History of Nepal and Packard: Difference between pages
No edit summary |
Bingsterdc (talk | contribs) mNo edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{For|people named Packard|Packard (surname)}} |
|||
The '''History of [[Nepal]]''' is characterized by its isolated position in the [[Himalaya]]s and its two dominant neighbors, [[India]] and [[China]]. Even though it was independent through most of its history, it was split in three from the 15th to 18th century. It was united as a monarchy, and experienced a failed struggle for democracy in the 20th century. Since the 1990s, the country has been in civil strife. |
|||
[[Image:Packardshield.gif|thumb|125px|The Packard family crest, adopted as the company's logo in 1928]] |
|||
{{HistoryOfSouthAsia}} |
|||
[[Image:PackardHex.jpg|thumb|125px|Packard red [[hexagon]] symbol made its debut in 1905, with the color red added in 1913]] |
|||
'''Packard''' was a [[United States]] based brand of luxury [[automobile]] built by the '''Packard Motor Car Company''' of [[Detroit, Michigan]], and later by the [[Studebaker-Packard Corporation]] of [[South Bend, Indiana]]. The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899 and the brand went off the market in [[1958]]. Packard automobiles are highly sought after by collectors today, and the marque enjoys an active collectors club system. |
|||
Packards were advertised with the slogan ''"Ask the Man Who Owns One"''. |
|||
==Toponymy== |
|||
==1899-1929== |
|||
The [[Toponymy|toponym]] "[[Nepal]]" may derive from the [[Sanskrit]] ''nipalaya'', which means "at the foot of the mountains" or "abode at the foot," a reference to its location in relation to the [[Himalayas]]. Thus, it may be an Eastern equivalent of the European toponym "Piedmont." It has also been suggested that the name comes from the [[Tibetan language|Tibetan]] ''niyampal'', which means "holy land". A third theory suggests that Nepal came from the word NE which means wool and PAL means tented house. Long time ago, Nepal used to produce a lot of wool and the houses were used to store the wool, hence the word NE-PAL |
|||
[[Image:1913Packard6.jpg|thumbnail|250px|1913 Packard 6]] |
|||
[[Image:Packard Twin Six Touring 1916.jpg|thumbnail|250px|Packard Twin-Six Touring 1916]] |
|||
[[Image:Packard 243 Touring 1926.jpg|thumbnail|250px|Packard Second Series 243 Touring 1926]] |
|||
[[Image:Packard 426 Roadster 1927.jpg|thumbnail|250px|Packard Fourth Series 426 Roadster 1927]] |
|||
[[Image:Packard 645 De Luxe Eight Dual Cowl Phaeton 1929.jpg|thumbnail|250px|Packard Sixth Series 645 De Luxe Eight Dual Cowl 1929]] |
|||
Packard was founded by brothers James Ward Packard ([[Lehigh University]] Class of 1884)William Doud Packard and his partner George Lewis Weiss in the city of Warren, Ohio. James Ward believed that they could build a better horseless carriage that the Winton cars owned by Weiss (An important Winton stockholder) and himself, a mechanical engineer, had some ideas how to improve on the designs of current automobiles. By 1899, they were building vehicles. The company, which they called the Ohio Automobile Company, quickly introduced a number of innovations in its designs, including the modern steering wheel and years later the first production 12-cylinder engine. |
|||
While [[Henry Ford]] was producing cars that sold for $440, the Packards concentrated on more upscale cars that started at $2,600. Packard automobiles developed a following not only in the United States, but also abroad, with many heads of state owning them. |
|||
==Ancient history== |
|||
In need of more capital, the Packard brothers would find it when [[Henry Bourne Joy]], a member of one of [[Detroit, Michigan|Detroit]]'s oldest and wealthiest families, bought a Packard. Impressed by its reliability, he visited the Packards and soon enlisted a group of investors that included his brother-in-law, [[Truman Handy Newberry]]. On [[October 2]], [[1902]], Ohio Automobile Company became '''Packard Motor Car Company''', with James as president. Packard moved its automobile operation to Detroit soon after and Joy became general manager and later chairman of the board. One of the original Packards is still located at the Packard Museum in [[Warren, Ohio]] on Mahoning Avenue. The original is located at Lehigh University in Packard Lab. |
|||
[[Neolithic]] tools found in the [[Kathmandu Valley]] indicate that people have been living in the Himalayan region for at least 9,000 years. Documented references reach back to the first millennium BCE, when ancient Indian epics such as the [[Mahabharata]] mention the ''[[Kiratas]]'', the inhabitants of Nepal. It appears that people who were probably of [[Tibeto-Burman]] ethnicity lived in Nepal 2,500 years ago. Ramayana, which refers to the era before Mahabharat, states Mithila, which is currently known as Janakpur in Nepal, as the birth place of goddess Sita. Also, the presence of historical sites, e.g., Valmik ashram, indicates the presence of Aryan culture in Nepal at that period.{{inote|Library of Congress|History}} |
|||
The Packard's factory on East Grand Boulevard in Detroit was designed by [[Albert Kahn]], and included the first use of reinforced concrete for industrial construction in Detroit. When opened in 1903, it was considered the most modern automobile manufacturing facility in the world and its skilled craftsmen practiced over eighty trades. |
|||
==Birth of Buddhism== |
|||
<nowiki>Aryan tribes began arriving around 1500 BCE from the northwest. Around 1000 BCE, small kingdoms and confederations of clans arose in the region. One of the earliest confederations was that of the Shakya clan, whose capital was Kapilavastu, near the present-day border with India. One of its princes was Gautama Buddha Siddharta Gautama (563–483 BCE), who renounced his royalty to lead an ascetic life and came to be known as the ''Buddha'' ("the enlightened one"). By 260 BCE, most of North India northern India was ruled by the Maurya Empire. Although not all of Nepal was under Maurya rule, there is evidence of at least the influence of Ashoka Ashoka the Great—the ruler of the Maurya Empire from 273 BCE 273 to 232 BCE after his father chandragupta had died. and a convert to Buddhism—have been found in the Kathmandu Valley. In the fourth century CE, the area fell under the Gupta Empire. Though all of Nepal wasn't under the direct control of the Gupta's, they have had an influence on its culture. |
|||
</nowiki> |
|||
The 3.5 million ft<sup>2</sup> (325,000 m²) plant covered over 35 acres (142,000 m²) and straddled East Grand Boulevard. It was later subdivided by eighty-seven different companies. Kahn also designed The [[Packard Proving Grounds]] at [[Utica, Michigan]]. |
|||
==Licchavi== |
|||
{{Main|Licchavi}} |
|||
Throughout the nineteen-teens and twenties, Packard built vehicles consistently were among the elite in luxury automobiles. The company was commonly referred to as being one of the "Three P's" of American motordom royalty, along with [[Pierce-Arrow]] of [[Buffalo, New York]] and [[Peerless]] of [[Cleveland, Ohio]]. Packard's leadership of the luxury car field was supreme. |
|||
