what the hell is a Packard

[hybridsol]

Originally posted by Scott 02
You want to know what the hood ornament on the packards are huh? Well im not sure on that one, im sure its easy to find what it is. Im waiting to find out myself now that i have thought about it this last min.

He was reffering to the flying lady hood ornament. Otherwise known as the (spirit of ecstacy) which has been a part of Rolls-Royce motor cars since 1911.

[crayzayjay]

Originally posted by tigermiata
"what the hell is a Packard "

what the hell is an Abarth?

I suspect you already know what Packards are...

ummm... nope... i didnt know "what the hell" a Packard was...

i suspect you already know about Abarth

[Deakins]

Originally posted by hybridsol

He was reffering to the flying lady hood ornament. Otherwise known as the (spirit of ecstacy) which has been a part of Rolls-Royce motor cars since 1911.

And Packards shameless copy from 1926, the "Goddess of Speed"

[Scott 02]

Yeah, they were sure not the fastest things back then. The "goddes of speed" ornament looks pretty good.

[crayzayjay]

The Goddess of Speed?!?! :hehehe:

you gotta be kiddin me!

[Thunda Downunda]

To my mind, Packard was easily a Rolls Royce competitor. Indeed I've read that the supposedly vaunted R/R Phanton II (I think) was a later and blatant engineering copy of a Packard V12, yet apparently not its equal. Packard had many 'firsts' to their name, including the first vehicle to be air-conditioned. They were always in the upper echelon of fine cars but were like all hit hard by the Depression, which is when they broadened their product lines with a 'Junior' Packard range somewhat downmarket into Buick territory. These saved the company yet cheapened the 'Senior' edition's name in the public's eye.

Postwar Packards were very well engineered pieces and, excluding Duesenberg, had what must be the mutha of all straight-8s, a mammoth and milky smooth 357 (?) CID featuring nine main-bearings.

In the early 50s the old firm was revitalised with dynamic new management and tried to again capture its place expressly at the top of the market. Despite dwindling sales they still had sufficient capitol reserves to produce a new (and final) model-series which featured a big new V8, their own automatic trans, and novel torsion bar suspension - interlinked front to rear.

However Studebaker (by then almost bankrupt and hemmoraging cash) in a highly dubious deal took over Packard - in reality to gain access to Packard's financial reserves - and bled it dry. I think genuine Packard product died in 1956 or thereabouts although Studebaker milked the famous old name for a couple of years with Packard-engined rebadged Studebakers. Somewhat mercifully, the marque disappeared altogether in 1958

By no means their finest or largest (it's the only photo I've stored of a Packard) but here's a cute 1930s boat-tail speedster

[Hudson]

Originally posted by hybridsol
Packard’s first vehicle was a luxury car built like 100 years ago. The company was forced to close 40 years ago (due to chevy) In 94 (Roy and Barbara Gulickson Gullickson Gullioucson ????? its one of those?) bought the rights to Packard. The company is based in Arizona and is aimed at the luxury low-volume market. The first Packard automobile was built in 1899 in Warren Ohio. The automobile was very popular and brought about the formation of the (Ohio Automobile Company) which evolved into the (Packard Motor Car) Company in 1902. Production of the Packard automobiles ran until around 1958. until 94 when the rights were bought and low production resumed. The new 12's look kinda like a rolls and a jaguar......to tell you the truth they look confused.

What did Chevrolet have to do with the closing of Packard? I think you've mixed up some history there.

The "new" Packard is nothing more than two mockups (one runs). The "company" (technically just the name, logos, and the prototypes and parts) was being auctioned off on ebay last year.

[crayzayjay]

auctioned on ebay? :hehehe:
somehow i dont see that happening to Rolls Royce anytime soon... hehe..

how much did it fetch anyway?

[Hudson]

Rolls-Royce is an operating entity. Packard, on the other hand, is not...and hasn't been since 1958.

The owners wanted a million dollars for it...it brought just over 1/4 of that. I never heard if they sold it.

[Hudson]

Come to think of it...Rolls-Royce was auctioned off a few years ago. In 1998, Volkswagen won the bidding for the company for about $800 million. Unfortunately, that didn't include the grille, the mascot, or THE NAME! BMW ended up in control after paying the owner of those three items about $60 million.

[hybridsol]

Originally posted by Hudson


What did Chevrolet have to do with the closing of Packard? I think you've mixed up some history there.

The "new" Packard is nothing more than two mockups (one runs). The "company" (technically just the name, logos, and the prototypes and parts) was being auctioned off on ebay last year.

Are you farmiliar with James Ward who wrote "The Fall of The Packard Motor Car Company?" He seems to put particular blame on the early development of chevrolet styling. As well as the end of defense contract profits from the korean war, and Detroits big three carrying "loaded cars at cheaper prices".

As for the new packard I was only aware of a prototype, and that the rights had been bought. The Prototype had full time all wheel drive, and a V12 aluminium engine. With 440hp/440ft-lbs of torque.

[Hudson]

That is the "new" Packard. There is, apparently, another non-running example.

As for Chevrolet ruining Packard, it seems difficult for me to follow that logic. Packard's buyers didn't care about Chevrolet and probably wouldn't even acknowledge that the "lowly" brand existed. Chevrolet (as well as the rest of GM) had started a styling war in the 1940s and 1950s, but CADILLAC should be put more at blame for the intense competition in the styling department. Packard's problem wasn't Chevrolet, it was small size of the company compared to the giants of GM, Ford, and Chrysler who provided the closest competition to one of the last independent US brands.

[crayzayjay]

Originally posted by Hudson
Come to think of it...Rolls-Royce was auctioned off a few years ago. In 1998, Volkswagen won the bidding for the company for about $800 million. Unfortunately, that didn't include the grille, the mascot, or THE NAME! BMW ended up in control after paying the owner of those three items about $60 million.

I briefly recall reading about the sale of Rolls in passing. I think theres an article about it in a recent mag i bought... i remember there was some other interesting stuff

[crayzayjay]

Hybridsol>

that is one ugly looking thing!



:apuke:

[Deakins]