Imagine how that conversation went, " We at Packard are hemorrhaging money and sales" how about you Studebaker? "Well, Back in the roaring twenties we at Studebaker were the bees knees and as popular as flappers. But our aging designs attracted more humor than customers." I say both of you are going to be a great success!!
Packard is such a sad story. I know a man who restored a Caribbean convertible in black white and red it was first class. He was a life long Chevy mechanic and tow truck driver. Good guy his family still carries that business on to this day.
I own a 1950 Packard Standard Eight Touring Sedan. It's the least expensive, smallest 4 door sedan Packard made that year. Packard made Packard Clippers in 1941, 1942, and made only Packard Clippers in 1945 (very rare) through 1947. Because of that, Packards from 1948 through 1950 were called Packard Clippers by the public. However, Packard didn't call them Clippers. In the early 1950s, Packard had Clipper models again, along with the Patrician, Caribbean, and other models. The 1948 through 1950 Packards were caught between two periods of Packard having Clippers as a model name while they didn't use the name Clipper. The 1948 Packards didn't even have the name Packard on the outside of the car [because, according to the advertisements, you could tell it was a Packard without the name). *_Packard: Ask The Man Who Owns One_*
What are we supposed to do when Christmas is over, and we have to wait weeks or even months for a new EAR episode? I've already watched every single episode Ed has made.
In retrospective yes, what a magnificent and unique car. But I can understand that at the time, a time of such experimentation with design, this car might have looked like an abomination, having lost all that the name on top of the hood stood for. It wasn't even a Packard, it was a Studebacker with a different hood and grill.
Dear Ed, thanks for featuring Packards in your Christmas videos. I have owned a classic 1955 Packard 400. It was a beautiful car that always won awards when it was shown. It was the crown jewel in our collection of five cars. Unfortunately due to circumstance beyond my control we had to let it go. But no one can take my memories having owned it.
So great! And I second what JamesTheFantastic wrote. From the mid-1970s well into the 1990s, my late father's daily driver was a 1941 Packard 110 Business Coupe. This low-end model was another blow to the prestige of the Packard marque, well before the Clipper debacle.
The clipper "Ship's Wheel" with hexagon center was a master stroke of design, and the 1956 Packard Clipper's tail lights became instant classics as used on custom cars, going forward. My first car was a 15-year old 1955 Packard Patrician, and it was a nice riding, decent handling car with lots of class.
@@seanhershey3390 I was young, but remember the Clipper name on the valve cover and the cool ship steering wheel emblem on the trunk. I think it had a rope on the back of the front seat to hang on to.
My dairy farmer grandpa, in post WW2, took his hard earned cash, and bought a new Packard. He watched as the brand and his car slowly rusted away. The brand, like his Packard, ended up back by the corn cribs, rusting away, until my cousin took it and "hot-rodded" it in the 70's. Maybe a "Packard Avanti" would have been interesting. His son, my uncle, bought a caddy.
I remember reading that one analyst described the Studebaker-Packard merger as "Two drunks trying to help each other across the road". It's hard to believe that the same company that produced that elegant 1932 Packard Phaeton that you started the video with also produced the stripped down, dowdy Clipper. The weird thing is that Packard emerged from World War II with a reasonable chunk of change from U.S. government contracts for wartime production of engines, so something sure went wrong. I mean, GM had more money than God and could lavish it on Cadillac, but Packard really missed the boat in the post-war era.
Wow!! I never knew Clipper was such a briefly made product!! I scavenged the ships wheel emblems and hubcaps from one in the junkyard. Nice cars, but very underappreciated!!
When I was a kid there was a pink one sitting abandoned with a Loewy coupe and Studebaker Hawk by my grandparents house. Too bad they are all long gone now....
I somehow wish Studebaker-Packard and Hudson-Nash would have somehow all survived under AMC as part of 'the big four'. Not sure why exactly, all but AMC pre-dates my existence.