Between about [[400]] and [[750]] AD, [[Nepal]]'s present capital [[Kathmandu]] was ruled by the [[Licchavi]] kingdom. Archaeological evidence for this period mainly consists of stonework inscriptions, reckoned on two separate, consecutive eras. The former, [[Asaka (era)|Åšaka]] era has an epoch corresponding to [[78]] AD, whereas the latter [[Amshuvarma|Aṃshuvarmā]] or [[Manadeva 2|Mānadeva 2]] era reckons from [[576]]. |
|||
==1930-1946== |
|||
Whilst most such inscriptions list the dates and commissioners of [[stonework]] construction, some communicate royal edicts, religious mantras or historical notes. It is through the corroboration of local myths with such evidence that a people prior to the Licchavi have been identified, known as the [[Kirata]]. Of these people very little is known. |
|||
[[image:Packard De Luxe Eight 904 Sedan Limousine 1932.jpg|thumb|250px|Packard Ninth Series De Luxe Eight 904 Sedan Limousine 1932]] |
|||
[[image:Packard 1101 Eight Convertible Sedan 1934.jpg|thumb|250px|Packard Eleventh Series Eight 1101 Convertible Sedan 1934]] |
|||
[[image:Packard.120.1936.arp.750pix.jpg|thumb|250px|Packard 120 car of 1936]] |
|||
[[image: 1937 Packard.jpg|thumb|250px|1937 Packard {{3d_glasses}}]] |
|||
[[Image:1941 Packard 180 Formal Sedan.jpg|thumb|250px|1941 Packard One-Eighty Formal Sedan]] |
|||
[[Image:1941_Packard_Swan.jpg|thumb|100px|Packard pelican hood ornament from a 1941 One-Eighty Formal Sedan]] |
|||
Entering into the 1930s Packard attempted to beat the stock market crash and subsequent depression by manufacturing ever more opulent and expensive cars than it had prior to October 1929. The Packard Twin Six was introduced for 1932, and re-named the Packard Twelve for the remainder of its run (through 1939). For one year only, 1932, Packard tried fielding an upper-medium-priced car called the Light Eight. |
|||
The [[Licchavi]] rulers arranged for the documentation of information on politics, society, and the economy in the region. Most of the Licchavi records—written in [[Sanskrit]]—are deeds reporting donations to religious foundations, predominantly Hindu temples; and the last such record was added in [[733]]. [[Image:Nepal map.png|thumb|250px|Map of Nepal]]The Licchavi dynasty went into decline in the late [[8th century|eighth century]] and was followed by a [[Newari]] era, from [[879]], although the extent of their control over the entire country is uncertain. By the late [[11th century]], southern Nepal came under the influence of the [[Chalukya|Chalukaya Empire]] of [[South India|southern India]]. Under the Chalukayas, Nepal's religious establishment changed as the kings patronised Hinduism instead of the prevailing Buddhism. |
|||
As an independent automaker, Packard did not have the luxury of a larger corporate structure absorbing its losses as Cadillac did with GM and Lincoln with Ford. However, Packard did have a better cash position than other independent luxury marques. Peerless fell under receivership in 1929 and ceased production in 1932; by 1938 [[Franklin]], [[Marmon]], [[Ruxton (automobile)|Ruxton]], [[Stearns-Knight]], [[Stutz]], [[Duesenberg]] and [[Pierce-Arrow]] had all closed. |
|||
==12th century== |
|||
By the early [[twelfth century|12th century]], leaders were emerging whose names ended with the Sanskrit suffix ''malla'' ("wrestler"). [[Arimalla]] was the first king of this dynasty, which was initially marked by upheaval before the kings consolidated their power over the next 200 years. |
|||
Packard also had one other advantage that some other luxury automakers did not; a single production line. By maintaining a single line, and inter-changeability between models, Packard was able to keep its costs down. Packard did not change cars as often as other manufacturers did at the time. Rather than introducing new models annually, Packard began using its own "Series" formula for differentiating its model change-overs in 1923. New model series did not debut on a strictly annual basis, with some series lasting nearly two years, and others lasting as short a time as seven months. In the long run, though, Packard did average approximately one new series per year. By 1930, Packard automobiles were considered part of the "Seventh Series". By 1942, Packard was in its "Twentieth Series". There never was a "Thirteenth Series". |
|||
==Three medieval kingdoms== |
|||
[[Image:Patan temples.jpg|thumb|250px|Hindu temples in Patan, the capital one of the three medieval kingdoms]] |
|||
[[Thirteenth century|Thirteenth-century]] Nepal was occasionally pillaged by the [[Delhi Sultanate]] of [[northern India]], and was marked by increased militarisation. By the late [[14th century]] much of the country came under the rule of the king [[Jayasthitimalla]], who managed to unite most of the fragmented power bases. This unity was short-lived: in [[1482]] the kingdom was carved into three: [[Kathmandu]], [[Patan]], and [[Bhadgaon]]. |
|||
To address the depression, Packard started producing more affordable cars in the medium-price range. In 1935, it introduced its first sub-$1,000 car, the [[Packard 120]]. Car production more than tripled that year and doubled again in 1936. In order to produce the 120, Packard built and equipped an entirely separate factory. By 1936, Packard's labor force was divided nearly evenly between the high-priced "Senior" lines (Twelve, Super Eight and Eight) and the medium-priced "Junior" models, although more than 10 times more Juniors were produced than Seniors. This was because the 120 models were built using thoroughly modern mass production techniques, while the Senior Packards used a great deal more hand labor and traditional craftsmanship. The Junior models were very fine cars; they were just not in the same quality league as the Seniors. Although Packard most certainly could not have survived the Depression without the highly successful Junior models, the Juniors did have the effect of diminishing the Senior models stellar and exclusive image among those few who could still afford an expensive luxury car. Adding insult to injury, the 120 models were more modern in basic design than the Senior models. For example the 1935 Packard 120 featured independent front suspension and hydraulic brakes, both features that would not appear on any Senior Packards until 1937. |
|||
==Gorkha rule== |
|||
Modern [[Nepal]] was created in the latter half of the [[18th century]] when [[Prithvi Narayan Shah]], the ruler of the small [[principality]] of [[Gorkha]], formed a unified country from a number of independent hill states. The country was frequently called the [[Gorkha Kingdom]]. It is a misconception that the Gurkhas took their name from the Gorkha region of Nepal. The region was given its name after the Gurkhas had established their control of these areas. Gurkha, also spelt as Gorkha, are people from Nepal who take their name from the legendary eighth century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath. Gurkhas claim descent from the Hindu Rajputs and Brahmins of Northern India, who entered modern Nepal from the west. |
|||
=== 1937 – 1942 === |
|||
