As to why Studebaker and not Packard, I think that had a lot to do with Packard selling roughly 26k cars in 56 and Studebaker selling 5 or 6 times as many. Also pickups, heavy trucks and associated. Guess the powers that were in charge thought they had the more viable market. Think I remember reading somewhere that one higher up said it would be easier to make an expensive Stude than a cheap Packard. Of course as history has shown, it ain't necessarily so.