Packard vs Stude Question?

[NCDave51]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/154251727974

When the two companies of Studebaker and Packard became one, does anyone know how the Packard was marketed alongside the Studebaker?

Same dealerships? How big was the price gap (and assuming P was more premium than S)?

Don’t seem to recall a 57 Packard all that often. Was this the last year or was it ‘58?

[StudeNewby]

1958 was the last year for Packard-branded automobiles, and even though they shared the basic platform with their Studebaker cousins, they were better appointed and marketed as an upscale marque.

I'm sure others can address more of the dealership network question.

That being said, this discussion belongs with the ”General Studebaker Duscusson” threads.

[PackardV8]

I never saw a joint Studebaker and Packard showroom, although some may have existed.

After the merger and the closing of Packard production, S-P knew they would be winding down the automotive manufacturing. However, there were contracts with existing Packard dealers which worked better if the dealers closed out themselves. The gussied-up '57-'58 Studebakers with Packard badging were never going to sell in any volume, but it gave S-P something to send out so Packard dealers couldn't claim breach of contract.

Interestingly, I never thought it would happen, but I've come to appreciate the '57 Packard station wagon and the '58 Packard Hawk. That last gasp of Packard produced a couple of the best Studebakers ever.

jack vines

[studegary]

Around here, the biggest Studebaker dealers became Studebaker and Packard dealers. The smaller Studebaker dealerships remained Studebaker only.

[BobPalma]

I never saw a joint Studebaker and Packard showroom, although some may have existed. jack vines

At least one did, Jack: Palma-Rhoads Motors in Paris IL sold new Studebakers and Packards side-by-side from May 1, 1955 through July 31, 1956. BP

[StudeRich]

That is the way it was in Southern Calif. also, I never saw or heard of a Dual Studebaker and Packard Dealer New car Showroom until the 1957 Models came out.
There were enough existing Packard Dealers in Big Cities like Los Angeles, so they were separate from Studebaker Dealers.

But I do remember LOTS of '55 and '56 Detroit Packards being Serviced at Studebaker Dealers, I am sure the owners of those wanted to get their Free Warranty work done while they still could, since many Stude. Dealers had the Trained Tech's (some from closed Packard Dealers) and Parts in stock to fix all their broken Push Button Ultramatic Trans Shifters, Transmissions and "Level Ride Suspensions" that needed constant Repair.

/Cut/Don’t seem to recall a 57 Packard all that often. Was this the last year or was it ‘58?

Elisabeth Montgomery's '58 Packard Sedan >>>>>>>>A 1957 Packard Clipper Town Sedan in Lilac and White.

[Dwight FitzSimons]

I never saw a joint Studebaker and Packard showroom, although some may have existed.

The gussied-up '57-'58 Studebakers with Packard badging were never going to sell in any volume, but it gave S-P something to send out so Packard dealers couldn't claim breach of contract.

jack vines

I can understand and explain the '57 Packards easily; I just can''t understand the '58s. Considering what S-P was probably already working on ('59 Larks), and the resources needed for those, why spend tooling (& styling) resources on facelifting the Packard for '58, especially with the dismal sales early on with the '57 Packards? Better to have used those resources to bring out the Cruiser for 1959 and just shuffled a little trim on the '57 Packard to make it a '58.
-Dwight

[6hk71400]

Read when you get a chance "The Fall of the Packard Motor Company" by James Ward. This will answer most if not all of your questions. There is a picture of James Nance taken in 1955 showing how he aged trying to run the two companies. Very interesting reading about all the things going on behind the scenes.

Bob Miles

[PackardV8]

At least one did, Jack: Palma-Rhoads Motors in Paris IL sold new Studebakers and Packards side-by-side from May 1, 1955 through July 31, 1956. BP

Hi, Bob, I should have clarified, "I never saw a joint Studebaker-Packard showroom after 1956." Once there were no more real Packards, in '57-'58, trying to get a lot more money for the same car with different trim would not have seemed like a reasonable proposition to most Stude dealers. That the '57 Packardbakers were supercharged and the equivalent Studebakers were not would have gotten a few sales, but obviously not enough.

jack vines

[6hk71400]

[QUOTE=BobPalma;n1875487]

At least one did, Jack: Palma-Rhoads Motors in Paris IL sold new Studebakers and Packards side-by-side from May 1, 1955 through July 31, 1956. BP

I also think that if you really really really wanted one, you could buy a new Nash there. But wouldn't you really really really want a new Studebaker?

Bob Miles

[Jessie J.]

Around here, the biggest Studebaker dealers became Studebaker and Packard dealers. The smaller Studebaker dealerships remained Studebaker only.

And some of those small dealerships were very small. My uncle Herb special ordered his new '65 Cruiser from a Studebaker 'dealership' 2 car garage/repair shop in Bannister Michigan. Might have been the last and only new '65 Studebaker sold by Sipka's Service. Louis knew his Studebaker's and provided fantastic personal service.

[Blue 15G]

Meachum Motor Company in Lewisburg, PA became a Packard Dealer in the 1930s, then they added Studebaker in 1950. Dave Meachum told me that the Studebaker/Packard "merger" had no effect on them as a dealership, as they were already selling both brands. He also mentioned that if a customer couldn't afford a Packard, a Studebaker President made an attractive choice . I didn't know of them until decades after they had closed so I wasn't there....but he said the showroom held 6 cars. Seems likely that they would have had Studebakers and Packards displayed together. They were also selling Mercedes Benz when the arrangement was made for Studebaker dealers to sell Mercedes cars starting in the late 1950s.

[NCDave51]

Meachum Motor Company in Lewisburg, PA became a Packard Dealer in the 1930s, then they added Studebaker in 1950. Dave Meachum told me that the Studebaker/Packard "merger" had no effect on them as a dealership, as they were already selling both brands. He also mentioned that if a customer couldn't afford a Packard, a Studebaker President made an attractive choice . I didn't know of them until decades after they had closed so I wasn't there....but he said the showroom held 6 cars. Seems likely that they would have had Studebakers and Packards displayed together. They were also selling Mercedes Benz when the arrangement was made for Studebaker dealers to sell Mercedes cars starting in the late 1950s.

My beautiful '51 10G-W5 that started my Studebaker experience (thank you, Bob Ridle!) was sold at Jarrett-Chewning in Roanoke, VA. The original building downtown is now a major Red Cross services building.

When they moved to the new location SW of town (see pic), they took on SAAB as a brand but no sign of Packard. Note the adoption of Mercedes in the window sign and those two 180/190 models in the front row. Is it true that after the closure of S-P, some dealerships found our round "S" logo signs to be perfectly filled by the round Mercedes three-point star logo....or is this just folklore?

(The two hanging signs in the fir tree on the right give some credence here...?)

[Greenstude]

Capital Garage Ltd., Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada sold both Packards and Studebakers. They picked up Mercedes-Benz about the time Packard was discontinued, then got Volkswagen immediately after Studebaker stopped production.

Capital Garage opened in 1912 as Stanley Steamer dealers. When the business finally closed in 1977, they were successful dealers for Volkswagen, Porsche, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Two generations of the Vaughan family owned it. Sadly, it closed when the third-generation heir-apparent suffered a life-altering illness just about the time he would have taken over. The owners had an well-deserved excellent reputation for how the business operated.

[Blue 15G]

NC Dave, (Post # 13): I don't know the answer to your sign question, but I really like the dealership photo! Thanks for posting it here.