After decades of rivalry between the medieval kingdoms, [[Prithvi Narayan Shah]] dedicated himself at an early age to the conquest of the Kathmandu valley and the creation of a single state, which he achieved in [[1768]]. Between 1717 and 1733, the Nepalese in the west and Bhutanese in the east attacked [[Sikkim]] many times, culminating with the destruction of the capital [[Rabdentse]] by the Nepalese. The Sikkim king fled to [[Tibet]]. After Shah's death, the Shah dynasty began to expand their kingdom into India. Between 1788 and 1791, Nepal invaded Tibet and robbed [[Tashilhunpo Monastery]] of [[Shigatse]]. Alarmed, the Chinese emperor [[Qianlong]] dispatched a sizeable army that forced the Nepalese to retreat and pay heavy repatriations. |
|||
Prior to 1937, Packard was still the premier luxury automobile, even though the lion's share of cars being built were the '''120''' and [[Packard Super Eight|Super Eight]] model ranges. Hoping to catch still more of the market, Packard decided to issue the [[Packard 115C]] in 1937, which was powered by Packard's first six cylinder since the Fifth Series cars in 1928. While the move to introduce the Six was at once brilliant – the car arrived just in time for the 1938 recession – it also tagged Packards as something less exclusive than they had been in the public's mind, and in the long run the Six hurt Packard's reputation of building some of America's finest luxury cars. The Six, designated "110" in 1940-41, continued for three years after the war, with many serving as taxicabs. |
|||
During [[World War II]], Packard again built airplane engines, licensing the [[Rolls-Royce Merlin|Merlin]] engine from [[Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce]], and simplifying and improving upon it. The Packard engine powered the famous [[P-51]] Mustang fighter, known as the "Cadillac of the Skies" by G.I.s in WWII. It was one of the fastest non-jet fighter planes ever built, and could fly higher than any of its contemporaries, allowing its pilots a greater degree of survivability in combat situations. They also built 1350, 1400, and 1500 hp V-12 marine engines that powered American [[PT boat]]s (each boat used three) and some of Britain's patrol boats. |
|||
After 1800, the heirs of Prithvi Narayan Shah proved unable to maintain firm political control over Nepal. A period of internal turmoil followed. |
|||
Rivalry between Nepal and the [[British East India Company]] over the annexation of minor states bordering Nepal eventually led to the [[Anglo-Nepalese War]] ([[1814]]–[[1816|16]]), in which Nepal suffered a complete rout. The [[Treaty of Sugauli]] was signed in 1816, ceding parts of the Terrai and [[Sikkim]] to the British in exchange for Nepalese [[Autonomous entity|autonomy]]. |
|||
[[image:Packard Convertible 2.jpg|thumb|250px|Packard Convertible]] |
|||
==Rana Administration== |
|||
[[image:Packard Convertible Coupe 1949.jpg|thumb|250px|Packard Convertible Coupé 1949]] |
|||
[[Image:RaniOfNepal1920.jpg|thumbnail|250px|right|Rani (Queen) of Nepal surrounded by her Ladies-in-Waiting, 1920]] |
|||
[[image:Packard.jpg|thumb|250px|Packard]] |
|||
[[image:Packard 250 Convertible 1951.jpg|thumb|250px|Packard 250 Convertible 1951]] |
|||
[[image:Packard Convertible.jpg|thumb|250px|Packard Convertible]] |
|||
[[Image:PackardPatrician.jpg|thumb|175px|Ad for the 1951 Packard Patrician]] |
|||
== 1946 – 1956 == |
|||
Factionalism among the [[royal family]] led to a period of instability after the war. In [[1846]], Queen Rajendralakshmi plotted to overthrow [[Jang Bahadur]], a fast-rising military leader who was presenting a threat to her power. The plot was uncovered and the queen had several hundred princes and chieftains executed after an armed clash between [[military]] personnel and administrators loyal to the queen. This came to be known as the [[Kot Massacre]]. However, Bahadur emerged victorious and founded the [[Rana]] lineage. The king was made a titular figure, and the post of Prime Minister was made powerful and hereditary. The Rana regime, a tightly centralized [[autocracy]], pursued a policy of isolating Nepal from external influences. This policy helped Nepal maintain its national independence during the colonial era, but it also impeded the country's economic development. |
|||
By the end of World War II, Packard was in excellent financial condition but suffered from a shortage of raw materials needed to manufacture automobiles again. The firm introduced its first post-war body in [[1948]], prior to its competition in the major firms ([[Cadillac]], [[Lincoln (automobile)|Lincoln]], and [[Chrysler Corporation|Chrysler]]). However, the design chosen was of the "bathtub" style predicted during the war as the destined future of automobiles. Although the postwar Packards sold well, the ability to distinguish expensive models from lower priced models disappeared as all Packard became virtually alike. |
|||
By the time the firm was able to re-style again for 1951, the post war seller's market was coming to an end and again, the design failed to resonate with the public at large. Conceived as the antithesis of the bulbous post war models, the motoring press derisively named the new design "high pockets". |
|||
The Ranas were staunchly pro-British, and assisted the British during the [[Sepoy Rebellion]] in [[1857]], and later in both [[World War]]s. |
|||
Packard President James J. Nance was also struggling with what he felt was the only way to reestablish Packard as a luxury car brand, which was to divorce the lower priced models from the luxury models. To do this Nance applied the model name Clipper to the least expensive Packards starting in 1953. Ultimately, Nance planned to spin Clipper off as its own automotive brand targeting Oldsmobile and Mercury, while a target date of 1956 was set for the new automotive brand. |
|||
==20th century== |
|||
In [[1923]] Britain and Nepal formally signed an agreement of friendship, in which Nepal's independence was recognised by the British. |
|||
[[Nash Motors]] president [[George W. Mason]] approached Packard about a merger for the first time in the late [[1940s]], believing that the days for independent car manufacturers were numbered. Packard's board of directors, believing Mason to be incorrect, was reluctant to merge. [[1953]] brought the return of the buyer's market, and [[1954]] was again a down year for Packard; still, Packard's directors delayed. |
|||
===Democratic Reform=== |
|||
{{Main|Democracy movement in Nepal}} |
|||
Meanwhile, Mason found a more receptive audience at [[Hudson Motor Car Company|Hudson]], and the two companies merged to form [[American Motors Corporation]] on [[May 1]], [[1954]]. This left Packard, whose directors had finally seen the light, seeking a merger partner. After briefly considering joining the merged [[Kaiser-Frazer|Kaiser]]-[[Willys-Overland|Willys]] organization (which was formed solely to take the two struggling firms out of the U.S. auto business in order to concentrate on [[Jeep]]s), and seeing no possibilities there, Packard's directors settled on [[Studebaker]]. |
|||
In the late [[1940s]]. Meanwhile, with the annexation of Tibet by the Chinese in [[1950]], India faced the prospect of an expansive military power operating under a radically different political philosophy on its long northern borders, and was thus keen to avoid instability in Nepal. Forced to act, India sponsored both King [[Tribhuvan]] as Nepal's new ruler in [[1951]], and a new government, mostly comprising the [[Nepali Congress Party]]. After years of power wrangling between Tribhuvan's son, King [[Mahendra]] and the government, Mahendra dissolved the democratic experiment in [[1960]]. In [[1962]] he declared that a "partyless" [[panchayat]] system would govern Nepal. |