I totally agree 100% that AMC would've definitely have divisions of they're own and would've made variety of small fuel efficient economy cars as well as a huge variety of badass muscle cars from each division. Here's the AMC Divisions Kaiser=Cheap budget brand(to compete with Ford, Chevrolet, and Plymouth) Studebaker=Mid-level/Performance brand(to compete with Edsel, Pontiac, and Dodge) Nash=Mid-level luxury brand(to compete with Mercury, Oldsmobile, and Desoto) Hudson=Upscale Mid-level luxury brand(to compete with Lincoln, Buick, and Chrysler) Packard=High-end expensive luxury brand(to compete with Continental, Cadillac, and Imperial) Jeep=The ultimate truck brand(to compete with Mercury, GMC, and Fargo)
The usual explanation for the four companies not getting together is that George Mason, President of Nash?, died suddenly and his successor, a dude named Romney, didn't want to go through with the plan.
Thank you so much for the history of the Packard Clipper and for being such an expert in automotive history. You brought back a fond memory for me. When I walked to high school in the late 1960s, I would always pass by a house that had a Packard Clipper (a 1956 Clipper, if memory serves) parked in its driveway. I was always fascinated by it, and the car was kept in very good condition. I knew only a little bit of Packard's history, and could never figure out why the company went bankrupt when they made such great-looking cars. Now I know what happened to Packard, and I'm not sure I'm better off with that knowledge.
@@remu6841 I was thinking more 60's and 70's but yes your right everyone jumped on the branding / rebadging bandwagon. With the VW Group, as one of many examples, it can be argued while they share a platform the cars themselves can be quite different between brands and made in different countries while the mid 1900's Ford's and GM's were the exact same actual car but if it came with power windows, power steering and aircon standard that base Mercury became a Lincoln (or something baffling like that). My point being most of those in house 'brands' were just trim levels. Strangely the big 3 never really did that here in Au, Ford just had different trim badging like L, GL, GLX, GT etc but the were all branded as Ford Falcons.
During WW2 Packard made engines for the P-51 Mustang. The Packard Merlins, which were license build Rolls Royce Merlins. And the Mustang Fighter was called... "Cadillac of the Skies". Years later, Mustang was used for a very successful car model, that we all know and love... By Ford...
I had a '56 Clipper on the back of the truck when Ford's '90s era brake loss recall occurred. Left the truck at a dealer & happily drove the Clipper to the car show, push button auto, V8, soft, quiet ride & self leveling suspension 'n all. Great old car, stupidly sold it for peanuts....
almost 70 years later, i still want a packard.. It's crazy how that brand stuck with a prestige name.. Most people have no idea who pierce was, but packard they do..
nice. always had a niche for those orphan stude-packards. came across one like the last 2dr locally for salle original unrestored supposed it is a 1 of 202 made.
The Clipper brand was born in 1941 as a very advanced car. It was built between 41-47. Then revived in 53 for the Junior series. Cadillac did the same thing with the LaSalle. Packard did not have the GM money behind it, tho coming out of WWII it was very wealthy. It considered Nash as a merger partner for volume. Even with the Studebaker merger, Nash was still in the picture for awhile. The 200 was a huge mistake, along with those Taxies in the 40's. Washed out Packard's enviable reputation. Packard still had big plans for Clipper. 57 would have brought a completely separate body. There are pix on the internet. It was like the Lincoln Mercury business model. When the Insurance Companies pulled the plug on financing, the Studebaker based Clipper was born to satisfy Dealer contracts for two years. A Packard revival in 59 based on the French Facel-Vega was nixed by sales partner Mercedes-Benz. Of course only Packard shut down their Detroit factory in 56 only. Studebaker stopped building cars in 66, but went on as a Conglomerate for many years. And. Avanti was built until 2007.
I had a 56 clipper in the late 80s, got it for $500 then spent a year finding a master cylinder. Once fixed it was reliable but boring. I dont miss it.
To understand why Clipper was a one year brand takes a lot more background than was included. Also, the story of Studebaker-Packard's 1957 plans is an important part of the reason Clipper existed as a brand in the first place. Those plans would have included a all new Clipper that would bear little resemblance to a Packard.
Love your Christmas special series Mk2. What about a video on miniature American cars like the USA brands gave out to new buyers in some states of USA. Plus the peddle cars in 1950s to 1970s American designs. Just a thought for next year Ed. Keep up the great work and entertainment. Had a 1929 Pontiac Sports coupe once in distant past, the late 1980s and thru 90s. Yes, it had a dicky seat!
