1956 Packard Executive TV Commercial

Nearly broke in spring 1956, Studebaker-Packard Corp. brought out a last-gasp value leader in its luxury Packard brand, the Executive. Created by grafting the front end onto its junior Clipper body, the Executive was only produced for a few months before the Packard Detroit assembly operations were shut down. This TV ad is the last gasp of a great name. The next Packard models introduced were the "Packabakers" built on Studebaker bodies in South Bend, Ind.

And for the best drives in your classic Packard, go to http://www.weekenddriver.com/ ... the Weekend Driver website!

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[pgh45rpms]

There is a Packard Music Hall in Warren, Ohio -- connected somehow to the car manufacturing firm.

[weekenddriver]

That's where Packard started and where the Packard Museum is located.

[chargalant]

May have been a "mid-level" Packard but had the grille and styling cues of the senior Packard 400 and the exclusive Caribbean. What a beautiful exit they made before being swallowed up and spit out by Studebaker one year later!

[DeLorean4]

The silver lining is that this car lived on in the Soviet Union as the ZIL.

[bongomanfromdalou]

The saddest irony of all is that Packard had split Packard and Clipper into separate lines (Packard-Clipper Division of Studebaker-Packard Corporation) because then-president Jim Nance claimed the Clipper was "bleeding the Packard name white." So what did they do? Bring out ANOTHER Clipper with a Packard 352 engine and a Packard front clip! Oh well ... Packard should never had bought Studebaker, but the world will never know!

[102Help]

i have been to the abandond plant

[Coppertop4x4]

My parents had this car from 1956-1961. In order to get the car up our steep driveway you had to get out of the car and lean on the back of the car and it would make it rise up so to rear bumper wouldnt drag on the curb. It was a monster of a car.

[Jaydublus]

I want to see and drive the new Packard Executive...today!

[Shoknifeman]

@zmirecki Actually, Packard HAD been outsourcing their bodies to Brigg carosseries, for several years, however, Brigg was bought out by Chrysler in 1956, forcing Packard to set up a last-minute, make-due body line at the Detroit plant; and causing several delays and quality control problems. (The last thing Packard needed at the time)

[GenericGene]

Remember the Packard 1956 well - the self leveling system came out in 1955, unique I must say -

[gojoe283]

B-H

Executive - introduced March 1956. Senior front clip, rest of the car was a Clipper. They sold every Executive they produced...too bad they went out of business...a truly great automobile.

[megaswenson]

Great car, bad implicit message in the ad. Cadillac said the same sort of things about Calais, which became sort of a joke to drive, despite its being, really, a magnificent car.