|||
On [[October 1]], [[1954]], Packard purchased [[Studebaker]] creating the [[Studebaker-Packard Corporation]]. Initially, Packard's executive team had hoped Studebaker's larger network of dealers would help increase sales. At first Nance believed that Studebaker's volume could sustain the companies, however Nance and other Packard officials discovered that Studebaker's finances were more dire than previously believed, primarily because no one took the time to actually study them in depth prior to the merger. |
|||
Popular dissatisfaction against the family rule of the Ranas had started emerging from among the few educated people, who had been taught in various Indian school and colleges, and from within the Ranas, many of whom were marginalised within the Ruling Rana hierarchy. Many of these Nepalese in exile had actively taken part in the Indian Independence struggle and wanted to liberate Nepal as well from the internal autocratic occupation. The political parties like ''The Prajaparishad'' and ''The Nepali Rastriya Congress'' were already formed in exile by the patriotic minded people who wanted to stage both the military and popular political movement in Nepal to overthrow the autocratic Rana Regime. Among the prominent martyrs to die for the cause executed at the hands of the Ranas were ''Dharma Bhakta Mathema, Shukraraj Shastri, Gangalal Shrestha and Dasharath Chand''. This culminated in [[1950]], King [[Tribhuvan of Nepal|Tribhuvan]], a direct descendant of Prithvi Narayan Shah, fled his "palace prison" to newly independent [[India]], touching off an armed revolt against the Rana administration. This allowed the return of the Shah family to power and, eventually, the appointment of a non-Rana as prime minister. A period of quasiconstitutional rule followed, during which the monarch, assisted by the leaders of fledgling political parties, governed the country. During the 1950s, efforts were made to frame a constitution for Nepal that would establish a representative form of government, based on a British model. |
|||
Packard's up-again and down-again sales continued, with a profitable year in 1955 thanks to the introduction of Packard's first V-8 engines that model year—although a complete retooling for the 1955 models resulted in products so poorly made that hundreds of cars had to be repaired by dealers before they could be sold to the public. This set the stage for a disastrous 1956, which saw production drop to its lowest levels since World War I. |
|||
In early [[1959]], King [[Mahendra]] issued a new constitution, and the first democratic elections for a national assembly were held. The [[Nepali Congress Party]], a moderate socialist group, gained a substantial victory in the election. Its leader, B.P. [[Koirala]], formed a government and served as prime minister. |
|||
1956 saw the launch of [[Clipper (automobile)|Clipper]] as a stand-alone marque as well as the launch of the [[Packard Executive]], Packard's new mid-level car priced to compete against Chrysler and Buick. The Packard Executive was essentially a Clipper with the senior Packard front clip and interior. However, Packard dealers began to complain that consumers weren't buying Clippers because the cars weren't Packards. At first Nance refused to rebadge the Clipper as a Packard, but the dealers pushed back. In the end, Nance begrudgingly agreed to start badging the Clippers with the "Packard" script. |
|||
===Democratic Failure=== |
|||
Declaring parliamentary democracy a failure 18 months later, King Mahendra dismissed the Koirala government and promulgated a new constitution on [[December 16]], [[1962]]. The new constitution established a "partyless" system of panchayats (councils) which King Mahendra considered to be a democratic form of government closer to Nepalese traditions. As a pyramidal structure progressing from village assemblies to a [[Rastriya Panchayat]] (National Parliament), the panchayat system enshrined the absolute power of the monarchy and kept the King as head of state with sole authority over all governmental institutions, including the Cabinet (Council of Ministers) and the Parliament. One-state-one-language became the national policy and all other langauages suffered at the cost of the official language, "Nepali", which is the king's language. |
|||
Packard had been selling engines and transmissions to American Motors for installation in 1955 and '56 Nashs and Hudsons, but a parts dispute with Romney ended this arrangement in April of 1956. The company severely in debt, its creditors ordered the old Packard plants to close on August 15, 1956, and Nance left the company which then entered into a contractual management agreement with aircraft maker [[Curtiss-Wright]]. |
|||
King Mahendra was succeeded by his 27 year-old son, King [[Birendra of Nepal|Birendra]], in [[1972]]. Amid student demonstrations and anti-regime activities in [[1979]], King Birendra called for a national referendum to decide on the nature of Nepal's government--either the continuation of the panchayat system with democratic reforms or the establishment of a multiparty system. The referendum was held in May 1980, and the panchayat system won a narrow victory. The king carried out the promised reforms, including selection of the prime minister by the Rastriya Panchayat. |
|||
[[Image:1957PackBrochure.jpg|thumb|175px|1957 Packard Clipper sales brochure]] |
|||
People in rural areas had expected that their interests would be better represented after the adoption of parliamentary democracy in 1990. [[Jana Andolan]] forced the monarchy to accept constitutional reforms and to establish a multiparty parliament. The Nepali Congress won 110 of the 205 seats and formed the first government in 32 years. In May [[1991]], Nepal held its first election in nearly 50 years. |
|||
==1957 – 1958: Packardbakers== |
|||
In 1957 and 1958, a Studebaker President-based car bearing the [[1957 and 1958 Packards|Packard Clipper]] nameplate appeared on the market, but sales were slow. These [[badge engineered]] Studebakers were derisively referred to as ''[[Packardbaker]]s'' by the press and consumers and failed to sell in sufficient numbers to keep the marque afloat. |
|||
While the 1957 Packard Clipper was less Packard than it was a very good Studebaker, the cars sold in limited numbers – which was attributed to Packard dealers dropping the franchises and consumers fearful of buying a car that could be an orphaned make soon. Of note: Former Packard designer Richard Teague, seeing the new "Packardbaker" for the first time, commented that seeing his beautiful Packard tailights "...on that tired old Studebaker body, was enough to make a maggot vomit!" |
|||
In 1992, in a situation of economic crisis and chaos, with spiralling prices as a result of implementation of changes in policy of the new [[Nepali Congress|Congress]] government, the radical left stepped up their political agitation. A Joint People's Agitation Committee was set up by the various groups.<ref>The organisers of the Committee were the [[Samyukta Janamorcha Nepal]], the [[Communist Party of Nepal (Unity Centre)]], [[Communist Party of Nepal (Masal)]], the [[Nepal Communist League]] and the [[Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist-Maoist)]].</ref> A [[hartal|general strike]] was called for [[April 6]]. |