Nice video, but you kinda missed a key point of the strategy. The introduction of the Clipper brand as a separate make was Studebaker-Packard’s first step to the creation of a three brand product line built on a proposed new single automobile platform slated for 1958. This was part of the initial strategy of merging the companies in 1954. S_P was trying to create a business model similar to Ford and Chrysler Corp. While the 56 Clipper was being introduced in the fall of 55, designer Dick Teague was busy designing the future platform for 1958. The Packard prototype was affectionally called “Black Bess”. The Studebaker and Clipper would each have their own brand identity. Unfortunately, Jim Nance could not get funding from his network of Wall Street investors and the whole plan was scuttled in January of 1957. The scuttling of the project doomed Studebaker-Packard and the produced 1958's were obviously a train wreck. Also, the Packard script added to the Clipper trunks, were a dealer installed feature, not a approved factory addition.
I do not need any magnifying glass to see that at shortly before 3:25, that this is a mirror image of itself. Also, "Caribbean" is stressed on the "e", not on the "i".
And in mid-1956, Packard introduced a new lower-priced series called the Executive, which essentially replaced the Clipper Custom series--and thoroughly confused Clipper and Packard buyers AND Packard-Clipper dealers alike...
Clipper was built by Packard in 1941-42, 1946-47, and 1953-57. It was named as a stand-alone model line in 1956. Why US gov't let the Ford-GM price war explode unchecked still puzzles me.
In 1954, at age 8, I lived on an Avenue, where my bedroom looked directly at a large "Billboard', showing the latest "Packard" model! As a 'car enthusiast', I felt that this newer styling would help Packard compete with other brands! Unfortunately, it didn't & Packard went the way of Cord, LaSalle, Auburn, Crosley, DeSoto, etc. Too bad!
4:00 Studebaker teamed up with "...THE other failing car brand"!!!! You forget Nash and Hudson. A 4-way "nlmini-GM was desired but not all the minor players would join in.
I think it was the transmissions and build quality that did them in. The flathead was already an antique when they dropped it. Ed covered the build quality in another episode. Chrysler bought Packard’s body supplier and they had to transition immediately to building their own bodies in house.
I would imagine what Packard as well as Clipper would've been like had both Studebaker and Packard merged together with Hudson and Nash along with Kaiser and Jeep to create AMC in 1953?
Reminds me of when Ford was supposed to introduce the Edsel Comet and left off the Edsel name due to axing the brand in 59. Since production already started for 60 model year it was sold simply as Comet in 1960 & 1961 model years. 1962 they finally added the Mercury nameplate. Which makes far more sense anyways…. Can’t imagine calling it an Edsel Comet. I mean c’mon, Mercury, Comet, both in space… but Edsel? 😂
Once they got rid of that bathtub nightmare of 48-50, those senior Packards were drop dead gorgeous! Such a shame the customers were gone. It's amazing how 3 years can kill a company like that!😢😢😢
Packard one of the earliest cases of asset stripping. Studebaker only survived because of it. Had both had to stand alone Packard would have easily survived and modernised as they were doing that when taken over.
I keep thinking that I should know more about the big, silly cars coming out like cockroaches after WWII than some yoyo in Dutchland, but I didn't know spit about a car that I have worshipped from afar--a Packard [heavy Americland sigh). [add: sad trombone sound]. Specifically, I dreamed of owning a Caribbean, which I thought was still hand built, in frothy hues of what I term: chi-chi pastels. I've been lusting for that tiki cocktail since 1976! As time went on into the Malaise Era, gas rationing and small Japanese imports, I would have been like a streaker at Queen Victoria's funeral showing up in a twinkling Packard to patiently wait for my five gallons of gas, whatever grade that was available, to be One with the commoners. No, dear Eduardo, I was sensible. I drove my mom's Dodge Dart as long as I could get away with it. That '71 Dart, btw, loved to shimmy and shake when I turned it off--at the most inopportune moments. No wonder I married late! No, I held out to buy a good car! A used 1976 Chevy Chevette. It only two two timing CHAINS in three years to rip the top end of the engine off to get rid of it. I still haven't driven a Chevy --including rental cars--nor will I ever, own a Chevy product. Not that I hold a grudge. Personal comment: Shave, or do what some guys do is fill in the weak "parts of their lawn" with an eyebrow pencil. Also, get a cheap sports coat so we all will know that you are A Professional. Big, many hugs.
