Listing of Packard/Studebaker dealers

[JRoberts]

After Packard and Studebaker combined in the mid-1950's were Packard dealers listed in the corporate files as Studebaker dealers?

I ask this as I got from the archives at the SNM that there were two Studebaker dealers in my home town at one point during the 1950's. This would have been after the merger. I had never known that there were two. While talking with a friend whose dad dealt in various automobile brands I found that his dealership was the second Studebaker dealership that the SNM archivist sent me. My friend said that they never sold Studebakers, but did sell Packards for a couple of years. He surmised that this is how his dad's company got to be mentioned as a Studebaker dealer.

Thanks for any help on this. I am researching the Studebaker dealers in Fayetteville, NC. I have found some interesting stuff. This is just one example.

Joe Roberts
'61 R1 Champ
'65 Cruiser
Editor of "The Down Easterner"
Eastern North Carolina Chapter

[studegary]

It makes sense for the Studebaker and Packard dealers to be listed together. After October 1954, it WAS the Studebaker-Packard Corporation. I don't think that this makes Packard dealers Studebaker dealers, but they were both dealerships of the Studebaker-Packard Corporation.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

SDC member since 1968
Studebaker enthusiast much longer

[Bill Pressler]

quote:Originally posted by studegary

It makes sense for the Studebaker and Packard dealers to be listed together. After October 1954, it WAS the Studebaker-Packard Corporation. I don't think that this makes Packard dealers Studebaker dealers, but they were both dealerships of the Studebaker-Packard Corporation.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

SDC member since 1968
Studebaker enthusiast much longer

I think that in a town that had a Studebaker dealer but not a Packard dealer, the Stude dealer was 'persuaded' to sell Packards. I know our small-town dealer, who had Packard from '41-50 then dropped them (or was dropped by them), picked them up again after the merger as our town had no Packard dealer at that time.

I think that most towns that had a Packard dealer, probably already had a Studebaker dealer. A town of about 25K fifteen miles down the road from our town had separate Studebaker and Packard dealers, during the merger years (at least '55 and '56). I'm not sure about '57 and '58. Our small-town dealer also added Mercedes for the '58 model year. I think adding both Packard and later, M-B, was not a requirement but probably 'suggested'.

Bill Pressler
Kent, OH
'63 Lark Daytona Skytop R1
'64 Daytona Hardtop

[studegary]

In this area, none of the closest five Studebaker dealers took on Packard. The largest one, in the largest market (Poughkeepsie, NY) took on Mercedes-Benz. I can remember going in there in 1966 and being told by the salesman that I was better off buying two Studebakers instead of one Mercedes-Benz for about the same money. I was looking for a V8 Daytona Sport Sedan. They had just delivered their last one earlier that day. I saw it in Poughkeepsie that evening.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

SDC member since 1968
Studebaker enthusiast much longer

[jjones]

Its not Fayetteville, but I recently purchased a license plate frame from Asheville, NC--Denison Studebaker and Packard. It has light pitting but otherwise is in good shape. If anybody is interested, I would gladely trade it for one in similar shape from Arizona, preferably Tucson.

Jeff


Jeff Jones
Tucson Arizona
1947 M-5

[JRoberts]

The last Studebaker in town was R&W Motors. It began in 1939 with a Mr. Rosser as president. His son JT Rosser, Jr. took over when his dad died sometime in the late 1950's. JT, Jr. just died in November of 2008. There were two Packard dealers over the years. One was North State Motor Company. When the owners of this dealership gave it up, Carr Motor Company took on Packard for about two years. They gave it up because the owner felt Packard had gotten too expensive. It is Carr Motor Company that is listed as a Studebaker dealer, but as far as I can tell only sold Packards. By the way Mr. Rosser told me that he did not have a single picture of the dealership, nor does Mr.Carr the son of the Carr that sold Packards. The only picture I have found is for a dealership around 1919. Sad isn't it.

Joe Roberts
'61 R1 Champ
'65 Cruiser
Editor of "The Down Easterner"
Eastern North Carolina Chapter