One of the last of the real Detroit-built Packards, the Executive was launched in March of 1956—just as the company’s production lines were grinding to a final halt. Get the facts and figures and watch an original Packard Executive promotional clip here.

Introduced as a mid-year model on March 5, 1956, the Packard Executive was intended to fill a perceived market gap between Packard’s junior Clipper models and the big senior Packard line. And as such, the Executive was a mashup of both: It was essentially a Custom Clipper with the big Packard’s front fenders, hood, and grillework bolted on. Four-door sedan and two-door pillarless hardtop body styles were offered, both priced at right around $3,500, with unique bright-metal side trim to support two-tone color schemes (above). A 352 cubic-inch V8, Twin Ultramatic automatic transmission, and Packard’s advanced Torsion-Level suspension (see how it works in this exclusive feature) were standard.

If all this brings to mind for you the old saying about rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, that’s totally fair. The Executive was introduced on March 5 with typical fanfare, but then Packard’s Detroit production lines were closed down forever on June 25. A mere 2,779 Executives were produced—1,748 sedans and 1,031 two-doors.

There would be Packards in the showrooms in 1957 and 1958, but in truth they were thinly disguised Studebakers wearing Packard badges, and they were assembled in South Bend, Indiana. Yes, the end was near for Packard when the Executive was rolled out, but that didn’t discourage the company from producing this first-class commercial spot. Video below.