Re: Did the public think of Imperial as Packard's replacement?

Posted by Rusty O\'Toole On 2009/8/3 17:14:29

I know what you mean by Cadillacs being considered too flashy. I knew a successful real estate broker who bought a loaded Buick Electra that cost as much as a Cadillac. When I pointed out that he could have bought a Cadillac for the same money he told me in all seriousness that it would hurt his business if he was seen driving a Caddy.

This was in 1975.

Here in small town Ontario the real money people drove Buicks and Chrysler New Yorkers. The only people who drove Cadillacs, for some reason were small business owners and shopkeepers who bought them used.

I have heard similar stories from around the USA. Many people avoided Cadillacs for similar reasons.

Packard on the other hand, took a more conservative line. Tom McCahill said in a Packard road test that Packard was after the steady conservative trade in the upper medium and high price brackets.

In other words they were willing to concede Broadway and Hollywood to Cadillac, if they could have the rest of the country.

This was not a bad strategy. Unfortunately it didn't work. Packard overestimated the public's taste. By the time they got busy on their own chrome laden tail finned 3 tone wonders it was too late.