grill. Am not a fan of the clash of metal in the Request and Robin Jones' wonderful renderings. But hey, these might have been just fine and much better than my proposal. The importance of a good looking grill on a Packard, more so than on a Cadillac, cannot be overstated.
The reason I show all these models and a strategic shift on Packard's part to a pure luxury line-up is the profit potential. Had Packard sold 50,000 200 sedans in 1953 that were not priced from $2,588 to $2,735 but rather started at $3,000, the additional markup of around $100 would have net the company an additional $5 million. Question is, could the same high volumes have been generated? We'll never know but we do know much about brands and pricing and perceived value. An entry Packard with the right body details, the right grill, the right interior, the right dealer service, the right marketing and the right big brothers in the showroom could have done wonders. The potential was always there, had just sat dormant for many years.
Now let's look at the Patrician's earning potential. With a long flowing body and compelling grill it could have justified an additional $500 in price, putting it right up there with 60 Special. But the additional material cost to add those extra inches and 356 engine would have only cost around $200-$250. Assuming the car generated the same 7,456 sales as actual, the extra profit would have yielded an additional $2 million. Same shot in the arm for low-slung Victoria models though these would likely have seen an increase in price and volume given their dynamic proportions.
Paul
EDIT: Forgot about an Ionia wagon. Absolutely, beginning with the 1951 models and probably in the 200 series though could have been a unique 250 series 3-row that used the Patrician's longer doors for extra legroom and its own 127 inch wheelbase.
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The sore thumb taillights introduced for 1954 also needed to happen in 1953 (1955 would have then seen cathedrals across the board or perhaps the '56 boomerangs, the cathedrals used exclusively for the Caribbean 2 and 4 door hardtops before becoming mainstream for '57; think '55 Eldorado fins and how Cadillac morphed them into mainstream).
The Eight Clipper sedan would have otherwise been carryover save for a bump in 288's horsepower or intro of the smallest version of the much needed V8. Also upgrades to Ultramatic.
The Super Eight Victoria coupe/convertible would have followed suit, and gotten a one piece backlight this year instead of waiting until 1954. The Custom Eight Patrician and limos would have rounded out the field, all picking up the design changes. Speaking of limos, Packard certainly could have gone ahead and had Henney make an 8-pass limo, a "600" series. Because it likely would have sold poorly due to its high price, I would have also pursued a 6-pass model for the modern executive, a "500 Executive" lest they missed the point! To keep investment low Packard could have simply cut the 400's roof and floorpan at B-pillar and added a 5 inch section. With division window and other niceties Packard could have created a desirable car that Cadillac did not offer, built at EGB, priced at or below the 75 and with extras like leather covered formal roof with small backlight available upon request.
I show a Clipper with modified grill next to each sedan image to give you an idea of what I had in mind up front. Packard's Contour grill looked modern and is quite captivating when shiny and bright and I don't begrudge it, but I do think Packard could have made a grill that was more tailored and had a commanding, stand-up-and-salute presence about it in keeping with Packard tradition. Not a vertical grill though, rather something in between vertical and Contour. Look at European sports cars of the early to mid-fifties such as Maserati and Talbot Lago, very defined and together rather than American mishmash of metal. For 1953 the grill's lower horizontal bars could have wrapped around the fender as shown, for freshness up front versus 1951-52's otherwise similar grill. Am not a fan of the clash of metal in the Request and Robin Jones' wonderful renderings. But hey, these might have been just fine and much better than my proposal. The importance of a good looking grill on a Packard, more so than on a Cadillac, cannot be overstated.
The reason I show all these models and a strategic shift on Packard's part to a pure luxury line-up is the profit potential. Had Packard sold 50,000 200 sedans in 1953 that were not priced from $2,588 to $2,735 but rather started at $3,000, the additional markup of around $100 would have net the company an additional $5 million. Question is, could the same high volumes have been generated? We'll never know but we do know much about brands and pricing and perceived value. An entry Packard with the right body details, the right grill, the right interior, the right dealer service, the right marketing and the right big brothers in the showroom could have done wonders. The potential was always there, had just sat dormant for many years.
Now let's look at the Patrician's earning potential. With a long flowing body and compelling grill it could have justified an additional $500 in price, putting it right up there with 60 Special. But the additional material cost to add those extra inches and 356 engine would have only cost around $200-$250. Assuming the car generated the same 7,456 sales as actual, the extra profit would have yielded an additional $2 million. Same shot in the arm for low-slung Victoria models though these would likely have seen an increase in price and volume given their dynamic proportions.
Paul
EDIT: Forgot about an Ionia wagon. Absolutely, beginning with the 1951 models and probably in the 200 series though could have been a unique 250 series 3-row that used the Patrician's longer doors for extra legroom and its own 127 inch wheelbase.
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