#studebaker packard

[britsyankswheels24]

🇺🇲 On June 25, 1956, the last Packard rolled off the production line in Detroit.

🚘 Once a leading luxury car manufacturer, the Packard Motor Car Company was renowned for its square bodies and hand-finished expertise. However, after World War I, General Motors' entry into the luxury market with Cadillac began to erode Packard's market share.

🏭 In a bid to survive, Packard merged with the Studebaker Corporation in the 1950s. Despite these efforts, the struggle continued. James Nance, president of Studebaker-Packard at the time, decided to cease Packard manufacturing in Detroit.

💔 Studebaker-Packard continued to produce cars in Indiana until 1958, but the last “true Packard” is considered to be the one made in Detroit.

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Recent dump

Including an angel design I stole from Andy Warhol

[tvsnationalgeosapphic]

I am in a sexual relationship with all cars manufactured prior to 1980.

[savageonwheels]

Car Spot: 1958 Studebaker Golden Hawk

The story of a classic automotive underdog. The Studebaker Golden Hawk is this week's car spot.

Cool came too late for this car company … Being an AMC geek I’m a big fan of underdog car companies and Indiana-based Studebaker is one for sure. Studebaker and Packard merged in 1954 in an effort to survive, but the lack of resources and revenue only fueled the company’s continued decline. Just when it looked like Studebaker would never recapture its “golden touch” enter the Golden…

[kenblues3]

Classic American Automobile

[automotiveamerican]

A Brief History of Packard

The Packard Motor Car Company was an American automobile manufacturer that operated from 1899 to 1958. James Ward Packard and William Doud Packard The company was founded in 1899 by James Ward Packard, his brother William, and a partner named George Weiss. The Packard brothers had previously built their own car and were looking to start a business manufacturing automobiles. 1916 Packard Twin…

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Astral Concept ('57 Studebaker-Packard)

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1955 Chrysler Falcon Concept

In 1951, Chrysler made a strategic decision to hire Virgil Exner, which ultimately saved the company from financial ruin in the mid-1950s. Exner's innovative designs, known as the 'Forward Look,' not only revolutionized Chrysler's product line but also influenced the entire American automotive industry's shift towards modernity. While General Motors (GM) was successful during this period, Harley Earl, GM's design chief, acknowledged the need to catch up with Chrysler's designs. Ford, on the other hand, made costly mistakes, such as introducing the Edsel and discontinuing the two-seater Thunderbird, which resulted in the company playing catch-up. The other automakers, including Hudson, Nash, Studebaker, and Packard, failed to impress consumers with their designs, leading to their eventual downfall. The only exception was the Avanti, which was a well-designed car but ultimately failed in the market. In conclusion, Chrysler's strategic hiring of Virgil Exner and his innovative designs played a significant role in the company's success during the mid-1950s, while other automakers struggled to keep up with the changing times.

[goshyesvintageads]

Studebaker-Packard Corp. 1956

[diecastmania]

1958 Packard 58L Hardtop Coupe

Issued by Esval Models in February 2024. It is 1:43 scale and crafted in resin. A Limited Edition, 1 of 250. The model is finished in Loch Blue & Waterfall Blue (closest Studebaker-Packard colors) EMUS-43009B

[1boblog]

I remember going out for dinner as a small boy with my grandmother and her boyfriend.  It was a special occasion for me because my family seldom ate out but also because he had a brand new glossy black 1956 Packard Patrician and I loved cars, still do.  I remember him saying it was the best Packard he had ever owned and bemoaning the fact that the company would soon be out of business.  The merger with Studebaker followed shortly thereafter.

[britsyankswheels24]

🇺🇲 Let's explore the captivating story of The Packard Four Hundred—a symbol of luxury and prestige in mid-20th century automotive history! Introduced during an era of opulence and innovation, The Packard Four Hundred captivated drivers with its exquisite design and unrivaled craftsmanship.

