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Hi

We're all quite familiar with Richard Arbib's work while in-house designer for Henney, creating their professional hearse-ambulance lines, Packard show cars such as the Monte Carlos, both 22nd and 26th Series-based and his best work, the Pan Americans that inspired the Caribbeans.

Once Henney closed, he started his free-lance industrial design consultancy. As such, any client who came through the door was to be given one's best effort; his very reputation depends upon it. A major problem to fulfull that objective comes with the overall constraints specified by the client. In 1955, AMC retained Arbib to create the '56 Hudson restyle. Of course, the restrictions included changing no major sheet metal stamping, simply new grille, tailights and side trim to further differentiate it from the Nash. Oh yes, and emphasizing that a Hudson V8 was available, especially the new AMC-engineered motor to shortly be introduced, should be integrated into the finished design. One can imagine the meddling executives looking for his shoulder; V-Line Styling! That's it!

Every designer/stylist gets such unhappy assignments from time to time, how well he is able to balance conflicting objectives and present an acceptable finish products are the test. While his '56 Hudson is badly-compromised styling, investigation of his other commercial designwork demonstrates he had a good feel for the what is now called Mid-Century Modern. Of course, as did many designer/stylist of the time, he indulged in those blue-sky flights of fancy such as the Astra-Gnome: a wonder then, so cartoonish and indicative of the prevailing design ethos of that era now.

Something to ponder, had Packard and Henney continued, does the idea of further Arbib-styled Packard show cars make you wistful they'd happened or a curdling thought. Had he pursued the clean, elegant approach of the Pan Americans, they would have been wonderful; if the '56 Hudson/Astra-Gnome ethic.....

Steve

Postscript Additions 7-20-2015:

First is a collection of Arbib's Veedol Dream Car advertising art for Tidewater Oil Company. One can imagine the AMC executives waving the ad with the "V-Line Custom Sedan" seen in the lower right corner, saying "We want the '56 Hudson to look a lot like this!"

Second are scans found on the website Forgotten Fiberglass of "The World Motor Sports" program pages at the introduction of the Pan American. Clean design was still the guiding ethic then. Interesting how the continental kit is integrated deeply within the length but leaves a trunk so small fitting even a golf club bag might be tight!

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Thanks Steve, very interesting work of his, and your comments, to enjoy and ponder. Your idea of a Henney-built Pan American in limited numbers makes sense, would have helped similar to how the Darrin cars helped a decade earlier. Today we call it "mind share"... keeping in forefront of public even if only with limited edition product. Dodge helped itself mightily with original Viper, needed to kick-start new life as bad boy.

Arbib and Henney could have greatly simplified the tear-up to standard convertible to achieve an exciting 4-passenger car, didn't need to touch much of the rear fenders, none of the decklid. Cost would have been much less than the $18,000 for proposed Pan American series.

Hi Paul

At the time Henney built the Pan Americans, they would shortly develop the Henney Junior ambulances for 1953 introduction. While that was their general stock-and-trade, as badly as that venture turned out, precipitating their bankruptcy, perhaps a fling at semi-custom 'halo' convertibles a la Darrin would have been a better avenue.

How about if Packard shipped Henney a 'kit' consisting of a 127" wb Patrician chassis, a bare convertible body shell and doors to section 3" from the rear quarters forward, front clip parts to lengthen 5" to create a nice long-hooded, short-decked with a nice hike to the rear body-lines. Henney customizes the body, ships the assembled shell-on-the-chassis in primer back to EGB for finishing and final assembly.

Maybe fix a $8,000 sale price, high enough to be exclusive and get the attention of those high-profile celebrities.....maybe even transport the new President-elect Eisenhower in his Inaugural Parade!

Steve

Absolutely, Steve. Henney was selling the Executive limo for around $6,000 so getting the convertible done for $8,000 as you have laid out should have been no problem. Hopefully this would have been the last time Packard had to bail themselves out with a low volume halo, future planning including such a car rolling down the regular production line and coming in at a price that could sustain real volume.