|||
The 1958 models bowed with no series name, simply as "Packard". In addition to the knowledge that these cars were the last gasp by what had been thirty years before the biggest selling luxury car in the United States, their annual make-over on a budget usually set aside for a door-handle design at GM was awkward. |
|||
Violent incidents began to occur on the evening ahead of the strike. The Joint People's Agitation Committee had called for a 30-minute 'lights out' in the capital, and violence erupted outside [[Bir Hospital]] when activists tried to enforce the 'lights out'. At dawn on [[April 6]], clashes between strike activists and police outside a police station in Pulchok ([[Patan]]) left two activists dead. |
|||
==The end== |
|||
Later in the day, a mass rally of the Agitation Committee at Tundikhel in the capital [[Kathmandu]] was attacked by police forces. As a result riots broke out, and the [[Nepal Telecom|Nepal Telecommunications]] building was set on fire. Police opened fire at the crowd, killing several persons. The [[Human Rights Organisation of Nepal]] estimated that 14 people, including several on-lookers, had been killed in police firing.<ref>Hoftun, Martin, William Raeper and John Whelpton. People, politics and ideology: Democracy and Social Change in Nepal. Kathmandu: Mandala Book Point, 1999. p. 189</ref> |
|||
Studebaker-Packard pulled the Packard nameplate from the marketplace in 1959 to focus instead on its compact [[Studebaker Lark|Lark]]. |
|||
When promised land reforms failed to appear, people in some districts started to organize to enact their own land reform, and to gain some power over their lives in the face of usurious landlords. However, this movement was repressed by the Nepali government, in "Operation Romeo" and "Operation Kilo Sera II" which took the lives of many of the leading activists of the struggle. As a result, many witnesses to this repression became radicalized. |
|||
In the Early 1960s, Studebaker-Packard was approached by French car maker [[Facel-Vega]] about the possibility rebadging the company's [[Facel-Vega Excellence]] sedan as a "Packard" for sale in North America. [[Daimler-Benz]], which was under a distribution agreement with Studebaker-Packard, threatened to pull out of the 1958 marketing agreement, which would have cost Studebaker-Packard more in revenue than they could have made from the badge-engineered Packard. |
|||
===Nepalese Civil War=== |
|||
{{Main|Nepalese Civil War}} |
|||
==Packard engines== |
|||
In February 1996, one of the [[Maoist]] parties started a bid to replace the [[parliamentary]] monarchy with a so-called people's new democratic republic, through a Maoist revolutionary strategy known as the [[people's war]], which has led to the [[Nepalese Civil War]]. Led by Dr. [[Baburam Bhattarai]] and [[Pushpa Kamal Dahal]] (also known as "Prachanda"), the insurgency began in five districts in Nepal: [[Rolpa]], [[Rukum]], [[Jajarkot]], [[Gorkha]], and [[Sindhuli]]. The Maoists declared the existence of a provisional "people's government" at the district level in several locations. At one point, 70% of Nepal's countryside was under Maoist rule. |
|||
Packard had an engineering staff that always designed good, well-made engines. This was doubled into their twelve-cylinder engine that they called the "Twin Six." They also built a low-compression straight eight, but never a sixteen-cylinder engine. After WWII, they were one of the last US firms to produce a high-compression V-8 engine, the "352", named for its 352 in³ (5.8 L) displacement, but it had no problems. However, they built their own automatic transmission (unlike Ford) which, although it had some advantages over [[Buick]]'s, had its own deficiencies. Their last major development was the "Torsion-Level" suspension, a four-wheel torsion-bar suspension that balanced the car's height like an air-bag suspension, which its American competitors of the time could not get to work and ceased offering. |
|||
Packard also made large aeronautical engines. See the articles on the [[Rolls Royce Merlin|Merlin engine]] and [[PT Boat]]s for its contributions to the Allied victory in [[World War II]] |
|||
===2001-2006=== |
|||
In June 2001 Crown Prince [[Dipendra of Nepal|Dipendra]] went on a shooting-spree assassinating 11 members of the royal family including King [[Birendra of Nepal|Birendra]] and Queen [[Queen Aiswarya|Aishwarya]] before shooting himself. Due to his survival he temporarily became king before dying of his wounds resulting in Prince [[Gyanendra]] (Birendra's brother) inheriting the throne. Meanwhile, the Maoist rebellion escalated, and in October 2002 the king temporarily deposed the government and took complete control of it. A week later he reappointed another government, but the country is still very unstable because of the civil war with the Maoists, the various political factions, the king's attempts to take more control of the government and worries about the competence of Gyanendra's son and heir, Prince [[Paras of Nepal|Paras]]. |
|||
==Attempted Packard Resurrection== |
|||
In the face of unstable governments and a Maoist siege on the Kathmandu Valley in August 2004, popular support for the monarchy began to wane. On [[2005-02-01]], Gyanendra dismissed the entire government and assumed full executive powers, declaring a "[[state of emergency]]" to quash the Maoist movement. Politicians were placed under [[house arrest]], phone and internet lines were cut, and freedom of the press was severely curtailed. The king's new regime made little progress in his stated aim to suppress the insurgents. |
|||
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Brand-NEW-Packard.jpg|right|thumb|250px|A working prototype shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, August 2003]] --> |
|||
A [http://www.packardmotorcar.com/ new company] bearing the Packard name, but having no legacy affiliation with the established Packard Motor Car Company or the Studebaker Corporation, attempted a started up of the Packard nameplate ca. 2000 and produced at least one prototype Packard, featuring a V12 engine. The prototype was shown at the [[Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance]] in 2003. Despite public interest in the car, plans for the automobile haven't emerged, and its continued existence (and/or planned production) is undocumented as of March 2007. |
|||
== Packard automobile models == |
|||
King Gyanendra took control once again on February 1, 2005. Municipal elections in February 2006 were described by the European Union as "a backward step for democracy", as the major parties boycotted the election and some candidates were forced to run for office by the army.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1699935,00.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1699935,00.html]</ref> In April 2006 [[2006 democracy movement in Nepal|strikes and street protests in Kathmandu]] forced the king to reinstate the parliament. A seven-party coalition resumed control of the government and stripped the king of most of his powers. At present, the future of monarchy remains in question, and it is unclear whether the Maoist parties, which part of the interim government, will hold true to their cease fire. As of [[15 January]] [[2007]] Nepal is governed by an [[unicameral]] legislature under an interim constitution. |
