Packard Forum Index » General

Allegedly there was a drawing made by Dick Teague for Jim Nance's proposed Packard reskin of the '56 Lincoln Premiere - one of my favorite car designs - that would have been the basis for the senior Packards for 1957, had Ford cooperated, which regrettably they did not... does that Teague sketch still exist; anyone have a copy in their archives they can post?

Yes, there are pictures (artists conceptions I believe) but the only ones I've seen are in copyrighted publications so I'm reluctant to scan and post here.

I believe you mean this one (click for a larger view):



It has been on my website for many years and no one has ever complained.

Craig

Thank you very much for posting the pic Craig!!!
Boy, what a beautiful car... alas, it was not meant to be.

Its far better looking than he actual '57 Lincoln based on the same shell... I'd love to take a Premiere and modify it to look like this proposed '57 Packard.

Hi

The story goes that HFII was amiable to the idea but when Ernie Breech objected, that put the kibosh on the deal.

I've never understood why Breech would object. Ford management knew Lincoln would be done with that body at the end of the '57 model run. Supplying Lincoln body shells that were to be reskinned and mounted on Packard chassis would have been plus business for the Lincoln Division and a sure sale of the dies to Packard to continue using it into '58.

Sure, using the Lincoln shell was a stop-gap. But it might have bought them enough sales to bring an all new body to market by '59 or '60. Shame, by the rendering, it did make a handsome Packard.

Steve

The wheelbase on the 56-57 Lincoln was 126in compared to the 55-56 Packard Senior 127in. That's probably close enough to consider putting a customized 56 Lincoln body on a 55-56 Packard T-L chassis. I've never heard or read of anyone doing that, but it would make a really interesting "what if?"

Craig

For my tastes anyway, it is more handsome than the somewhat bizarre Predictor, the Premiere is a design of restrained elegance, more in keeping with the traditional Packard image.
I wonder, then, what the plan for Clipper would have been had they had gone ahead, since it had a shorter chassis? Still a Packardbaker President, a longer Clipper using the Lincoln body, or a re-skinned Mercury body?

I'm given to understand that Black Bess and the S-P body sharing plan that was drawn up, and for which picture charts and sketches exist, occurred after the idea to use the Lincoln body was shot down by Ford and Packard still hoped to produce something other than just re-skinned existing Studebakers?

Neat! I had not seen that rendering before Craig posting it here. If this story is true, I am very sure Ernest R. Breech had absolutely no interest what so ever in a Packard produced quad headlight center vertical grill re-skinned Lincoln body automobile. In fact, I am sure he was worried about his current project getting traction and succeeding. Guess why! He was in charge of the "E" car project. The "E" car was a new division of the Ford Motor Company that had been in the works on and off for the prior 10 years. Ironically, by the time this alleged request was being made of Ford Motor Company, a great many Packard dealers were likely jumping ship and taking on "E" car dealerships. Talk about out of the pan and into the fire. Given the fast economic decline by mid year 1957 and how poorly the sales of the then reveled new Edsel Division of Ford Motor company went, I am not sure Packard had much of a chance with that design either way. I think the whole industry contracted much like it is presently.

What I would like to see would be a 58-60 era Lincoln with the large windshield and retractible rear window reskinned from Packard renderings of the time. That would really be something on a four door hardtop with an upright grill a la 68 Continental look.

That 58-60 Lincoln rendition would be a sight to see--although, IMHO, those canted headlight would have to go. The Predictor front and back might look good on that body.

Thinking about the size that would have been, makes me wonder if there were any specs published for the proposed cars. Trying to marry S-P products as existed with the common body shell I think would mean one would have had to grow or shrink significantly.