The decision to design, develop and bring to market a new engine family is far more expensive than most people realize. Even the equipment to mass produce electric drive lines is not cheap. Tooling costs are not cheap either. Automotive comanies are not buying cutting tools at the local big box store or Harbor Freight. Then there is all fixturing, stamping dies, stamping equiment, assembly equipment. Just the last means everything from robots to hand held screwdivers.
I've always wondered what would have happened if Packard had joined American Motors instead of merging with Studebaker. Would they have been dropped along with Nash and Hudson?
I disagree. The idea was good: do what GM did, by having multiple brands to capitalize on multiple segments, with the added bonus of not needing to develop new engines. The issue is that they didn't differentiate both brands, making Packard itself lose prestige.
ZIL, the Russian maker of luxury cars for the elite in the land of equality for everyone always found inspiration in its design from western car makers such as Lincoln, Cadillac and Mercedes. For example, the ZIL-41047 bears a striking resemblance to the große Mercedes. But if you take a look at the ZIS-110 and ZIL-111 it's Packard in the Chinese way, without any shame at all. ZIL-111 is more or less a Clipper with bad makeup. There is a rumour that they somehow got hold of the production tools for the Packard 180 and used it for the ZIL-110. But that has, as far as I know, been thoroughly debunked in some book about the end of Packard.
Dear Ed, We love your show. Sincerely, All of the Americans.
Facts 🇺🇸👏🏿
True!
Completely agree!!!
It's true American cars were too big..but many of them had style.
Unlike modern automobiles
Straight facts!! Warms my murican heart.
Imagine how that conversation went, " We at Packard are hemorrhaging money and sales" how about you Studebaker? "Well, Back in the roaring twenties we at Studebaker were the bees knees and as popular as flappers. But our aging designs attracted more humor than customers." I say both of you are going to be a great success!!
Packard is such a sad story. I know a man who restored a Caribbean convertible in black white and red it was first class. He was a life long Chevy mechanic and tow truck driver. Good guy his family still carries that business on to this day.
When a new Ed's Auto Reviews vid pops up in my subscription feed, it's like Christmas ever time.
Dad had a 1950 Clipper for a while; had a straight-8 with a block as long as your arm and the aroma of horsehair upholstery.
I own a 1950 Packard Standard Eight Touring Sedan. It's the least expensive, smallest 4 door sedan Packard made that year.
Packard made Packard Clippers in 1941, 1942, and made only Packard Clippers in 1945 (very rare) through 1947. Because of that, Packards from 1948 through 1950 were called Packard Clippers by the public. However, Packard didn't call them Clippers.
In the early 1950s, Packard had Clipper models again, along with the Patrician, Caribbean, and other models.
The 1948 through 1950 Packards were caught between two periods of Packard having Clippers as a model name while they didn't use the name Clipper. The 1948 Packards didn't even have the name Packard on the outside of the car [because, according to the advertisements, you could tell it was a Packard without the name).
*_Packard: Ask The Man Who Owns One_*
What are we supposed to do when Christmas is over, and we have to wait weeks or even months for a new EAR episode? I've already watched every single episode Ed has made.
That last phot, in the close of the video….
That’s a Gorgeous car!
Wow!
In retrospective yes, what a magnificent and unique car. But I can understand that at the time, a time of such experimentation with design, this car might have looked like an abomination, having lost all that the name on top of the hood stood for. It wasn't even a Packard, it was a Studebacker with a different hood and grill.
Dear Ed, thanks for featuring Packards in your Christmas videos. I have owned a classic 1955 Packard 400. It was a beautiful car that always won awards when it was shown. It was the crown jewel in our collection of five cars. Unfortunately due to circumstance beyond my control we had to let it go. But no one can take my memories having owned it.
So great! And I second what JamesTheFantastic wrote.
From the mid-1970s well into the 1990s, my late father's daily driver was a 1941 Packard 110 Business Coupe. This low-end model was another blow to the prestige of the Packard marque, well before the Clipper debacle.
Just visited sn awesome Packard Museum in Dayton Ohio.
The entire history of the brand is on display with about 75 vehicles.
The real hometown museum in Warren is better. Dayton is just a former car dealership.
The clipper "Ship's Wheel" with hexagon center was a master stroke of design, and the 1956 Packard Clipper's tail lights became instant classics as used on custom cars, going forward. My first car was a 15-year old 1955 Packard Patrician, and it was a nice riding, decent handling car with lots of class.