|||
* [[Packard 110]] |
|||
* [[Packard 120]] |
|||
* [[Packard 180]] |
|||
* [[Packard 200]] |
|||
* Packard 250, ''see Packard 200'' |
|||
* [[Packard 300]] |
|||
* Packard 400, ''see Packard Four Hundred'' |
|||
* [[Packard Balboa]] |
|||
* [[Packard Caribbean]] |
|||
* [[Packard Cavalier]] |
|||
* [[Packard Clipper]] |
|||
* [[Packard Eight]] |
|||
** [[Packard Light Eight]] |
|||
** [[Packard Super Eight]] |
|||
* [[Packard Executive]] |
|||
* [[Packard Four Hundred]] |
|||
* [[Packard Hawk]] (1958) |
|||
* [[Packard Mayfair]] |
|||
* [[Packard Panther]] |
|||
* [[Packard Patrician]] |
|||
* Packard Patrician 400, ''see Packard Patrician'' |
|||
* [[Packard Predictor]] |
|||
* [[Packard Request]] |
|||
* [[Packard Six]] |
|||
* [[Packard Station Sedan]] |
|||
* [[Packard Twin Six/Twelve]] |
|||
* [[1957 and 1958 Packards]] |
|||
===Body styles/misc. by tradename=== |
|||
==References== |
|||
* [[Packard Clipper Constellation]] |
|||
<references/> |
|||
* [[Packard Super Panama]] |
|||
* [[Ultramatic]], Packard's self-developed automatic transmission (1949-1956) |
|||
==Gallery== |
|||
<gallery> |
|||
Image:Packard 626 4-Door Sedan 1929.jpg|Packard Sixth Series 626 Eight 4-Door Sedan 1929 |
|||
Image:Packard 726 4-Door Sedan 1930.jpg|Packard Seventh Series 726 Standard Eight 4-Door Sedan 1930 |
|||
Image:Packard Roadster 1930.jpg|Packard Roadster 1930 |
|||
Image:Packard Convertible Coupe 1930.jpg|Packard Seventh Series 733 Standard Eight Convertible Coupé 1930 |
|||
Image:Packard 733 Coupe 1930.jpg|Packard Seventh Series 733 Standard Eight Coupé 1930 |
|||
Image:Packard 733 Limousine 1930.jpg|Packard Seventh Series 733 Standard Eight Limousine 1930 |
|||
Image:Packard 833 Convertible Coupe 1931.jpg|Packard Eighth Series 833 Standard Eight Convertible Coupé 1931 |
|||
Image:Packard 833 Coupe 1931.jpg|Packard Eighth Series 833 Standard Eight Coupé 1931 |
|||
Image:Packard 4-Door Sedan 193X 2.jpg|Packard 4-Door Sedan |
|||
Image:Packard Limousine 193X.jpg|Packard Twelveth Series Limousine 1935 |
|||
Image:Packard 115-C Convertible Coupe 1937.jpg|Packard Fifteenth Series Six 115-C 1089 Convertible Coupé 1937 |
|||
Image:Packard Six 115C 1082 4-Dörrars Touring Sedan 1937.jpg|Packard Fifteenth Series Six 115-C 1082 4-Door Touring Sedan 1937 |
|||
Image:Packard Six 1600 Coupe 1938.jpg|Packard Sixteenth Series Six 1600 Coupé 1938 |
|||
Image:Packard Coupe 2.jpg|Packard Sixteenth Series Six 1600 Coupé 1938 |
|||
Image:Packard Club Opera Coupe 1938.jpg|Packard Sixteenth Series Six 1600 1185 Club Coupé 1938 |
|||
Image:Packard Six 1600 Touring Sedan 1938.jpg|Packard Sixteenth Series Six 1600 1182 4-Door Touring Sedan 1938 |
|||
Image:Packard 1700 Six 1282 Touring Sedan 1939 2.jpg|Packard Seventeenth Series Six 1700 1282 4-Door Touring Sedan 1939 |
|||
Image:Packard 1700 Six 1282 Touring Sedan 1939.jpg|Packard Seventeenth Series Six 1700 1282 4-Door Touring Sedan 1939 |
|||
Image:Packard 1700 Six Touring Sedan 1939 2.jpg|Packard Seventeenth Series Six 1700 1282 4-Door Touring Sedan 1939 |
|||
Image:Packard 1700 Six Touring Sedan 1939.jpg|Packard Seventeenth Series Six 1700 1282 4-Door Touring Sedan 1939 |
|||
Image:Packard 1803 160 Convertible Sedan 1940.jpg|Packard Eighteenth Series Super Eight One-Sixty 1803 1374 Convertible Sedan 1940 |
|||
Image:Packard Convertible Coupe 1941.jpg|Packard Nineteenth Series Convertible Coupé 1941 |
|||
Image:Packard 4-Door Touring Sedan 1941.jpg|Packard Nineteenth Series 4-Door Touring Sedan 1941 |
|||
Image:Packard 1903 One Sixty Convertible Coupe 1941.jpg|Packard Nineteenth Series Super Eight One-Sixty 1903 Convertible Coupé 1941 |
|||
</gallery> |
|||
== |
==See also== |
||
* [[Studebaker]] |
|||
* [http://www.nhrcnepal.org/|Nepal Human Rights Commission] |
|||
==Clients== |
|||
* {{ru icon}}[http://www.conflictologist.narod.ru/indostan.html#nepal Events of 1990 and 2006] |
|||
* [[Toronto Transportation Commission]] |
|||
{{Asia in topic|History of}} |
|||
== External links == |
|||
[[Category:History of Nepal| ]] |
|||
{{commonscat|Packard vehicles}} |
|||
[[Category:National histories|Nepal]] |
|||
* [http://www.1956packardpanther.com/PV8C_Index.html The Packard V8 Club] |
|||
* [http://www.packardclub.org The Packard Club] |
|||
* [http://www.packardmuseum.org National Packard Museum] |
|||
* [http://www.allpar.com/amc/index.html The History of American Motors] |
|||
* [http://www.packardmotorcar.com The new Packard] |
|||
* [http://www.americaspackardmuseum.org America's Packard Museum] |
|||
* [http://www.packardinfo.com/index.html Packard Info] -Free online library of Packard Information. |
|||
* [http://www.thepackardlibrary.org] - Free online library |
|||
{{Packard}} |
|||
[[be:Гісторыя Непала]] |
|||
[[be-x-old:Гісторыя Непала]] |
|||
<!-- Categories --> |
|||
[[es:Historia de Nepal]] |
|||
[[Category:Packard|*]] |
|||
[[fr:Histoire du Népal]] |
|||
[[Category:Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States]] |
|||
[[he:היסטוריה של נפאל]] |
|||
[[Category:Luxury motor vehicle manufacturers]] |
|||
[[nl:Geschiedenis van Nepal]] |
|||
[[Category:Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Ohio]] |
|||
[[pt:História do Nepal]] |
|||
[[Category:Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Indiana]] |
|||
[[ru:История Непала]] |
|||
[[Category:Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Michigan]] |
|||
[[sv:Nepals historia]] |
|||
[[Category:Aircraft engine manufacturers of the United States]] |
|||
[[zh:尼泊爾歷史]] |
|||
[[Category:Studebaker]] |
|||
[[de:Packard (Automobil)]] |
|||
[[fr:Packard (marque automobile)]] |
|||
[[nl:Packard]] |
|||
[[ja:パッカード]] |
|||
[[no:Packard]] |
|||
[[pl:Packard]] |
|||
[[fi:Packard]] |
|||
[[sv:Packard]] |
|||
Revision as of 19:07, 5 May 2007
Packard was a United States based brand of luxury automobile built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, and later by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana. The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899 and the brand went off the market in 1958. Packard automobiles are highly sought after by collectors today, and the marque enjoys an active collectors club system.
Packards were advertised with the slogan "Ask the Man Who Owns One".
1899-1929
Packard was founded by brothers James Ward Packard (Lehigh University Class of 1884)William Doud Packard and his partner George Lewis Weiss in the city of Warren, Ohio. James Ward believed that they could build a better horseless carriage that the Winton cars owned by Weiss (An important Winton stockholder) and himself, a mechanical engineer, had some ideas how to improve on the designs of current automobiles. By 1899, they were building vehicles. The company, which they called the Ohio Automobile Company, quickly introduced a number of innovations in its designs, including the modern steering wheel and years later the first production 12-cylinder engine.
While Henry Ford was producing cars that sold for $440, the Packards concentrated on more upscale cars that started at $2,600. Packard automobiles developed a following not only in the United States, but also abroad, with many heads of state owning them.
