Those if us who are also members of Packard Automobile Classics are in for a Big Treat: The Fourth Quarter 2014 (#157) edition of The Packard Cormorant is in the mail and being received. Mine arrived today and is among the most interesting editions ever, cover to cover. 
'Several Studebaker mentions in the course of reporting the Packard dealer organization and number of dealers through the years. From 23 dealers in 1910 to a peak of 2,346 in 1939, the number had cratered to "about 400" when the 1958 models were introduced. Not that those 400 or so dealers expected to sell that many Studebaker-based 1958 Packards, but they were likely making a living servicing the remaining "real" Packards still in daily use.
(And if we think 400 is a low number, I once read where there were still three (3) exclusively Edsel dealerships still on the books when the 1960 Edsel was introduced! Most, of course, were dualed with Mercury and even Ford by then.)
Anyway, an unusually-interesting issue of The Packard Cormorant is on its way if you are a PAC member. 
An aside concerning the public's knowledge of our old cars: I had my teeth cleaned yesterday and the young tech engaged me in chit-chat. In the course of that, I commented that my father, at age 97.5 as of October 14, is thought to be the sole surviving Packard automobile dealer. She was nice enough about it, but even after several probing questions that might have jarred any residual knowledge she might have, still had to confess that she had no idea there had ever been an automobile named Packard!
(To her credit though, she did not ask, "Who made them?" BP
'Several Studebaker mentions in the course of reporting the Packard dealer organization and number of dealers through the years. From 23 dealers in 1910 to a peak of 2,346 in 1939, the number had cratered to "about 400" when the 1958 models were introduced. Not that those 400 or so dealers expected to sell that many Studebaker-based 1958 Packards, but they were likely making a living servicing the remaining "real" Packards still in daily use.
(And if we think 400 is a low number, I once read where there were still three (3) exclusively Edsel dealerships still on the books when the 1960 Edsel was introduced! Most, of course, were dualed with Mercury and even Ford by then.)
Anyway, an unusually-interesting issue of The Packard Cormorant is on its way if you are a PAC member.
An aside concerning the public's knowledge of our old cars: I had my teeth cleaned yesterday and the young tech engaged me in chit-chat. In the course of that, I commented that my father, at age 97.5 as of October 14, is thought to be the sole surviving Packard automobile dealer. She was nice enough about it, but even after several probing questions that might have jarred any residual knowledge she might have, still had to confess that she had no idea there had ever been an automobile named Packard!
(To her credit though, she did not ask, "Who made them?" BP
We've got to quit saying, 
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