We had a 56 Clipper..loved it..in the late 80’s ..( I was in high school)
Same😅
When I was born Mom and Dad brought me home in a 1956 Clipper Custom.
@@seanhershey3390 I was young, but remember the Clipper name on the valve cover and the cool ship steering wheel emblem on the trunk.
I think it had a rope on the back of the front seat to hang on to.
@@muddywater6856 it was the late 80s my dad had it..white/ yellow..
My dairy farmer grandpa, in post WW2, took his hard earned cash, and bought a new Packard. He watched as the brand and his car slowly rusted away. The brand, like his Packard, ended up back by the corn cribs, rusting away, until my cousin took it and "hot-rodded" it in the 70's. Maybe a "Packard Avanti" would have been interesting. His son, my uncle, bought a caddy.
This reminds me of an old joke; What's grey, has four legs, and a trunk?
A. Two old ladies on vacation in their Packard. 😂
That brought memories of a long forgotten childhood joke.
Q: What's yellow and goes slam, slam, slam, slam?
A: A four door banana.
This reminds me of an old joke; what's the best deal you can get on a Lincoln or a Cadillac?
A: The Lexus used car lot.
I remember reading that one analyst described the Studebaker-Packard merger as "Two drunks trying to help each other across the road". It's hard to believe that the same company that produced that elegant 1932 Packard Phaeton that you started the video with also produced the stripped down, dowdy Clipper. The weird thing is that Packard emerged from World War II with a reasonable chunk of change from U.S. government contracts for wartime production of engines, so something sure went wrong. I mean, GM had more money than God and could lavish it on Cadillac, but Packard really missed the boat in the post-war era.
My mother in law worked at the Packard plant during the war.
Wow!! I never knew Clipper was such a briefly made product!! I scavenged the ships wheel emblems and hubcaps from one in the junkyard. Nice cars, but very underappreciated!!
I wouldn’t mine having that last car pictured. It looks kinda sweet.
When I was a kid there was a pink one sitting abandoned with a Loewy coupe and Studebaker Hawk by my grandparents house. Too bad they are all long gone now....
I own a 1956 packard patrician this is a video I really appreciate
I somehow wish Studebaker-Packard and Hudson-Nash would have somehow all survived under AMC as part of 'the big four'. Not sure why exactly, all but AMC pre-dates my existence.
I totally agree 100% that AMC would've definitely have divisions of they're own and would've made variety of small fuel efficient economy cars as well as a huge variety of badass muscle cars from each division.
Here's the AMC Divisions
Kaiser=Cheap budget brand(to compete with Ford, Chevrolet, and Plymouth)
Studebaker=Mid-level/Performance brand(to compete with Edsel, Pontiac, and Dodge)
Nash=Mid-level luxury brand(to compete with Mercury, Oldsmobile, and Desoto)
Hudson=Upscale Mid-level luxury brand(to compete with Lincoln, Buick, and Chrysler)
Packard=High-end expensive luxury brand(to compete with Continental, Cadillac, and Imperial)
Jeep=The ultimate truck brand(to compete with Mercury, GMC, and Fargo)
The usual explanation for the four companies not getting together is that George Mason, President of Nash?, died suddenly and his successor, a dude named Romney, didn't want to go through with the plan.
@@CJColvin Just before they we to merge AMC backed out.
@theprinceofsnj I know and its a huge shame, imagine what AMC could've been had they all merged.
Wow... never been THAT early here.
I allways loved that 1956 Packard styling. It fekt allways like the pinacle of Styling for me.
Merry Christmas Ed, thank you for all your informative videos.
No matter which auto maker made the car(s) ... the 1950's saw some of the most beautiful cars ever made.
Can't wait for the '83 Corvette'
BTW, I love the three tone paint job at 3:10.
Never heard this one, thought Clipper was always just a model. Thanks Eddie baby!
Thank you so much for the history of the Packard Clipper and for being such an expert in automotive history. You brought back a fond memory for me. When I walked to high school in the late 1960s, I would always pass by a house that had a Packard Clipper (a 1956 Clipper, if memory serves) parked in its driveway. I was always fascinated by it, and the car was kept in very good condition. I knew only a little bit of Packard's history, and could never figure out why the company went bankrupt when they made such great-looking cars. Now I know what happened to Packard, and I'm not sure I'm better off with that knowledge.
