Re: Hemmings Article

Posted by Packard Newbie On 2020/11/23 20:40:36

Mal, Don,

I always wince when I read these articles blaming the Sixes/110's for the demise of Packard. There was so much going on pre-war, and the 'Junior' cars really helped shore up Packard's ailing finances. I guess they DID 'water down' the high-end perception of the marquee name, but when I look at things like Mercedes introducing the 'B' class here in North America, (a veritable go-cart) I wonder why that isn't exactly the same tactic?!?!?! I doubt it will portend Mercedes' failure as a company or hurt their market perception as a luxury brand. I admit to being totally biased, owning a Six, but it seems to me that the 120, Six/110 cars might have saved Packard's bacon, rather than being the death knell of their demise. The significant sales dollars they created, provided Packard with some much-needed working capital with which to plot their future as a company. The market for the hand-built Senior cars seemed to be waning and maybe it was the war, or maybe it was the way the company was managed, but it seems patently unfair to blame it on the Sixes/110's. Chris.