A mechanical engineer, James Packard believed he could improve the horseless carriages of the Winton cars owned by Weiss, a significant Winton stockholder. Packard complained to Alexander Winton, who ignored his suggestions.
Winton told Packard to “go build your own car.” Packard’s first car was built on November 6, 1899.
For 59 years, from 1899 to 1958, Packard built a reputation for creating high-quality luxury automobiles. The cars were assembled in Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and other locations.
Packard Factory EntrancePhoto bymotorcities.org
The Packard brothers opened the Packard Electric Company in 1890. Shortly after, the pair founded the New York & Ohio Company, which manufactured incandescent lamps.
William travelled the country promoting their products, while James stayed home and focused on producing and improving them.
In the mid-1890s, the horseless carriage caught James’ attention. He wanted to develop a carriage that was not dependent on steam or electricity.
Packard began automobile production in 1899 in Warren, Ohio, and the evolution of the Packard Motor Car Company was ongoing. The brothers teamed up with George Lewis Weiss, and 400 Packard automobiles were built in Warren between 1899 and 1903.
1920 Packard Assembly LinePhoto bymotorcities.org
The wealthy Henry Bourne Joy of Detroit bought a Packard and was impressed by its reliability. Bourne visited the Packards and gathered a group of investors, including Russell A. Alger Jr. and Truman Handy Newberry.
In early October 1902, the investors reorganized the New York and Ohio Automobile Company. With the announcement of a new name, the Packard Motor Car Company was born. James Packard was chosen as president.
Packard relocated operations to Detroit, and soon after, the investors took senior management roles. James Packard donated an original Packard, reputedly the first manufactured, to his alma mater, Lehigh University, preserved in the Packard Laboratory.
The Packard brothers started withdrawing from the operation of their companies around 1909 when James resigned as company president. Still, the Packard Motor Car Company continued strong. It was considered a luxury automobile and was held in the same regard as the Pierce-Arrow Company and the Peerless Company.
1928 Packard 8 Model 443 PhaetonPhoto byschmitt.com
Under company President and General Manager James Alvan Macauley, Packard became the number one producer of luxury cars in the United States. As operations grew and continued to grow in cities like Philadelphia, the company began exporting automobiles worldwide.
The Depression was hard on luxury car manufacturers. Peerless shut down in 1932, and by 1938, Pierce Arrow followed. Packard’s single production line allowed them to continue while maintaining lower costs.
Packard started producing mid-price range automobiles as interest in and ability to buy higher-priced cars diminished. Packard saw its sales triple in 1935 and double in 1936.
World War II saw Packard convert to 100% wartime production. Having produced over 55,000 combat engines by the war’s end, the Packard Motor Car Company was financially stable, with assets of $33 million.
Last Packard before WW2, 1941Photo bymotorcities.org
Owning a Packard was considered prestigious. Surviving cars are placed in museums and cherished by car collectors.
Packard cars brought innovations, including a modern steering wheel, air conditioning, and one of the first 12-cylinder engines. Packard engineers adapted the Liberty L-12 engine from World War I warplanes.
Disagreements existed between executives, so Studebaker-Packard did not merge with AMC and remained a separate company. Sales of the Studebaker-built Packards declined in the 1957 and 1958 model years. The Packard name was phased out in 1959.
Packard-built vehicles were seen as highly competitive among high-priced luxury American automobiles. The company was known as American motoring royalty, along with Pierce-Arrow and Peerless.
For most of its history, Packard, led by James Alvan Macauley, made Packard the number one maker of luxury cars in the US and competed for buyers in 61 countries. Macauley penned Packard’s slogan, “Ask the Man Who Owns One.”
Goddess of Speed hood ornamentPhoto byPackard Motor Cars
The Packard Goddess of Speed hood ornament first appeared on the Packard Eight in 1925 and soon after adorned all models. The Cormorant appeared in the 1930s, and the Adonis hood ornament appeared briefly in the late 1920s.
Between 1924 and 1930, Packard was the top-selling luxury brand, and exports were up. In 1931, the Imperial House of Japan owned 10 Packards.
Packard built trucks and luxury cars. In 1912, a Packard truck with three tons aboard drove from New York City to San Francisco to generate publicity. Packard established a national network of 104 service depots.
The Eight five-seater sedan was Packard’s top-seller for years. The Twin Six was introduced in 1932, In 1933. The car would be renamed the Packard Twelve.
Packard pioneered Ride Control, which made the hydraulic shock absorbers adjustable from within the car.
While many luxury car makers were almost broke in the 1920s, Packard proved highly profitable. Their assets totalled $20 million in 1932, equal to $447 million today.
