Re: The 57 chop job

Posted by BH On 2009/10/11 19:05:38

While the topic of independent rear suspension (IRS) has often come up in the course of discussion as regards what might have been next for Torsion-Level suspension, I can't find anything in print that Packard actually had that under development. I didn't personally go through the file folder that the fabricator of that rolling chassis had on hand at Warren. However, I do have a photocopy of some typewritten notes from 1955 by Advanced Engineering (sort of a to-do list), but among the many things in the works for '57, IRS isn't among them. I also recall the term "transaxle" coming up in discussion, but that paper only mentions that the Twin Ultra was undergoing refinements.

Now, I've seen a 1958 Motor Trend article on Bill Allison's vision for a next-gen torsion bar suspension, which had provisions for either solid rear axle or IRS. However, I believe most of the work on the chasssis for the proposed 1957 Packards had been accomplished during the 1955 calendar year. In view of a DVD with an interview with Allison and footage of torsion bar suspension being evaluated on the streets of Detroit, I have wonder if Allison's vision had more to do with an adaptation to American Motors products, which was actually done for Ford - in anticipation of their move to unitized body construction (perhaps with some hope for IRS).

GM came out with IRS a couple of years later, on the '60 Corvair and '61 Tempest, but those platforms really aren't comparable to a Packard. Jaguar introduced IRS for '61, but the first use of IRS that I can think of on a regular production American vehicle with front engine and RWD on a full frame would be '63 Vette.