Packard Forum Index » General

We have had company for the past few days in the form of one of my wife's high school gal pals.

Took her on a tour in the Packard, which she was polite enough to claim was wonderful.

So I went looking for a little Packard reprint for her and found a 1956 brochure titled "A Woman's Place". We have been laughing at it for the past hour.

If you still wonder what did in Packard, read it and weep.

I'd love to know more about it. The artwork looks like a mockup and the copy is a hodge podge. Was this actually published or is this an artifact/draft of some sort?

Anyone?

It was real Packard literature. There are several small roughly 5x7 folders on varying topics done in a similar rough style.

If you want a real chuckle have a look at some of the Packard promotional films. There is one on 56 models where the actress says something to the effect "I'm just a woman but even I can understand that". The women's lib union would be picketing in force if that were produced today. I believe that line was in the film called "The Safe Road Ahead" There is a company on ebay once in awhile that has put several of the old films on tape or DVD if it's not on YouTube somewhere.

Pat,

You should have been at the PAC meet in Detroit. The woman who designed the 55 Caribbean seats was there. She spoke at the proving grounds, VERY enlightening.

packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb ... lat&order=ASC&type=&mode=0&start=10

That is her picture in the brochure. I bought one of the reprints, and had her sign it.

She also was the model that was in this car.

Attach file:

---

  (52.64 KB)

Hello Guys:

You are talking about MaryEllen (Green) Dohrs and yes, she was one of three women that spoke at the PPG during the 2013 PAC National. The following is a summary that I wrote for Motor City Packards' July/August edition of The Digest:

MaryEllen Dohrs was our final speaker at the PPG Picnic. Born and raised in California she earned a degree in Industrial Design from the Pratt Institute in New York City. Immediately upon graduation in 1950 she came to Detroit to work in General Motors Styling. She was too young to sign her employment contract and the company had to get her mother's written permission to work there. One of her jobs was to design interiors for show cars and special cars for dignitaries. She designed the interior a black Cadillac convertible for Hopalong Cassidy. Later she moved onto Sundberg-Ferar as an Industrial Designer where she did contract work with multiple clients such as IBM, Samsonite, Coldspot, Kenmore, and Packard.

When she was at Sundburg-Ferar, she was asked by Dick Teague to design a better seat for the 1955 Caribbeans and 400s - she came up with the "Posture-Perfect" seat. And the rest is history. She lives in Florida in the winter and spends the summer in Royal Oak, MI. MCP made her an honorary member of our region.

The reason Let The Ride Decide included a photo of MaryEllen with the Buick LeSabre is that in 1951 (when she was in GM Styling) she modeled with the car for a magazine shoot. So, when group toured the GM Heritage Collection we arranged for her to be re-introduced with the LeSabre. I thought it was very cool.

Attach file:

---

  (107.26 KB)


  (70.91 KB)


  (151.53 KB)

By the way, if you want your own reprint of "...A Woman's Place" you can order it here.

regresspress.com/automobile/catalog-reprints/us-canada/index.php?letter=P

Just scroll down through the Packard listings and look for Packard 1956 - "A Woman's Place"

Plenty of other Packard stuff there too at reasonable prices. Tell them Roger sent you.

Fascinating place! I could spend my allowance here for years to come....