Packard’s one advantage was its single production line. A single line allowed interchangeability when changing models. Packard could control costs. Strategically, Packard’s model changes were less frequent than competing makers.
1919 Packard Model E truckPhoto byBringaTrailer
Packard created its own series formula to track model changes and used it to differentiate its model changeovers from 1923 onwards. This strategy, borrowed from GM, is known as planned obsolescence.
The new model series did not debut annually, with some lasting seven months to two years. Packard averaged one new series per year. By 1930, Packard was in their seventh series.
Demand for hand-built luxury cars fell sharply during the Great Depression. Affluent car owners did not want to be seen driving them while unemployment was over 20%. Therefore, Packard produced affordable, medium-priced cars like the 120.
The 120 was introduced in 1935, and its first car was under $1000. Packard built the 120 in a new factory with modern mass production techniques. Sales of the model tripled that year and doubled again in 1936.
James and William Packard, 1899Photo byClassicSpeedsters.com
The 120 models were basic in design compared to the Senior models. The 1935 Packard 120 featured hydraulic brakes and independent front suspension, which did not appear on the Senior Packards until two years later, in 1937.
Even though the majority of cars were the Packard One-Twenty and the Super Eight, Packard was still considered to be the premier luxury automobile manufacturer,
Looking to expand its market share, Packard introduced the six-cylinder Packard 115C in 1937. The Packard Six, priced at $1200, $25k today, was in time for the 1938 recession.
1937 Packard 115C Business CoupePhoto byBarrett Jackson
By 1942, Packard was in its Twenty-First Series. Due to the superstition about the number 13, there was no Thirteenth Series.
In 1942, the company focused 100% on war production. Packard licensed the Merlin engine from Rolls-Royce to build aircraft engines. The Merlin-powered P-51 Mustang fighter, ironically known as the Cadillac of the Skies.
"Miss Bunny" P51 MustangPhoto byPalm Springs Air Museum
By the time the war ended in 1945, the company had produced over 55,000 combat engines in Europe. Sales in 1944 were $455 million. By May 1945, Packard had a backlog of over half a billion dollars in war orders.
Packard was in excellent financial condition at the war’s end, with assets of around $33 million. They restarted civilian car production in late 1945, labeling cars as 1946 models and modestly updating their 1942 models.
While most automakers introduced new vehicles in 1948 and 1949, Packard could not until 1951 due to challenges by General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, which battled for sales in the medium-priced and luxury markets.
The early 1950s saw the remaining independents merge to stay alive. In 1953, Kaiser and Willys became Kaiser-Willys, and Nash and Hudson became American Motors Corporation. The benefit of these mergers included cutting costs and strengthening respective sales organizations to fend off the intense competition from the Big Three.
It did not help that Chrysler and Ford campaigned to steal Packard dealerships during the early 1950s. As a result, Packard’s dealer network became more sparse, which made it challenging to sell Packard vehicles.
Packard’s last significant development was Bill Allison’s Torsion-Level suspension, dubbed Torsion Level Ride. A long torsion bar connected the front and rear suspensions on each side of the car, reducing pitching while giving the car a soft, controlled ride.
Packard built some of the most respected cars over its 59 years in business. The brothers introduced automotive innovations, such as improvements to suspension, passenger comfort, and technical developments.
Today, Packard cars are cherished in collections, reside in museums, and curated in university archives.
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Douglas Pilarski is an award-winning writer and journalist based on the West Coast. His writing resonates with those passionate about luxury goods, exotic cars, horology, tech, food, agriculture, lifestyle, historical events, equestrian and rodeo, and millionaire travel.
WoW SERIOUSLY THIS IS A VERY VERY INTRESTING AND INFORMATIVE ARTICLE, I'VE READ MANY ARTICLES ABOUT THE PACKARD CORPORATION OVER THE YEARS BUT THIS IS DEFINITELY THE BEST ARTICLE THAT I'VE EVER SEEN AND READ. THANKS FOR SHARING IT WITH ALL OF US!!!!!!!!!!!!! PACKARD BUILT MANY MANY BEAUTIFUL VEHICLES OVER THE YEARS UNFORTUNATELY AND SADLY THEY ARE NO LONGER IN BUISNESS THEY MAY BE GONE BUT THEY WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. I'VE ALWAYS ENJOYED VISITING THE PACKARD MUSEUM AND SEEING THE BEAUTIFUL VEHICLES FROM THE DAYS AND AN ERA THAT IS LONG GONE BUT WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED AND NEVER FORGOTTEN!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;-)
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