American car branding has always confused me. The same car is sold under different brands but its only really a trim level change.
Rather like unto British cars.
@@danielulz1640 British is a whole other level of baffling. 😵💫
Like Scion, Toyota and Lexus
Or Skoda, Seat, VW, Audi and Bentley
@@remu6841 I was thinking more 60's and 70's but yes your right everyone jumped on the branding / rebadging bandwagon. With the VW Group, as one of many examples, it can be argued while they share a platform the cars themselves can be quite different between brands and made in different countries while the mid 1900's Ford's and GM's were the exact same actual car but if it came with power windows, power steering and aircon standard that base Mercury became a Lincoln (or something baffling like that). My point being most of those in house 'brands' were just trim levels. Strangely the big 3 never really did that here in Au, Ford just had different trim badging like L, GL, GLX, GT etc but the were all branded as Ford Falcons.
You were only 3 weeks late to my learning this information. But I love others learning about it. Keep Up The Great Work!
Love these! Cheers from Finland :)
Dear ed, we do all love your show. Thank you
Thank you for another great video I love all these beautiful classics
Thank you Ed. It gets better by the day. It is quite informative and interesting. I wonder who would own Packard in 2024 if it had lived.
Thanks for making my day a little better with a new Edisode.
During WW2 Packard made engines for the P-51 Mustang.
The Packard Merlins, which were license build Rolls Royce Merlins.
And the Mustang Fighter was called... "Cadillac of the Skies".
Years later, Mustang was used for a very successful car model, that we all know and love...
By Ford...
Also, I know far more about that Clipper today, thanks to Ed, than I did when I was driving it in the '90s....
Clipper is one of my favorite packers model
I had a '56 Clipper on the back of the truck when Ford's '90s era brake loss recall occurred. Left the truck at a dealer & happily drove the Clipper to the car show, push button auto, V8, soft, quiet ride & self leveling suspension 'n all. Great old car, stupidly sold it for peanuts....
Yep! Owned a 1956 Clipper Custom for 20 + years!
Where have you been looking for shows on U tube not there keep them UP!!!
Ed, these are fantastic
Great video! Say, Ed, we really like this short format!
I anticipate the '83 Corvette video. I've seen that car in person 😊
I hope I can catch the one for the 70.5 Falcon.
Enjoying this series!
almost 70 years later, i still want a packard.. It's crazy how that brand stuck with a prestige name.. Most people have no idea who pierce was, but packard they do..
Packard went downmarket with the 120 before WW2.
And a little bit further down market with the 6 cylinder 110.
Thank you Ed
Thanks Ed.
Hoping you made all the advent episodes at once, so you have the rest of the year, (or almost the rest), off to do other things.
nice. always had a niche for those orphan stude-packards. came across one like the last 2dr locally for salle original unrestored supposed it is a 1 of 202 made.
Great video!!!
My favorite one is the "Disappearance of Packard".
The Clipper brand was born in 1941 as a very advanced car. It was built between 41-47. Then revived in 53 for the Junior series. Cadillac did the same thing with the LaSalle. Packard did not have the GM money behind it, tho coming out of WWII it was very wealthy. It considered Nash as a merger partner for volume. Even with the Studebaker merger, Nash was still in the picture for awhile. The 200 was a huge mistake, along with those Taxies in the 40's. Washed out Packard's enviable reputation. Packard still had big plans for Clipper. 57 would have brought a completely separate body. There are pix on the internet. It was like the Lincoln Mercury business model. When the Insurance Companies pulled the plug on financing, the Studebaker based Clipper was born to satisfy Dealer contracts for two years. A Packard revival in 59 based on the French Facel-Vega was nixed by sales partner Mercedes-Benz. Of course only Packard shut down their Detroit factory in 56 only. Studebaker stopped building cars in 66, but went on as a Conglomerate for many years. And. Avanti was built until 2007.
Wow, very interesting & informative, I didn't know that, thanks for sharing, It's a great video.
I had a 56 clipper in the late 80s, got it for $500 then spent a year finding a master cylinder. Once fixed it was reliable but boring. I dont miss it.
To understand why Clipper was a one year brand takes a lot more background than was included. Also, the story of Studebaker-Packard's 1957 plans is an important part of the reason Clipper existed as a brand in the first place. Those plans would have included a all new Clipper that would bear little resemblance to a Packard.
