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

Posted by 55PackardGuy On 2010/1/5 23:49:28

I think the original question in the thread raises another question: would there have been a '58 Edsel vertical grille if Packard had introduced the style in '57? Packard may have been a less likely target for ridicule with their more tasteful design and the fact that they weren't a "major" like Ford. Big manufacturers often attract derision more quickly with their marginal designs. Somebody mentioned the Ford Taurus earlier (I always thought they looked pretty old-school Ford in some ways, and the '49-'52 derivation makes sense). Remember the flack that Ford caught on that one? "Jelly bean" was the kindest term I remember... and look at how comparatively boxy those early Taurus models appear now!

There's no accounting for taste, but I think the Black Bess grille could've been improved with a bit more width at the top, the gradual narrowing to a width still slightly wider than the Black Bess version Vertical "radiator" chrome bars following the "V" shape, and a more prominent ox yoke at the top that would include a shiny radiator "tank," with the crest centered on the front of the faux tank.

This is a tangent, feel free to skip it:

I agree that design elements or "styling cues" incorporated from older models give great distinction to any marque, especially if they're done in subtle, clever ways.

Look at the Packard Octagon, used from the very beginning and based on the functional hub of the early years.

How 'bout the first generation Riviera, with those clamshell lights... a design nod to the LaSalle grille that was carried over even after Buick got to produce the new car, instead of Cadillac--which had planned a resurrection of the LaSalle brand!

And the mid-60's Electra (particularly the '65) with the faux ribbed "running board" strip along the sides. Incidentally, I think Packard was first with this styling cue with the '55-'56 "Reynolds Wrap" trim, which was also ribbed like a running board.

Whether or not it would have been a styling "hit" throughout the automotive world, I think that incorporating the vertical grille--maybe in a design somewhat modified from the last mockups we've seen--would've been a "hit" with people who loved and owned Packards, and thus Packard would've picked up buyers from their key demographic... Packard people. They really didn't need to bring a lot of first-time buyers in to be successful.