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Two articles in today's New York Times concerning old Packard factory branches. In the Real Estate section is an article about the conversion of Packard's Newark NJ factory branch and a Studebaker facility. And in the Automobile section in an article on New York City's famous "automobile row", are two period pictures of the Packard factory branch on 11th Avenue (the one with the open test track on the roof), now owned by Ford Motor Company. A slight error on the caption, it wasn't a dealership - it was the factory branch and service facility.

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Dave, thanks for sharing. Is Packard (the brand, the history, the cars, pioneering achievements, ...) even today in your country sometimes a topic? Is Packard a kind of US everyday culture like Marilyn Monroe or only subject of shop talks?

Hi Gusha: "sometimes a topic", yes but not that often. In "everyday culture", not really though it crops up in novels placed in Packard's era, occasionally a minor mention in the auto or business sections of major newspapers. But not all that often.

Like Marilyn Monroe? Well, you're talking to an Ava Gardner fan.

Guscha the average person in North America never heard of a Packard. The name means nothing to 99 people out of 100.

The name might mean something to those over the age of 60 who saw them or heard of them when they were young. Packard was fading out even then, you have to go back to prewar days when Packard was still Packard to find vivid memories. Not many people left who remember that far back.

Other than that, only old car enthusiasts keep the name alive.

THe passing of American legendary icons is definately not limitied to Packard or even other legendary cars.
With the onslaught of hand held electronic devices, GPS, Blackberries, Ipods etc even such names as Elvis, Beatles and Coca-Cola are passing into lack of popularity. THis has occured over the last 10 to 12 years.
Historically, the success of the automobile in America in general was due to it's relatively unlimited adventure on demand service availability. Witness names of cars from the beginning up thru the late 70's such as Adventurer, POntiac, DeSoto and at least 20 others we could all name off real quick. Since the mid 80's these names have been replaced with such candy ass car names as Prius, Sophia, celebrety etc.

No longer, since about 1980 does the car represent anything of an adventure. The hand held e-device has taken that place.

However, it becomes a question of which cam first, the chicken or the egg???? To a great extent the loss of the automobile as a sign of adventure after the mid 70's is due to it's rather diminutive size and lack of comfort and hauling capacity. Even Coca-Cola no longer tastes as good as it did for decades up until about 12 years ago. Rarely see anyone of any age group drinking more than one coke a day. Bottled water seems to be the rage as irrational as that seems.

The average American stands up and complains of $4.00/gallon gas while holding a $2.00/gal bottle of water while gas there in the EU is what, about $6.00/ gallon???

The only adventure now is as far as a Blackberry or GPS will take us on a tiny CRT. God forbid we have to find our way out the driveway with out a GPS.

The passing of legendary American icons is direct result of an attempt to social immobilzation.

Personally, I'm proud to own such vehicles as my Packards. Almost every time I get to talking "cars" with others (even people twenty years my senior and then some), I inevitably get asked the question "So, who made Packard?" Maybe its the fact that I have always read a lot, but even when I was a kid, I knew what a Packard, or Studebaker, or Desoto, or even a Pierce-Arrow was. In spite of all of these "wonderful" knowledge mediums such as Iphones and internet and such, people in general have become so ignorant that it's deplorable. For style and ride, I'd take a Packard (or for that matter ANY of the vehicle makes I've listed above, among others) over any five of ANY manufactor in the last twenty-five years. At least any vehicle made before 1973, YOU CAN TELL WHAT IT IS AND WHO MADE IT. I can't tell MOST of these modern cars apart, they all look the same! I never thought that the "Big 3" would be toyota, nissan, and suzuki! What a terrible loss...

Hello Guscha:

Not even in the Motor City do people recognize the name Packard.

Just as with Scottie I cannot tell you how many times I've been asked "who made Packard"? Or they will ask if it was made in Wisconsin because somehow they think Packard has some affiliation with the football team the Green Bay (WI) Packers.

So I tell them about Packard being the master motor builder and the engines that went into the P-51 Mustang and the engines that went into the PT boats that JFK skippered during WWII. And then I get that stare: P-51 Mustand? PT boats? JFK? WWII?

I have even had people ask me about my 1968 AMX (designed by Dick Teague) and I tell them it was made by American Motors Corp. And they ask, "who made American Motors?" Now AMC was sold to Chrysler in 1987 and disappeared. To me that seemed just a few months ago.

Its not much different in Estonia, names like Packard,AMC,Plymouth,Nash, Studebaker etc are known to 2 persons out of 50 the most, usually in the age groups of 60-80 years old persons. Most young people have never heard or even seen any live Studebakers or hardly any pre-war cars at all. Packard I hope is in these days better known to his relationship to ZIS cars, but it take a lot of time to tell someone what the name Packard stands for and even more to tell what a ZIS car is.

Thanks Dave, Rusty, Keith, Scottie, Roger and Steve. Frustrating replies but we'll adapt to the reality and redouble the efforts to turn back the hands of time.




"12-cylinder Packard Victoria convertible drew continued attention at the Greenwood Auto Show" [Seattle Times, 2008]

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Yep!

1 US gallon = 3.78541178 liter
1 liter = ? 1.57
1 Euro = 1,4847 US-Dollar

3.78541178 x 1,4847 = $5.62 per gallon