Re: Clippers at the Motor Muster.
Posted by Mahoning63 On 2015/6/29 11:56:36
Here's the 1960 Edsel Comet. At last minute Edsel was cancelled so grill was changed to look more Mercury-like and sold as Comet through Mercury dealerships, in 1962 officially becoming a Mercury Comet.
Sales were strong in 1960 so the car might well have saved Edsel but it appears McNamara was intent on ending Edsel, in fact lobbied hard to get rid of Mercury, Lincoln and Continental too, the latter also a successful effort. McNamara would have been a major obstacle to Packard joining Ford. It all would have come down to Henry Ford II.
Had Ford bought Packard in 1956 with intent of selling a Packard luxury car and Clipper or Packard Clipper medium-priced car, it's interesting to contemplate the possibilities as the new decade arrived. Had market forces pushed Clipper down in size to an upscale compact, perhaps Edsel Comet with nice interior could have been the result. With suitable mechanical refinements it could have been an early American response to Mercedes.
Some time ago I ran out a scenario that had Nance collaborating with Romney such that Packard would make a Clipper-based 1957 Ambassador and AMC a Rambler Ambassador-based 1958 Packard Six with full Predictor styling to give it more zip. That proposal is shown next to concurrent Mercedes. Would have been a high spec compact for the person with money and desire for nice things but preferring a more maneuverable package. Kind of hints at One Twenty just as the Falcon was supposed to be spiritual successor to Model A.
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Sales were strong in 1960 so the car might well have saved Edsel but it appears McNamara was intent on ending Edsel, in fact lobbied hard to get rid of Mercury, Lincoln and Continental too, the latter also a successful effort. McNamara would have been a major obstacle to Packard joining Ford. It all would have come down to Henry Ford II.
Had Ford bought Packard in 1956 with intent of selling a Packard luxury car and Clipper or Packard Clipper medium-priced car, it's interesting to contemplate the possibilities as the new decade arrived. Had market forces pushed Clipper down in size to an upscale compact, perhaps Edsel Comet with nice interior could have been the result. With suitable mechanical refinements it could have been an early American response to Mercedes.
Some time ago I ran out a scenario that had Nance collaborating with Romney such that Packard would make a Clipper-based 1957 Ambassador and AMC a Rambler Ambassador-based 1958 Packard Six with full Predictor styling to give it more zip. That proposal is shown next to concurrent Mercedes. Would have been a high spec compact for the person with money and desire for nice things but preferring a more maneuverable package. Kind of hints at One Twenty just as the Falcon was supposed to be spiritual successor to Model A.
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