Before Cadillac claimed the throne, Packard was the undisputed king of American luxury. Known for the legendary "Twin Six" V12 engines and the famous slogan "Ask the Man Who Owns One," Packard defined elegance for the first half of the 20th century. They invented car air conditioning and self-leveling suspension before fading into history.
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The absolute pinnacle of pre-war American automotive engineering. The Packard Twelve was a masterpiece of silent, effortless power and bespoke luxury. Its smooth, massive V12 engine made it the chosen chariot for presidents, titans of industry, and Hollywood royalty.
The glamorous, top-of-the-line convertible of the 1950s. The Caribbean was a stunning, limited-production halo car, a rolling showcase of Packard's finest styling and features, designed to compete with the Cadillac Eldorado for ultimate prestige.
The revolutionary design that defined the modern 'envelope' body. The Clipper was a stunningly beautiful and advanced car, wider than it was tall, that set the styling trend for the entire industry. The 'car that started it all' for post-war design.
A stunning, semi-custom convertible victoria with its signature 'Darrin dip' doors. Designed by the legendary Howard 'Dutch' Darrin, this was the sporty, elegant, and impossibly glamorous choice for the Hollywood elite. A true coachbuilt masterpiece.
The heart of the senior Packard line. The Super Eight offered near-Twelve levels of prestige with a legendary, silent, and incredibly powerful straight-eight engine. It was the benchmark for the American luxury car for nearly two decades.
A technological tour de force. The 1955 Packard lineup introduced a revolutionary interconnected torsion bar suspension that provided an unbelievably smooth and level ride, arguably the most advanced chassis in the world at the time.
A muscular and stylish 'family sports car.' The Packard Hawk was a one-year-only model based on the Studebaker Golden Hawk, a stunning coupe with a powerful supercharged V8 and a controversial, aircraft-inspired nose cone. A rare and potent classic.
The foundational pillar of Packard's dominance. The straight-eight engine was a marvel of smooth, silent, and powerful engineering that made Packard the best-selling luxury marque in the world for years. The essence of the brand's quality.
A stunning, fiberglass-bodied concept car that was a glimpse into the future. The Panther was a low-slung, experimental two-seat sports car that showcased advanced styling and engineering ideas. A beautiful and futuristic 'what-if' from Packard.
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There was a time when the "Three Ps" ruled the American road: Packard, Peerless, and Pierce-Arrow. But Packard was the leader of the pack. Based in Detroit, Packard didn't just build cars; they built mobile palaces. If you were a banker in the 1920s or a movie star in the 1930s, you didn't drive a Lincoln; you drove a Packard.
Their reputation was built on engineering so precise that the engines whispered rather than roared. Their slogan, "Ask the Man Who Owns One," was the ultimate flexâit implied that no advertising copy could match the honest testimonial of a satisfied owner.
In 1916, while most cars were struggling with 4-cylinder engines that shook like washing machines, Packard dropped the microphone with the Twin Six. It was the worldâs first mass-produced 12-cylinder automobile engine.
Next time you are stuck in traffic on a 100-degree day, say a thank you to Packard. In 1940, they became the first automaker to offer Factory Air Conditioning. It was a massive unit located in the trunk, manufactured by Bishop & Babcock. Was it perfect? No. You had to manually remove a drive belt under the hood to turn it off in the winter! But it proved Packard was lightyears ahead of the competition in passenger comfort.
In 1955, Packard introduced something that looked like witchcraft: Torsion-Level Ride. Instead of using springs at each wheel, Packard connected the front and rear wheels with long torsion bars running the length of the chassis. An electric motor (the "Levelizer") would twist the bars to keep the car perfectly flat.
The result? You could drive a Packard over a railroad crossing at 60 MPH, and the coffee in your cup wouldn't spill. It was superior to the air suspension of the time because it was purely mechanical and far more reliable.