Thanks Ed.
To my taste, Packards in the 50s still looked better than the Big Three's offerings.
Love your Christmas special series Mk2. What about a video on miniature American cars like the USA brands gave out to new buyers in some states of USA. Plus the peddle cars in 1950s to 1970s American designs. Just a thought for next year Ed. Keep up the great work and entertainment. Had a 1929 Pontiac Sports coupe once in distant past, the late 1980s and thru 90s. Yes, it had a dicky seat!
I have a Lilac & White 57 Packardbaker. It's supercharged. It's my favorite Studebaker 🤣. It's also a double orphan car.
Nice video, but you kinda missed a key point of the strategy. The introduction of the Clipper brand as a separate make was Studebaker-Packard’s first step to the creation of a three brand product line built on a proposed new single automobile platform slated for 1958. This was part of the initial strategy of merging the companies in 1954. S_P was trying to create a business model similar to Ford and Chrysler Corp. While the 56 Clipper was being introduced in the fall of 55, designer Dick Teague was busy designing the future platform for 1958. The Packard prototype was affectionally called “Black Bess”. The Studebaker and Clipper would each have their own brand identity. Unfortunately, Jim Nance could not get funding from his network of Wall Street investors and the whole plan was scuttled in January of 1957. The scuttling of the project doomed Studebaker-Packard and the produced 1958's were obviously a train wreck. Also, the Packard script added to the Clipper trunks, were a dealer installed feature, not a approved factory addition.
I do not need any magnifying glass to see that at shortly before 3:25, that this is a mirror image of itself.
Also, "Caribbean" is stressed on the "e", not on the "i".
The amalgamation of Studebaker and Packard should have used the portmanteau “Stupickerd”
Man, if they only had my marketing skills back then 😂
0:23 Hey, I know this song. It was on the radio in the Mafia remake.
I believe it’s called “Pop a Cap”.
Cool! 🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲
Great video thanks 👍
And in mid-1956, Packard introduced a new lower-priced series called the Executive, which essentially replaced the Clipper Custom series--and thoroughly confused Clipper and Packard buyers AND Packard-Clipper dealers alike...
Clipper model run was 1941-42, 1947-48 and 1953-58.
Merry Christmas!
Clipper was built by Packard in 1941-42, 1946-47, and 1953-57. It was named as a stand-alone model line in 1956. Why US gov't let the Ford-GM price war explode unchecked still puzzles me.
In 1954, at age 8, I lived on an Avenue, where my bedroom looked directly at a large
"Billboard', showing the latest "Packard" model! As a 'car enthusiast', I felt that this
newer styling would help Packard compete with other brands! Unfortunately, it didn't
& Packard went the way of Cord, LaSalle, Auburn, Crosley, DeSoto, etc. Too bad!
The Clipper wasn't the first time Packard tried to go downmarket--the Packard 110 in the mid-30's, which was a 6 cylinder model, no less.
James Nance left packard only to go over to Ford. And became part of the Edsel division.
4:00 Studebaker teamed up with "...THE other failing car brand"!!!! You forget Nash and Hudson. A 4-way "nlmini-GM was desired but not all the minor players would join in.
they screwed themselves with the clipper,,,,it should of retained the old flathead engine for another year,, and had standard suspension...
I think it was the transmissions and build quality that did them in. The flathead was already an antique when they dropped it. Ed covered the build quality in another episode. Chrysler bought Packard’s body supplier and they had to transition immediately to building their own bodies in house.
I would imagine what Packard as well as Clipper would've been like had both Studebaker and Packard merged together with Hudson and Nash along with Kaiser and Jeep to create AMC in 1953?
Ed, you're awesome! Could you make a video about the Gurgel brand in Brazil? And the Romi-Isetta too, wich was the first car made here.
Rich People: If you let the Middle Class have the same quality products that we buy, we'll stop buying them!
Would you pay a lot more for a stealthy car that doesn't look like it's worth it, and is driven by pretty much everyone?
0:40 wait what?
I thought that high exclusivity and high sales numbers are mutually exclusive 🤔
Clipper, Packard's Edsel (- toilet seat)
When Packard made the 200 the shock from the market was the same as if Rolls-Royce decided to make an entry level eco box the size of a Toyota Echo.
