Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

For today's "Gear Head Tuesday" post, we "re-print" (with permission) George Hamlin's article about the Packard Esquire that originally appeared in the Summer 2011 issue of The Packard Cormorant. Many thanks to George for allowing this, and to Stuart Blond for his help in providing a PDF file of that issue club's publication.

Also, further thanks to "Dave B." for adding additional material and photos!

<https://56packardman.com/2016/09/06/gear-head-tuesday-the-packard-esquire/>

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This post has been updated with a couple of minor corrections.

https://56packardman.com/2016/09/06/gear-head-tuesday-the-packard-esquire/

Woa there, Esquire enthusiasts!

The Packard Esquire Owner's Supplement that was supplied in this updated article is not an actual document from the DuBois Agency. It is something I conjured up in my own mind to include eventually with our project of recreating a replica Esquire! I am honored that my graphic and journalistic skills made someone actually believe that this supplement existed, and I don't know how a copy of this ever reached the Packard mainstream, but no harm done...just please understand that it is something I dreamed up, and this document was never intended to be used beyond the glove box door of our present Four-Hundred.

Furthermore, it is interesting that I mentioned the "Hypalon" top as a possible option on the Esquire--NEVER KNOWING THAT ONE ACTUALLY CAME SO EQUIPPED! I had included this narrative only because I was considering including a reproduction of one on my replica Esquire.

You can imagine my zeal a few minutes ago after reading the Esquire posting, thinking there actually WAS an Owner's Supplement. I couldn't wait to compare it to what I had written, and then, lo...and behold!

John Clark McCall, Jr. [Esquireman]

(Our proposed Esquire is pictured in the Owner's Registry of 1956 Four-Hundreds along with the future color scheme).

Hypalon is a DuPont trademark for a chlroro sulfonated polymer used on the 56 Caribbean hdtop. I believe that DuPont shut down production some time ago. The same chemical is still made by others and applied to fabric, for inflatable boats, snow shoes, and other stuff.

Moving from the Esquire to another Packard "What If":
<https://56packardman.com/2016/09/13/gear-head-tuesday-could-this-car-have-saved-packard/>

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Nice read, but still a Studebaker underneath......

John

"... still a Studebaker underneath ..."

Indeed! I have long been of the opinion that one of the big mistakes in the Curtiss-Wright deal was giving up the engine and transmission plant in Utica. It seems to me they should have leased that portion of the plant back and kept building Packard V-8s and Ultramatic Drive transmissions there. Everyone knew that although the Studebaker V-8 was basically a good engine, the bore spacing did not allow for a displacement increase beyond 289 cubic inches. (I know that some of the Avanti engines were bored out to slightly over 300 cubic inches.) The Packard V-8 had been designed with expansion in mind - the planned '57s would have displaced 440 cubic inches. Had they kept the ability to manufacture Packard engines and transmissions a Packard V-8 in that Studebaker body as was the case with the '56 Golden Hawk would have made John Bridges proposed Packard Hawk much more of a Packard, especially if it were also fitted with Ultramatic.

The only trouble was the Packard V-8 was a heavy engine.
The handling wasn't very good when they used the Packard V-8 in the Studebaker Hawk.
I think it was a matter of time for all the independents to go under eventually. If Packard hadn't join Studebaker when it did, Studebaker would have also been gone probably by 1957 0r '58.

John

John, actually, the weight difference between the Packard and Studebaker V-8s was not that much to make a noticeable difference in handling. They were both big lumps of iron.

(o[]o)

Hmmmm. A Packard 440 in a Studebaker Scotchman. That would make a surprise at a stop light.