The 1951 Packard was all new, but it continued to bank on the Detroit automaker’s proud heritage. “It’s more than a car,” the company declared. “It’s a Packard.”

1951 Packard Patrician 400

Introduced on August 24, 1950, the 1951 Packards signaled a major change in direction for the grand old Detroit automaker. The previous model designations—Eight, Super Eight, and Custom Eight—were thrown off to the side, replaced with more simple and contemporary names: 200, 300, and 400. Body styles were eliminated, product lines consolidated.

And while the familiar motto, “ask the man who owns one,” remained in force, another slogan rose to the top in Packard advertising: “It’s more than a car, it’s a Packard.” Here was an obvious callback to a time when, for many, Packard stood above the rest in quality and prestige, and the writers were hoping that car buyers would find the connection.

1951 Packard Patrician 400

Chief stylist John Reinhart’s exterior design was all new, too, bringing the company into line with the Motor City’s latest style conventions. The inverted-bathtub Packards introduced for 1948 were accepted at first, but by 1950 the styling had grown dated and sales were falling. “Pregnant elephant,” critics called the look. One nod to Packard tradition on the new design was the terraced grille surround, which was said to be the largest diecast trim component in the industry at the time.

At the same time, the giant but aging 356 cubic-inch L-head straight eight was also retired, and now the lighter and more modern 327 CID inline eight with similar output (150/155 hp)  was the largest engine available. Packard’s Ultramatic torque-converter automatic transmission, introduced in 1949, was available on all models, standard on the flagship Patrician 400.

1951 Packard 200 Touring Sedan

Holding down the bottom of the Packard lineup, the 200 was priced in the $2,300 to $2,600 range, squarely in Buick Super territory, and modestly trimmed out by Packard standards. Its shorter 122-in wheelbase and smaller 277 CID straight eight distinguished the 200 from the midrange 300 and the top-of-the-line Patrician 400, which shared a 127-in wheelbase chassis. Both were powered by the 327 CID eight, though the Patrician engine boasted 9 main bearings on the crankshaft while the 300 got along with five. The 300/400 body shell also featured a larger three-piece backlite.

1951 Packard 300 Touring Sedan

Both the 300 and Patrician 400 were offered in just a single body style, a four-door sedan. The strategy was clearly out of step with American buyer trends, and in March of 1951 Packard expanded the lineup with the addition of the 250 series. Essentially a short-wheelbase 200 with the larger 300 series engine, the 250 was offered in two sporty body styles, a convertible (originally launched as a 200) and the Mayfair, Packard’s first pillarless hardtop. The 250 also borrowed the three distinctive chrome trim gadgets from the rear quarter panels of the deluxe Patrician.

1951 Packard 250 Convertible

The comprehensive product makeover was surely a sound move for Packard, as sales more than doubled to nearly 101,000 cars over the fading 1950 bathtub models. However, more than 70 percent of the volume was generated by the lower-priced, low profit-margin 200 series. The Patrician 400 added around 15,000 sales, while the 250 Mayfair and convertible racked up only 4,640 deliveries. Sadly, ’51 was also the last year the automaker’s volume would ever reach the 100,000-unit mark. The Packard Motor Car Company’s slide into oblivion was under way.