Change was in the air at Packard for 1953, as the venerable Motor City automaker rolled out its realigned Packard and Clipper lines.
On November 21, 1952, the Packard Motor Company shuffled its product lineup and reintroduced the Clipper, a model name first used by the company in 1941 and discontinued in 1947. New president James J. Nance and his management team recognized that Packard desperately needed to bulk up its production volume in order to compete with the major car makers and their vast economies of scale. So the newly reminted Clipper line, based on the former 200 series, was designed to slot into the near-luxury price bracket traditionally held by Buick, with greater sales volumes than Packard’s traditional full-luxury segment.
There was a hazard in this product strategy, necessary as it was: The junior luxury class was even tougher and more competitive than the max-luxury category, with slimmer operating margins. So while Packard sales volume rose from approximately 63,000 units in 1952 to 90,000 in 1953, the company’s losses continued to mount. The next big step for Packard on October 1, 1954 was a buyout-merger with Studebaker, a deal that did little to improve the prospects of either car maker. The last car to wear a Packard badge rolled off the production line on July 13, 1958.
But enough of the bad news. For 1953 at least, Packard offered a respectable lineup of Packard and Packard Clipper models, with stately straight-eight power and a full slate of advanced luxury options including air conditioning. This original 1953 theatrical commercial shows off the full lineup.
Not much new about the ’53 Packard, with mechanicals and styling dating back to pre-war years. When other car makers already had V8’s, this was an outdated car and cost as much as an Olds V8, truly modern cars. And 6 unrestrained children in the back seat, oh, how did we ever survive?
The styling was from 1951, the transmission from 1950, and the in-line eight was developed from the smaller pre-war engine in 1948. I think the difficulties with the transmission resulted from over use of the low gear to get moving as well as from the different torque characteristics of the V8 when it was mated to that in ’55. Properly used, it was not much different from Buick’s Dynaflow in performance and reliability. My grandfather had one and was always happy with it, driving it from 1951 until he died in ’64. In the early fifties, there were still plenty of people around who did not see any need to chirp the tires taking off when the light changed.
The ’53 styling was certainly contemporary, and no more pre-war than Cadillac or Lincoln. Yes, the straight eights were not competitive, but the Ultramatic was still new and in many respects better than Hydramatic.
You are correct that the obsolete & under-powered motor were “not competitive”. You say “the Ultramatic was in many respects better than Hydramatic”…? Not clear where you got that idea from. Back here on Planet Earth the Ultramatic was a fragile, unreliable mess that turned a poorly performing car into an out and out slug. Guess you didn’t know’ the auto buying public got tired of the ever – increasing unreliability and poorer performance of Packard products – they couldn’t give the cars away towards the end – that is why the factory closed down. You may WISH that is not the case, but back here on Planet Earth that is what happened. If you don’t believe that, may I have directions to the nearest Packard dealer ?
Interesting comment on the ultramatic……a good friend who grew up in and later ran the family automatic transmission business (for 40 years) has told me several times the Packard Ultramatic was the best automatic transmission from the ‘50’s. Yes, the cars were slugs compared to the Cadillac and Lincoln. He also has high praise for the Hydra-Matic too.
HydraMatic is more reliable and versatile transmission because it’s a 4 speed, has split torque, has a fluid coupling which is more efficient than a torque converter at higher rpms of any given gear and very durable. Hydramatic was known as BATTLE TESTED because of it’s use in the M5 and M24 tanks during the war.
1st used in Oldsmobile in 1940,
1941 Cadillac,
1942 in the M5 Stewart Tank,
1942 in the M24 Chaffee Tank
1948 Pontiac
1949 Lincoln
1950 Nash
1951 Nash Rambler
1951 Frazier
1951 Kaiser
1951 Nash Rambler
1951 Hudson
1952 ROLLS ROYCE
1954 Willys
Also use in countless stock and Gasser and early Funny cars drag racing classes.
Also used in Aviation support equipment tow tugs
Used in GMC and Chevrolet trucks of the 50’s and early 60’s.
I agree the Ultramatic was a bullet proof transmission and better then GM’s, however in 55 with the introduction of the “Twin-Ultamatic” there were teething issues that were corrected by 56 but by then it was too late. The V-8 had more torque then the Twin Ultramatic could handle at introduction.
The last day of production for the South Bend 1958 Packard production was July 25, 1958, same as all of the 1958 Studebaker car line. The July 13, 1958 date was the one on which plans for 1959 production were announced to be a new line of compact cars but no Packards. The last car, a Mountain Blue 1958 Packard sedan equipped with manual shift with overdrive, rear-mounted antenna and Climatizer heating-defroster. Rumor has it still is extant but in poor condition in a private collection.