Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

It's OK. As Elmer Gantry said: "Folks need stretch'n room for their emotions." But we all need to maintain a constant vigil on our behaviors, especially of late given the strong pull from high places in downward direction. And no, this is not a political speech. It's about our culture.

You guys have been very gracious in engaging my many what-ifs and I thank you for that. Our scrutiny of product and decisions past is, at least for me, not a waste of time. There is gold in history just waiting to be mined. I apply the new insights everyday at GM and believe me, insight and the long view, more than anything else, are what is needed. The industry is at the leading edge of a monumental shift that will affect every car company in the next 5-10 years. Good decisions will bring good outcomes, bad decisions the painful opposite.

I, for one, always look forward to your excellent "what if" design ideas so please keep them coming! In fact, I would love to see the same design as a 4-door hardtop.

Appreciate your comments!

The hardtop would not have been easy especially if on the 127 wheelbase, which it probably needed to give rear legroom competitive with new Cadillac SdV. The front-rear door body insert needed removed, which I did by lengthening the front door 1.5 inches. The roof needed to be longer than the coupe but shorter than the sedan shown earlier (which was 5 inches longer than coupe). I dialed in a 2-3 inch longer roof which appears to be what SdV also chose. Packard could have also moved the stock rear door forward 1.5 inches but that would have driven tear-up elsewhere and probably required use of coupe's roof, which would have left rear legroom wanting. Alterations also needed in door jams front and rear to allow rear windows to open and close. Also needed rear door to be several inches wider than window so it could rotate down and to rear to clear the front door, which it would sit slightly above when closed.

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Here's the prototype from Creative that we have shown before on this forum. They used the coupe's roof and probably lengthened the rear door to close the body gap when they welded in a rear section of front door to make reverse opening.

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Very nice indeed and yours looks better with the Executive trim than that by Creative with the Patrician-type trim. It looks somehow longer, faster and less bulky.

Someone suggested moving the handles down to the upper trim but they would be to low in that position. Of course, you already know that my opinion puts them back into the belt molding. The Cadillacs with the lower handles also had side body recesses along the length that without makes the handles stick out too prominently.

This represents what Creative did except has Executive trim. Coupe roof, 1.5 inch longer rear doors, handles spaced farther apart than what I had been showing.

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To me, the earlier rendition was a bit better proportioned but both look good and I have a special fondness for reverse-opening "suicide" rear doors.

PackardDon, your car is ready for pick-up!

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That is perfection! Where do I go to pick it up?

Hi

First a word about civility, personal response to styling and body configuration is subjective; it either appeals or repulses to a greater or lesser degree. Whatever the case, it is never an excuse for incivility when commenting. What our mothers told us still applies: "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all". This forum is a refuge from the incivility rife on line, please keep it as such.

Also remember, if no one ever posed the question "what if", we'd have none of the cars we do now. As a creative mental exercise it's as valid as any, it can inform our forward thinking and give us a broader perspective and insights into historic eras.

To the '56 concepts: Paul has explored further the thought path which can be seen in the '56 400 four door hardtop mock-up by Creative Industries. The importance of the four door hardtop to the mid-'50's industry can not be understated. It was on par then with what the crossover is to the current market. Both are/were a major shift in consumer preference to a new configuration.

For medium and luxury makes, Packard's market segment, the four door hardtop quickly displaced the four door sedan in overall take rates. Within two years after their introduction in the spring of 1955, four door hardtops dominated sales of all four door models which were the bread and butter of automakers. Had Packard been able to develop the model for 1956, it could have been a boon to sales, notwithstanding all the other headwinds they faced.

As far as styling, slab-sides and lower profiles were still the dominant trends. Until Packard could field an all-new body series incorporating both trends, those modification to the Contour platform to conform with what was current would have assisted sales. Door handle placement was an ergonomics matter, stamped pockets to accommodate slim, low-profile handles was a coming trend as well.

Steve