So, how did the "American Rolls-Royce" die? It started with the Clipper, a cheaper model that diluted the brand's prestige. But the death blow was the 1954 merger with Studebaker. Packard executives thought they were buying a healthy company; instead, they bought a mountain of debt.
By 1957, the Detroit plant was closed. The 1957 and 1958 Packards were built in South Bend on Studebaker chassis. Enthusiasts call them "Packardbakers." They were essentially Studebakers with goofy fiberglass headlights and Packard taillights tacked on. It was an undignified end to a glorious history.
Packard represents the lost art of American over engineering. A 1934 Packard Twelve is arguably the finest automobile ever built in the United States. While the brand died in 1958, the cars remain the gold standard for classic car collectors. Owning one isn't just a hobby; it's a responsibility.
Packard ceased operations in 1958 due to a "perfect storm" of strategic errors. The 1954 merger with Studebaker (which was in far worse financial shape than Packard realized) drained Packard's cash reserves.
Additionally, the sales war between Ford and GM in the mid-50s squeezed independent manufacturers out of the market. The final blow was the controversial styling and quality control issues of the 1955-1956 models, leading to the "Packardbaker" era and the brand's demise.
This is one of the most famous slogans in advertising history. It reflected Packard's supreme confidence in their vehicle quality.
It implied that Packard owners were so satisfied with the engineering, luxury, and reliability of their cars that the company didn't need to use flowery marketing languageâthe customer testimonials spoke for themselves. It cemented Packard's reputation as the premier American luxury car of the early 20th century.
Often mistaken for a swan or a pelican, the iconic Packard hood ornament is officially a Cormorant (a sea bird).
It was used on "Senior" models to denote status. Packard actually had two famous mascots: the Cormorant (representing elegance) and the "Goddess of Speed" (a winged woman holding a tire), which was often found on the sportier or junior models.
Introduced in 1955, Torsion-Level Ride was an engineering masterpiece that eliminated traditional coil and leaf springs.
It used long torsion bars connecting the front wheel to the rear wheel on the same side. When the front wheel hit a bump, the force was transferred to the rear to level the car. It included an electric motor to auto-level the ride height, providing a ride smoothness that rivaled (or beat) the Citroën DS and Rolls-Royce of the era.
This distinction defined the brand's hierarchy:
The Ultramatic (introduced in 1949) was the only automatic transmission developed and built entirely by an independent automaker.
Unlike GM's Hydra-Matic (which shifted gears), the Ultramatic used a torque converter with a direct-drive lockup clutch at highway speeds. This eliminated "slippage" and improved fuel economy, a feature that didn't become standard on other automatics for another 30 years.
Yes. During World War II, Packard licensed the legendary Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 engine design.
Packard engineers improved the design for mass production (improving tolerances and durability). These Packard-Merlin engines powered the P-51 Mustang fighter planes, playing a decisive role in the Allied air superiority over Europe. This engineering prowess was a major selling point for postwar Packard cars.
"Packardbaker" is a derogatory term for the 1957 and 1958 Packards.
After the Detroit plant closed in 1956, production moved to Studebaker's South Bend factory. These final cars were essentially Studebaker Presidents with grafted-on Packard headlights, grilles, and dashes. They lacked the genuine Packard engine and chassis, marking a sad, badge-engineered end to the marque.
The Packard 120 (introduced in 1935) was the car that saved the company from the Great Depression.
By offering a smaller, mass-produced car with the Packard badge for under $1,000, sales exploded. It proved that a luxury brand could successfully enter the mid-market, a strategy later copied by Lincoln (Zephyr) and Cadillac (Series 60).
The Packard Automotive Plant on East Grand Boulevard was once the most modern factory in the world (designed by Albert Kahn). It was the first factory built with reinforced concrete.
After Packard closed, the 3.5-million-square-foot complex fell into ruin, becoming one of the world's most famous symbols of urban decay. Parts of it have recently been demolished, though efforts remain to redevelop sections of the historic site.