Reminds me of when Ford was supposed to introduce the Edsel Comet and left off the Edsel name due to axing the brand in 59. Since production already started for 60 model year it was sold simply as Comet in 1960 & 1961 model years. 1962 they finally added the Mercury nameplate. Which makes far more sense anyways….
Can’t imagine calling it an Edsel Comet. I mean c’mon, Mercury, Comet, both in space… but Edsel? 😂
Packard: just put a little less chrome on it......that'll do it!!
Once they got rid of that bathtub nightmare of 48-50, those senior Packards were drop dead gorgeous! Such a shame the customers were gone. It's amazing how 3 years can kill a company like that!😢😢😢
Packard one of the earliest cases of asset stripping. Studebaker only survived because of it. Had both had to stand alone Packard would have easily survived and modernised as they were doing that when taken over.
It was a Bud Lite. Without the Alyssa Heinerscheid.
Ed. Where are you from?
You seem to have a better than average understanding of the American auto market .
LOL I came home from the hospital in a '47.
I keep thinking that I should know more about the big, silly cars coming out like cockroaches after WWII than some yoyo in Dutchland, but I didn't know spit about a car that I have worshipped from afar--a Packard [heavy Americland sigh). [add: sad trombone sound]. Specifically, I dreamed of owning a Caribbean, which I thought was still hand built, in frothy hues of what I term: chi-chi pastels.
I've been lusting for that tiki cocktail since 1976! As time went on into the Malaise Era, gas rationing and small Japanese imports, I would have been like a streaker at Queen Victoria's funeral showing up in a twinkling Packard to patiently wait for my five gallons of gas, whatever grade that was available, to be One with the commoners.
No, dear Eduardo, I was sensible. I drove my mom's Dodge Dart as long as I could get away with it. That '71 Dart, btw, loved to shimmy and shake when I turned it off--at the most inopportune moments. No wonder I married late!
No, I held out to buy a good car! A used 1976 Chevy Chevette. It only two two timing CHAINS in three years to rip the top end of the engine off to get rid of it. I still haven't driven a Chevy --including rental cars--nor will I ever, own a Chevy product. Not that I hold a grudge.
Personal comment: Shave, or do what some guys do is fill in the weak "parts of their lawn" with an eyebrow pencil. Also, get a cheap sports coat so we all will know that you are A Professional.
Big, many hugs.
yeah i knew this fact
Splitting brands is a fools errand. See Continental. 1956. Far too confusing.
Ford should've bought both Studebaker and Packard and used em as divisions instead of creating Edsel and Continental brands.
The decision to design, develop and bring to market a new engine family is far more expensive than most people realize. Even the equipment to mass produce electric drive lines is not cheap. Tooling costs are not cheap either. Automotive comanies are not buying cutting tools at the local big box store or Harbor Freight. Then there is all fixturing, stamping dies, stamping equiment, assembly equipment. Just the last means everything from robots to hand held screwdivers.
👍👍👍👍👍.
The CLIPPER name began in 1946 and was used thru 1956.
Strange that Packard didn't just buy a lower end car make, and have that be their solution 🤦♂️
👍👍👍
Isnt Clipper a dolphin's name?
ALSO FOR A CAR - really subtle, might as well called it Sideswipper.
nice andre had een 400
If there was a pick for the most generic 1950s American car, this would be it!
I've always wondered what would have happened if Packard had joined American Motors instead of merging with Studebaker. Would they have been dropped along with Nash and Hudson?
I disagree. The idea was good: do what GM did, by having multiple brands to capitalize on multiple segments, with the added bonus of not needing to develop new engines.
The issue is that they didn't differentiate both brands, making Packard itself lose prestige.
ZIL, the Russian maker of luxury cars for the elite in the land of equality for everyone always found inspiration in its design from western car makers such as Lincoln, Cadillac and Mercedes. For example, the ZIL-41047 bears a striking resemblance to the große Mercedes. But if you take a look at the ZIS-110 and ZIL-111 it's Packard in the Chinese way, without any shame at all. ZIL-111 is more or less a Clipper with bad makeup. There is a rumour that they somehow got hold of the production tools for the Packard 180 and used it for the ZIL-110. But that has, as far as I know, been thoroughly debunked in some book about the end of Packard.
It's sad, really, that such historic and vaunted brands as Packard and Studebaker hired non-automotive money and advertizing managers as executives.