Packard Patrician
One of the last Packards to go into production, the first Patricians (Latin for the ruling class) appeared in model year 1951.
The Patrician was the top-of-the-line vehicle of the numbered series which began with the Packard 200. Patrician 400s were a step above the 250s and 300s. But more than just the name made these vehicles distinctive. Similar to the Buick luxury vehicles, the Patrician was decked out in chrome. Earlier models had three chrome ports; later models had four such ports. The grill also had a signature tooth look.
Early Patricians
If you wanted a new 1951 Patrician, a four-door sedan was the only available body style. There was an 8-cylinder engine under the hood. It also had nine main bearings as opposed to five.
Prior to the 1952 model year, the Patrician got a facelift from interior designer Dorothy Draper. Her ostentatious stylings revitalized Madison Avenue’s Carlyle Hotel in the 1930s, and she did the same thing for the Patrician. SHe redid the color scheme and also added extras like thicker carpeting and rear-seat foot rests. These changes brought the price up to over $3,600, making the Patrician the most expensive of the basic Packard models.
1953 and 1954 Patricians
Despite all these features, Patrician sales lagged behind comparable GM cars. To reverse these fortunes, Packard successfully marketed 1953 Patricians as specialty cars, such as floral delivery vehicles, hearses, and ambulances. These commercial vehicles had a wider wheelbase and different trim.
These cars also had quite a bit more power and versatility. In 1953, engineers added a four-barrel carburetor to improve performance. Then, in 1954, engineers upgraded the ignition. Instead of depressing the accelerator while turning the key, drivers could turn the key to the “start” position and be ready to go.
These are only general descriptions. Packard outfitted cars to customer specifications. So, there are quite a few Patricians with features like manual transmissions.
1955 and 1956 Patricians
Noted automobile designer Richard Teague, who designed a number of show cars for a number of different companies, made some substantial changes to the Patrician. These updates included a redesigned grille, hooded headlights, and Cathedral-style tail lights. A wraparound windshield replaced the square one, and new trim made it easier to offer different two-tone color combinations.
Unfortunately, due to Packard’s financial problems, limited numbers of Patricians were available. The company produced fewer than 10,000 Patricians in 1955, and only offered the four-door sedan body style. Minor updates for 1956 included black paint around the headlights to make them appear deeper. The troubled company produced about 3,400 Patricians that model year before ceasing production in June 1956.
A plant in South Bend continued producing a handful of Patricians through the 1958 model year. Company president James Nance hoped that the company could continue in some form. But poor quality control at the plant, coupled with the fact that AMC reduced a large purchase order, doomed the company. Studebaker-Packard officially removed the Packard name in 1962.
Packard Executive
One of the last Packards to go into production, the Executive lasted only one year. The company marketed these vehicles as entry-level luxury automobiles.
The successor to the Clipper line had the same body, which featured the signature Packard tail light design. The Executive also had a similar grille, hood, and fenders. Its wide 122-inch wheelbase made it a very stable automobile. Drivers needed that extra stability, because the Executive was one of the few Packards with a V8 engine.
Many consider the Executive to be the last true Packard. The name lived on for another few years, but it was not the same.
Economic Environment
All cars are products of their environment, and the Executive is no exception. The Executive was basically a last-ditch effort by Packard president James Nance to save the brand. Selling a luxury Packard for the price of a Buick was definitely a gamble, and the gamble did not pay off.
There was some precedent for this move. In 1935, Packard began selling Sixes for the price of a Pontiac. That move bought the company another twenty years. But this time, the risk did not have those kinds of rewards.
Development of the Executive
The 1935 transition was not a one-time move. In the following years, especially after the company started making cars again after World War II, Packard basically abandoned its luxury line. Nance took over in 1952, but it took him several years to convince other corporate leaders that a luxury car was the way to go.
To boost sales, engineers and designers added a number of improvements. The 1956 Executive had an extremely powerful V8, unique push-button transmission controls, and advanced (for 1956) torsion-bar suspension.
Unfortunately, most dealers believed that 1956 would be the Packard’s last year. So, they hesitated to embrace the revamped Executive.
What Happened Next
Nance predicted that Packard needed to sell at least 50,000 Executives to break even. But actual sales fell well below those expectations. Packard sold about 19,000 Executives during calendar year 1955. 1956 was even worse, with about 14,000 sales. In the spring of 1956, some new two-tone white and pink flamingo Executives appeared. They did nothing to reverse the financial tide, but they are highly sought after today.
Despite the setbacks, Packard had big expectations for the 1957 Executive. Plans included a redesigned body, more like the 400 and Caribbean. But the upgrades would cost an estimated $30 million, and Packard could not access this kind of capital.
The End of An Era
Since Packard styled itself as the company that would do anything for a customer, a few Executives still popped up every now and again. But they were mostly just refigured Carribeans with V8 engines.
A final eighteen Executives rolled off the assembly line at Packard’s Detroit plant on June 25, 1956. Nance left Packard a short time later to manage Ford’s Edsel division. So, he went through basically the same thing again.