In need of more capital, the Packard brothers would find it when Henry Bourne Joy, a member of one of Detroit's oldest and wealthiest families, bought a Packard. Impressed by its reliability, he visited the Packards and soon enlisted a group of investors that included his brother-in-law, Truman Handy Newberry. On October 2, 1902, Ohio Automobile Company became Packard Motor Car Company, with James as president. Packard moved its automobile operation to Detroit soon after and Joy became general manager and later chairman of the board. One of the original Packards is still located at the Packard Museum in Warren, Ohio on Mahoning Avenue. The original is located at Lehigh University in Packard Lab.
The Packard's factory on East Grand Boulevard in Detroit was designed by Albert Kahn, and included the first use of reinforced concrete for industrial construction in Detroit. When opened in 1903, it was considered the most modern automobile manufacturing facility in the world and its skilled craftsmen practiced over eighty trades.
The 3.5 million ft2 (325,000 m²) plant covered over 35 acres (142,000 m²) and straddled East Grand Boulevard. It was later subdivided by eighty-seven different companies. Kahn also designed The Packard Proving Grounds at Utica, Michigan.
Throughout the nineteen-teens and twenties, Packard built vehicles consistently were among the elite in luxury automobiles. The company was commonly referred to as being one of the "Three P's" of American motordom royalty, along with Pierce-Arrow of Buffalo, New York and Peerless of Cleveland, Ohio. Packard's leadership of the luxury car field was supreme.
1930-1946
3D red cyan glasses are recommended to view this image correctly.
Entering into the 1930s Packard attempted to beat the stock market crash and subsequent depression by manufacturing ever more opulent and expensive cars than it had prior to October 1929. The Packard Twin Six was introduced for 1932, and re-named the Packard Twelve for the remainder of its run (through 1939). For one year only, 1932, Packard tried fielding an upper-medium-priced car called the Light Eight.
As an independent automaker, Packard did not have the luxury of a larger corporate structure absorbing its losses as Cadillac did with GM and Lincoln with Ford. However, Packard did have a better cash position than other independent luxury marques. Peerless fell under receivership in 1929 and ceased production in 1932; by 1938 Franklin, Marmon, Ruxton, Stearns-Knight, Stutz, Duesenberg and Pierce-Arrow had all closed.
Packard also had one other advantage that some other luxury automakers did not; a single production line. By maintaining a single line, and inter-changeability between models, Packard was able to keep its costs down. Packard did not change cars as often as other manufacturers did at the time. Rather than introducing new models annually, Packard began using its own "Series" formula for differentiating its model change-overs in 1923. New model series did not debut on a strictly annual basis, with some series lasting nearly two years, and others lasting as short a time as seven months. In the long run, though, Packard did average approximately one new series per year. By 1930, Packard automobiles were considered part of the "Seventh Series". By 1942, Packard was in its "Twentieth Series". There never was a "Thirteenth Series".
To address the depression, Packard started producing more affordable cars in the medium-price range. In 1935, it introduced its first sub-$1,000 car, the Packard 120. Car production more than tripled that year and doubled again in 1936. In order to produce the 120, Packard built and equipped an entirely separate factory. By 1936, Packard's labor force was divided nearly evenly between the high-priced "Senior" lines (Twelve, Super Eight and Eight) and the medium-priced "Junior" models, although more than 10 times more Juniors were produced than Seniors. This was because the 120 models were built using thoroughly modern mass production techniques, while the Senior Packards used a great deal more hand labor and traditional craftsmanship. The Junior models were very fine cars; they were just not in the same quality league as the Seniors. Although Packard most certainly could not have survived the Depression without the highly successful Junior models, the Juniors did have the effect of diminishing the Senior models stellar and exclusive image among those few who could still afford an expensive luxury car. Adding insult to injury, the 120 models were more modern in basic design than the Senior models. For example the 1935 Packard 120 featured independent front suspension and hydraulic brakes, both features that would not appear on any Senior Packards until 1937.
1937 – 1942
Prior to 1937, Packard was still the premier luxury automobile, even though the lion's share of cars being built were the 120 and Super Eight model ranges. Hoping to catch still more of the market, Packard decided to issue the Packard 115C in 1937, which was powered by Packard's first six cylinder since the Fifth Series cars in 1928. While the move to introduce the Six was at once brilliant – the car arrived just in time for the 1938 recession – it also tagged Packards as something less exclusive than they had been in the public's mind, and in the long run the Six hurt Packard's reputation of building some of America's finest luxury cars. The Six, designated "110" in 1940-41, continued for three years after the war, with many serving as taxicabs.
During World War II, Packard again built airplane engines, licensing the Merlin engine from Rolls-Royce, and simplifying and improving upon it. The Packard engine powered the famous P-51 Mustang fighter, known as the "Cadillac of the Skies" by G.I.s in WWII. It was one of the fastest non-jet fighter planes ever built, and could fly higher than any of its contemporaries, allowing its pilots a greater degree of survivability in combat situations. They also built 1350, 1400, and 1500 hp V-12 marine engines that powered American PT boats (each boat used three) and some of Britain's patrol boats.
1946 – 1956
By the end of World War II, Packard was in excellent financial condition but suffered from a shortage of raw materials needed to manufacture automobiles again. The firm introduced its first post-war body in 1948, prior to its competition in the major firms (Cadillac, Lincoln, and Chrysler). However, the design chosen was of the "bathtub" style predicted during the war as the destined future of automobiles. Although the postwar Packards sold well, the ability to distinguish expensive models from lower priced models disappeared as all Packard became virtually alike.
By the time the firm was able to re-style again for 1951, the post war seller's market was coming to an end and again, the design failed to resonate with the public at large. Conceived as the antithesis of the bulbous post war models, the motoring press derisively named the new design "high pockets".
Packard President James J. Nance was also struggling with what he felt was the only way to reestablish Packard as a luxury car brand, which was to divorce the lower priced models from the luxury models. To do this Nance applied the model name Clipper to the least expensive Packards starting in 1953. Ultimately, Nance planned to spin Clipper off as its own automotive brand targeting Oldsmobile and Mercury, while a target date of 1956 was set for the new automotive brand.
Nash Motors president George W. Mason approached Packard about a merger for the first time in the late 1940s, believing that the days for independent car manufacturers were numbered. Packard's board of directors, believing Mason to be incorrect, was reluctant to merge. 1953 brought the return of the buyer's market, and 1954 was again a down year for Packard; still, Packard's directors delayed.
Meanwhile, Mason found a more receptive audience at Hudson, and the two companies merged to form American Motors Corporation on May 1, 1954. This left Packard, whose directors had finally seen the light, seeking a merger partner. After briefly considering joining the merged Kaiser-Willys organization (which was formed solely to take the two struggling firms out of the U.S. auto business in order to concentrate on Jeeps), and seeing no possibilities there, Packard's directors settled on Studebaker.
