Re: Your Opinion Whether the New '57 Packard Vertical Grille Would Have Been a Marketing Hit?

Posted by BH On 2009/12/29 10:34:22

Personally, I love the style of the proposed Seniors - like the '57 Four Hundred and '57 Caribbean.

Actually, the large vertical element of the front end is not a grille at all, but a more solid and fully-functional bumper that was styled to pay homage to the classic vertical grille of the past.

Others adopted such an appearance, but more successfully than the Edsel. The divided grille of the '59 Pontiac created a "beak" that would ultimately serve as a prominent hallmark for decades; for a few years, it was even a styling element of their front bumper. While the Edsel's grille just begged for many of the derogatory comparisons that it received, Packard's approach was much more tasteful - like the prow of a mighty ship. Perhaps '57 was just a year too soon for that look.

I would also have to admit that the proposed '57 styling might not have appealed to the public that had previously aspired to prewar Seniors. Of course, those people probably didn't like the '55-'56 V8 cars, either, but the times and markets were changing. I don't believe that Packard could have survived on the sale of vehicles that appealed only to the rich class. Packard was wise to look to the medium-priced field, but needed to further distinguish Junior from Senior.

Though it utilized the same greenhouse, S-P's shared body concept would have accomplished that with the proposed '57 Clipper.

I think this car would have competed favorably in the medium-priced field - though not just because it had s more traditional approach to the grille.

I can evision the basic '57 shells lasting into the early 1960s, with annual refinements.