Re: 2nd Round: How the Luxury Market Dominance was Lost

Posted by 58L8134 On 2009/1/1 20:19:29

Hi JW

Thanks for reading my diatribe, glad to have your response.

Since the 120 and 160 models continued in production, it made good sense to establish the Clipper as a separate series; for the public, an easy way to identify the new car.

The Clipper name was used initially to identify the car as a model series, much as Buick used Roadmaster or Chrysler did with New Yorker. So the Clipper was consistent with industry practice. The use of a model name such as Clipper would not detract from the Packard name itself. In the case of the '41 Clipper, the name also identified a specific body design.

Where the confusion develops is immediately for 1942, all series chassis from Six to 180 received bodies with the Clipper styling, diluting the identity of a Clipper with unique style of it's own as a separate model series. The status of the Clipper body design is then analogous to the GM Torpedo C body, a design to be used by various series within each make. This move likely was made in recognition of the great appeal of the new design and a tacit admission the sales appeal of the old body had run its course.

The Clipper name was evocative of the old romantic sailing ships off to exotic foreign lands. In the forties the Clipper name was also on trans-oceanic airlines of the day.

In order to insure the success of the new 120 in '35, the name Packard had to go on it. The financial success of those cars was so critical to the survival for the company no chances could be taken with the market appeal of the car. The Packard name alone sold many cars for them the first few years.

Whether Packard should have used a different make name on succeeding middle-priced cars is tough to answer. Trying to establish another make might have worked, Ford proved it was possible with the Mercury. Close association with Packard would be key to its success in any cases. A new make name as a product of Packard Motorcar Company, brought to market in the postwar years, could have established a volume medium priced car and allowed Packard to move back into the luxury market exclusively.

Thanks again for your interest and comments

Steve