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Hi

More than once over the years, I've come across anecdotal evidence the public preceived Imperial as marketplace replacement for Packard.
Anyone else come across this?

Steve

Chrysler built Imperial as a Luxury brand from the 1930's.

Chrysler did try to build up the Imperial into a make of its own about the same time Packard was fading out of the picture.

Imperials were registered as a separate make from Chrysler starting in 1955. From 1957 to 1966 they used a unique body shared with no other Chrysler.

It has crossed my mind that the 1957 up Imperial was the kind of car Packard should have been building if they wanted to compete with Cadillac head to head. They were a magnificent car.

I never heard of the public thinking of the Imperial as a Packard replacement, but if any die hard Packard fans switched to Imperial in those years they got a hell of a good car.

In reality, I think the answer is yes. Among many in my family, at least, a Cadillac was thought of as a bit too flashy..perhaps a bit nouveau. Chrysler, on the other hand represented solid and conservative luxury..good taste..old money. For many, the choices were limited to Packard, Chrysler and Imperial, and Buick. Lincoln did not make the cut until the late sixties.

No. As far as Chrysler being more conservative compared to Cadillac, have you seen a 1961 Imperial next to a 1961 Cadillac? 1959 was Cadillac's flashiest year, and the 1959 Imperial was not much more tame. Imperials generally sold to people that specifically liked Chrysler and wanted their best offering. A book I have on Packard said that a lot of Packard employees went to Lincoln after Packard shut down in Detroit. If you look at a 1958-60 Lincoln, you see a lot of Predictor in it, especially the rear window. The 1961-69 went its own direction via T-bird. But I can easily see the 1970's Continental and Mark series easily being what the Patrician and Caribbean would look like if they made it into the 1970's. Just need to put the ox-yolk on top the Parthenon grill.

I do not disagree with regarding the styling aspects of the early sixties Imperials. Also, you are correct...many Packard men did go to FMC...including James Nance. One picture I have shows him in a ^58 or ^59 Lincoln convertible. His expression is almost pained. The conservatism I referenced earlier was a mindset thing. For many die-hard Packard families, a Cadillac was just a bit too flashy, and as well, a bit frequently seen on the street.

Most likely, former long time Packard owners went to Cadillac, Buick, Olds, Lincoln or Chrysler DEPENDING on regional dealers available and/or the prospective customers ethnicity.

Packard sales exceeded Cadillac's in the 1930's. By 1950, Cadillac and Packard sales were about even. By 1956, Cadillac sales far exceeded Packard's. After 1956, neither Imperial or Lincoln's (pre-1970's) sales ever came close to Cadillac's. So while some former loyal Packard buyers might have switched to Lincoln, Imperial, or maybe even a high end Buick, it appears that Cadillac got the majority of them.

I know what you mean by Cadillacs being considered too flashy. I knew a successful real estate broker who bought a loaded Buick Electra that cost as much as a Cadillac. When I pointed out that he could have bought a Cadillac for the same money he told me in all seriousness that it would hurt his business if he was seen driving a Caddy.

This was in 1975.

Here in small town Ontario the real money people drove Buicks and Chrysler New Yorkers. The only people who drove Cadillacs, for some reason were small business owners and shopkeepers who bought them used.

I have heard similar stories from around the USA. Many people avoided Cadillacs for similar reasons.

Packard on the other hand, took a more conservative line. Tom McCahill said in a Packard road test that Packard was after the steady conservative trade in the upper medium and high price brackets.

In other words they were willing to concede Broadway and Hollywood to Cadillac, if they could have the rest of the country.

This was not a bad strategy. Unfortunately it didn't work. Packard overestimated the public's taste. By the time they got busy on their own chrome laden tail finned 3 tone wonders it was too late.

It would not be surprising if most Packard owners switched to Buick, Mercury or Chrysler, after all the majority of Packard's sales were in the medium price models. Only a few long time Packard owners were in the millionaire class.