you're like a walking encyclopedia there Bill!!

 

I've been a Packard nut since the 1950's and have over 200 reference books on the history of the company.

 

I dont know much about packard at all, in the end, what happened to them? I assume they got bought out by someone?

 

George Mason, prexy of Nash knew that the indies would have to unite to survive, so Nash merged with Hudson to form American Motors (AMC) in 1954, and the plan was for Packard to purchase Studebaker and fold these two makes into AMC. Packard did buy Studebaker, but Mason died suddenly and the new prexy of AMC, George Romney, hated the prexy of Packard, J. J. Nance, so no merger took place. Both had been rivals in the appliance business. Nash owned Kelvinator, and Nance formerly was prexy of Hotpoint. So Packard was now stuck with Studebaker.

Studebaker had doctored its books, and Packard discovered that Studebakers break even point wasn't 135,000 units per annum, but 370,000 units. Studebaker was hide bound, moribund and poorer than a church mouse. Studebaker debt soon killed Packard. Curtiss-Wright ended up with both companies, and after taking all of Packards defense contracts, where most of Packards profit came from, and selling off other Packard assets (the Proving Grounds in Utica MI, were sold to Ford), only Studebaker was left.

Most of the Packard engineers and stylists and Nance himself, went to the new Edsel Division of FoMoCo. The 1958 Edsels styling, and many features came from the still-born 1957 Packard. Nance was named prexy. Edsels died on the vine, Nance was fired, and the Edsel division in late 1958 was folded into the L/M Division to form the Mercury/Edsel/Lincoln (MEL) Division. Edsel production ended in November 1959.

Does the name Romney ring a bell?

One of the current Republican prexy candidates is a relative of George's.

 

That kinda sucks the way the company fell like that. Interesting read though, thanks Bill.

 

Yeah then AMC Was later bought out by Chrysler i learnt that when i was younger very interesting kind of said though AMC made some nice cars