Re: Comparing Packards

Posted by su8overdrive On 2023/3/17 0:20:50

Wat's right. Calling their new style other than Packard relegated the Clipper to a lark, a foray, which of course it was, new products often launched midyear when used car inventories at their lowest, as did Ford their re-skinned Falcon in 1964 1/2, despite both turning out bellringers.

Italian motoring journalist Enrica Aceti and English author Kevin Brazendale in their comprehensive tome, Classic Cars: "Fifty Years of the World's Finest Automotive Design: "Packard introduced a very handsome new body for its Clipper model, unveiled in March 1941" (debuted March 4th, on sale next month) "on a 127-inch wheelbase as competitor to Cadillac in the upper-medium-price class. Its tapering forms were subtle and delicate, flowing back from a high, narrow grille. This was the style with which Packard resumed production after World War II, with both six and eight-cylinder engines."

So while understandably giving the new styling a subname, this also suggests a sub line. Wat's right. Simply calling the new aerodynamic, "Wind-Stream," "Speed-Stream" version Packard would've given them more cachet out of the gate.

But such daring the conservative firm lacked, continued by the increasing clout of the former GMers among Company management. George Christopher was a myopic GM B-O-P production man bereft of marketing savvy. Packard's insular chairman, Alvan Macauley, earlier GM of Burroughs Adding Machine Company, before that with National Cash Register Company, rubber-stamped Christopher.

From the late '30s, certainly 1940-on, Packard advertising increasingly shrill, a Deanna Durbin/Mickey Rooney "Hey kids, let's put on a show in the barn" against Buick's light-hearted Constance Bennett/Cary Grant confidence and Cadillac's posh tone. Whether invoking Clipper ships or the new trans-Pacific flying boats, the new name too close to "Joltin' Joe Dimaggio," for upscale buyers not glued to pop culture.

There'd been a 1939 Chevrolet "Royal Clipper," and a '40 Chevy Deluxe Sport Royal Clipper/Special Deluxe "with Royal Clipper styling."

Packard said it all. The new subname only opened the door to all 1948-on product reminding people they were no longer getting the real thing. It was already telling that both the cutthroat-priced, Pontiac-bodied 1941 Cadillacs and '41 traditional bodied Packards shared the same silly front and rear fender "speed strips." The clean limbed Clipper avoided such nonsense, all the more meriting the stand alone, august name, Packard.

Silver Dawn, Silver Cloud, Silver Shadow harked to the early years of the Silver Ghost. Clipper had no such Company connection. Postwar Crewe product also lesser cars by a concern more focused on aero engines, but at least retained genteel advertising.

Again, it'd been a long time since Peter Helck's sublime 1933 "Hush!"