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Re-reading James Ward's book, I paid special attention to chapter 5, entitled 'The Ferry Years'.

It was Ferry who...

* planned the production of Packard's first V-8

* bought the patent rights for T-L suspension

* contracted to have the Pan American built

* brought new blood into Packard's boardroom

* started the company's first executive pension plan

* first championed a merger to keep Independents in business

* focused Packard's attention on its advertising efforts

* and brought in an outsider (Nance) to turn it around

Thoughts?

And as I recall reading somewhere, decided from the day he was appointed he either didn't want the job or felt he wasn't qualified and started looking for a successor. Interesting that he started so much because I think Nance gets the credit for some of those. Wonder what would have happened if he had stayed.

You're correct...in Ward's book, he's quoted as saying he didn't want the job, and felt he wasn't qualified for it...

Ferry was the head of packard, when, around 1949 to 1951? Still...


A. Production of a V-8 was a definite factor in sales but I wonder why it took around five years for any fruition.

B. Again why take five years for testing or planning? Couldn't they at least have the 53-54's with just the torsion bars to get some feedback before hooking up a leveling system.

C. Didn't nearly everyone have some sort of show car to entice the public? "Look at our sleek designs and ideas for the future and buy our half baked potato cars swaddled with chrome in the lot."

D. Definitely needed some new ideas for the oncoming fifties and sixties.

E. Who knows where that might have led, perhaps to company wide retirement plans giving workers there a personal stake in the company.

F. With George Mason passing away in 1954, beginning a sort of co-op between Nash and Packard in the early fifties would have been great. Could have meant a sharing of parts and dealers. Imagine a Pacific with reclining seats and in-dash air conditioning!

G. With american tastes changing so rapidly and the have it now philosophy after WWII, no wonder Cadillac's 'bling' advertisements made people want a bloated, chrome ladened cow. Neuveoux rich are so easily distracted by the next big thing they forget that refinement and quality are hallmarks of luxury.

H. I don't know about this one. Head of promotion and development, yes. But the last time Packard brought in an 'outsider' and made Packard president was George Christopher. And you know what happened there.

Some great points made there. But consensus at the time was that Ferry was in over his head and he knew it. Imho Packard styling was lagging badly by 53/4, the front end design was really lame and the rest was bland, again imho, and that, with lack of a V8, did them in, and anything Ferry did or put in motion by that time was several years too late. Had Mason lived, who knows what glories might have been acheived by a combined Nash/Hudson/Packard? Shame on George Romney. Just my 2 cents.

Friends

Ferry was underrated, not the least of all by himself. I think he made the right calls. The problem is, of course, that they should have been made about 5 years earlier by George Christopher. Christopher apparently couldn't see the woods (the future) for the trees (costs)

Sound familiar?

Shame on George Romney from this corner, too

Regards


John Harley

I think a more appropriate, phrase might be "Shame on George Romneys EGO" He could not conceive, contend, and/or tolerate playing second fiddle to Nance. I have maintained for years that had the full merger that Nance and Mason planned, come to pass that we might still be buying Packards today, or at the very least into the 60's/70's. Studebaker lasted well into the 60's because of the Lark. And AMC lasted well into the 70's on it's own with the Hornet, Gremlin, Pacer, and the AMX. Add Packard/Clipper to that mix and who knows.

The appropriate phrase should be Nances ego got in the way of any merger between then AMC and Packard. Nance and Packard back out of an agreement for merger when Nance found out that Mason would be running the show. So no persons should be laying any blame on George Romney.

Studebaker really only lasted until late 1963 when production was shut down at South Bend. The move to the Canadian plant to assemble the Larks only lasted until surplus parts were used up.


John F. Shireman

Romney succesfully merged Nash and Hudson and kept that ship afloat, and for a while, into the early 60s made some very good product decisions. If he feels like it, Packards1 may tell his story of meeting Romney at an event for Air Guard personnel. Marv King talked to Romeny at a Republican Party event and brought up Studebaker-Packard and the reticence to get into business with same, IIRC It was just about money at that point, and S-P was going through too much of it a month for Romney and the reciprical businees they were doing was a bad indicator of things to come. I tend to think that Romney was a great auto executive, AMC did well until he left to into politics.

Hello Gentlemen

Of the original question, Hugh Ferry was a HUGELY underrated President, both by himself and the board of directors. His direction started the correction of most all of the neglect and backslide of the Christopher years.

The board of directors should have recognized what a fine job he was doing, insisted he remain President, then hired a dynamic marketing professional such as Nance to be General Product Manager to package the products for a contemporary market.

Ferry's years of auto industry experience in areas such as finance and manufacturing and intercorporate relations would have served to help him prevent pitfalls that came from Nance's inexperience in those areas. Ferry had the judgment to avoid disasters such as the Studebaker buyout, the move to Connor Avenue and the general draining of the cash reserves.

This isn't to vilify Nance, who I've come to view as dynamic and brilliant in bringing contemporary content to the product but woefully unqualified in the financial, manufacturing and overall management of the company.

Steve