On October 1, 1954, Packard purchased Studebaker creating the Studebaker-Packard Corporation. Initially, Packard's executive team had hoped Studebaker's larger network of dealers would help increase sales. At first Nance believed that Studebaker's volume could sustain the companies, however Nance and other Packard officials discovered that Studebaker's finances were more dire than previously believed, primarily because no one took the time to actually study them in depth prior to the merger.
Packard's up-again and down-again sales continued, with a profitable year in 1955 thanks to the introduction of Packard's first V-8 engines that model year—although a complete retooling for the 1955 models resulted in products so poorly made that hundreds of cars had to be repaired by dealers before they could be sold to the public. This set the stage for a disastrous 1956, which saw production drop to its lowest levels since World War I.
1956 saw the launch of Clipper as a stand-alone marque as well as the launch of the Packard Executive, Packard's new mid-level car priced to compete against Chrysler and Buick. The Packard Executive was essentially a Clipper with the senior Packard front clip and interior. However, Packard dealers began to complain that consumers weren't buying Clippers because the cars weren't Packards. At first Nance refused to rebadge the Clipper as a Packard, but the dealers pushed back. In the end, Nance begrudgingly agreed to start badging the Clippers with the "Packard" script.
Packard had been selling engines and transmissions to American Motors for installation in 1955 and '56 Nashs and Hudsons, but a parts dispute with Romney ended this arrangement in April of 1956. The company severely in debt, its creditors ordered the old Packard plants to close on August 15, 1956, and Nance left the company which then entered into a contractual management agreement with aircraft maker Curtiss-Wright.
1957 – 1958: Packardbakers
In 1957 and 1958, a Studebaker President-based car bearing the Packard Clipper nameplate appeared on the market, but sales were slow. These badge engineered Studebakers were derisively referred to as Packardbakers by the press and consumers and failed to sell in sufficient numbers to keep the marque afloat.
While the 1957 Packard Clipper was less Packard than it was a very good Studebaker, the cars sold in limited numbers – which was attributed to Packard dealers dropping the franchises and consumers fearful of buying a car that could be an orphaned make soon. Of note: Former Packard designer Richard Teague, seeing the new "Packardbaker" for the first time, commented that seeing his beautiful Packard tailights "...on that tired old Studebaker body, was enough to make a maggot vomit!"
The 1958 models bowed with no series name, simply as "Packard". In addition to the knowledge that these cars were the last gasp by what had been thirty years before the biggest selling luxury car in the United States, their annual make-over on a budget usually set aside for a door-handle design at GM was awkward.
The end
Studebaker-Packard pulled the Packard nameplate from the marketplace in 1959 to focus instead on its compact Lark.
In the Early 1960s, Studebaker-Packard was approached by French car maker Facel-Vega about the possibility rebadging the company's Facel-Vega Excellence sedan as a "Packard" for sale in North America. Daimler-Benz, which was under a distribution agreement with Studebaker-Packard, threatened to pull out of the 1958 marketing agreement, which would have cost Studebaker-Packard more in revenue than they could have made from the badge-engineered Packard.
Packard engines
Packard had an engineering staff that always designed good, well-made engines. This was doubled into their twelve-cylinder engine that they called the "Twin Six." They also built a low-compression straight eight, but never a sixteen-cylinder engine. After WWII, they were one of the last US firms to produce a high-compression V-8 engine, the "352", named for its 352 in³ (5.8 L) displacement, but it had no problems. However, they built their own automatic transmission (unlike Ford) which, although it had some advantages over Buick's, had its own deficiencies. Their last major development was the "Torsion-Level" suspension, a four-wheel torsion-bar suspension that balanced the car's height like an air-bag suspension, which its American competitors of the time could not get to work and ceased offering.
Packard also made large aeronautical engines. See the articles on the Merlin engine and PT Boats for its contributions to the Allied victory in World War II
Attempted Packard Resurrection
A new company bearing the Packard name, but having no legacy affiliation with the established Packard Motor Car Company or the Studebaker Corporation, attempted a started up of the Packard nameplate ca. 2000 and produced at least one prototype Packard, featuring a V12 engine. The prototype was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 2003. Despite public interest in the car, plans for the automobile haven't emerged, and its continued existence (and/or planned production) is undocumented as of March 2007.
Packard automobile models
- Packard 110
- Packard 120
- Packard 180
- Packard 200
- Packard 250, see Packard 200
- Packard 300
- Packard 400, see Packard Four Hundred
- Packard Balboa
- Packard Caribbean
- Packard Cavalier
- Packard Clipper
- Packard Eight
- Packard Executive
- Packard Four Hundred
- Packard Hawk (1958)
- Packard Mayfair
- Packard Panther
- Packard Patrician
- Packard Patrician 400, see Packard Patrician
- Packard Predictor
- Packard Request
- Packard Six
- Packard Station Sedan
- Packard Twin Six/Twelve
- 1957 and 1958 Packards
Body styles/misc. by tradename
- Packard Clipper Constellation
- Packard Super Panama
- Ultramatic, Packard's self-developed automatic transmission (1949-1956)
Gallery
-
Packard Sixth Series 626 Eight 4-Door Sedan 1929 -
Packard Seventh Series 726 Standard Eight 4-Door Sedan 1930 -
Packard Roadster 1930 -
Packard Seventh Series 733 Standard Eight Convertible Coupé 1930 -
Packard Seventh Series 733 Standard Eight Coupé 1930 -
Packard Seventh Series 733 Standard Eight Limousine 1930 -
Packard Eighth Series 833 Standard Eight Convertible Coupé 1931 -
Packard Eighth Series 833 Standard Eight Coupé 1931 -
Packard 4-Door Sedan -
Packard Twelveth Series Limousine 1935 -
Packard Fifteenth Series Six 115-C 1089 Convertible Coupé 1937 -
Packard Fifteenth Series Six 115-C 1082 4-Door Touring Sedan 1937 -
Packard Sixteenth Series Six 1600 Coupé 1938 -
Packard Sixteenth Series Six 1600 Coupé 1938 -
Packard Sixteenth Series Six 1600 1185 Club Coupé 1938 -
Packard Sixteenth Series Six 1600 1182 4-Door Touring Sedan 1938 -
Packard Seventeenth Series Six 1700 1282 4-Door Touring Sedan 1939 -
Packard Seventeenth Series Six 1700 1282 4-Door Touring Sedan 1939 -
Packard Seventeenth Series Six 1700 1282 4-Door Touring Sedan 1939 -
Packard Seventeenth Series Six 1700 1282 4-Door Touring Sedan 1939 -
Packard Eighteenth Series Super Eight One-Sixty 1803 1374 Convertible Sedan 1940 -
Packard Nineteenth Series Convertible Coupé 1941 -
Packard Nineteenth Series 4-Door Touring Sedan 1941 -
Packard Nineteenth Series Super Eight One-Sixty 1903 Convertible Coupé 1941
See also
Clients
External links
- The Packard V8 Club
- The Packard Club
- National Packard Museum
- The History of American Motors
- The new Packard
- America's Packard Museum
- Packard Info -Free online library of Packard Information.
- [1] - Free online library
| Vehicles |  | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Related topics | ||