🚘 The Packard Four Hundred made its debut in 1955 as the flagship model of the Packard lineup, representing the pinnacle of automotive luxury and elegance. Boasting sleek lines, chrome accents, and a commanding presence on the road, it quickly became a symbol of status and sophistication.

🛞 Beneath its elegant exterior, The Packard Four Hundred showcased advanced engineering and cutting-edge technology. Equipped with a powerful V8 engine, it delivered smooth and effortless performance, while its plush interior offered unmatched comfort and refinement for passengers.

💔 Despite its initial success and acclaim, production of The Packard Four Hundred came to an end in 1958. One of the key factors contributing to its discontinuation was the changing landscape of the automotive industry, marked by increasing competition and shifting consumer preferences.

🌟 Nonetheless, The Packard Four Hundred remains a symbol of automotive excellence and craftsmanship, leaving an indelible mark on the history of American automobiles.

[akron-squirrel]

Recent dump (Weird... it feels like there's a lot more than this)

[e350tb]

Red Alert - Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen: The Defector

Indianapolis, Indiana - Soviet Eastern Military District Day Thirty

The Red Army had marched into Indianapolis mostly unopposed.

They came in mechanised columns, led along by American jeeps hastily painted and decorated in Soviet colours. US staff officers guided them to all the centres of state government and had stood idly by as the Governor and state legislature were dragged out to the KGB trucks. Soviet flags and loudspeakers now adorned every building and lamppost, demanding obedience to General Vladimir and the Soviet ‘provisional government.’

It was lucky, then, that Vladimir’s occupation police left much to be desired.

These were second-line men, armed with older battle rifles (some dating to the last war). Most were either boys or middle-aged men, sent to the military police units to free up fitter men for frontline combat. Spending the entire campaign in relative safety behind the line had softened them, made them lazy, and it was therefore easy for Gunter to slip in unnoticed.

Not that he made it easy for them. He’d been set up by Jackson’s CIA spooks with a cheap suit and a reasonably convincing fake moustache. Today he was Saul White, a rural lawyer and an immigrant from Eastern Europe - his ‘real name’ was Caslav Kovac. He was, of course, an enthusiastic communist, and was driving into Indianapolis to convince a Soviet officer to help set up a revolutionary curriculum for elementary schools in the town of Springfield.

In actuality, he was to make contact with Major Vyacheslav Andrijovych Kyrylenko, a Ukrainian staff officer who had managed to contact one of Jackson’s spooks. He had information, and he wanted to defect.

“Where were we meeting this commie piece o’ shit?” Corporal McLean, newly promoted and dressed in a chequered shirt and jeans, was at the wheel of the old yellow Studebaker Champion. “And why’re we stuck in this thing? Ain’t you meant to be some kinda commie bigwig?”

“I’m a good communist,” said Gunter, smirking. “I don’t buy luxury cars. We’re looking for a bar called the Honest Abe.”

“Heh,” PFC Ferris, wearing a leather jacket and shades, “I read Stalin had a Packard.”

“Ah, but Stalin was not a good communist,” said Gunter.

“And what makes a bad communist?” asked Ferris.

“Ask me, they’re all bad communists,” grunted McLean.

“A bad communist, comrades,” said Gunter, “is very easy to find. He is a communist who disagrees with your personal definition of communism.”

“Seems pretty easy to be a bad commie, then,” Ferris chuckled.

“Ah, but the worst kind of communist, the kind the good Soviet party member truly hates, you can spot from a hundred miles away,” continued Gunter.

“Oh yeah? How d’ya spot him?”

“He’s the one who’s actually read the Communist Manifesto.”

McLean blinked.

“That don’t make sense.”

“Cool it, McLean, this is our stop,” said Ferris, pointing to the side of the road.

The Honest Abe was a rundown establishment in a back street, a smoky old dive that one might have seen in an old detective film. Beyond the filthy windows, the men could see off-duty Soviet soldiers drinking their leave away, with a few nervous civilians sprinkled in for good measure. McLean and Ferris shared glances.

“They really gonna believe a Soviet officer is going to have a political meeting here?” asked Ferris incredulously.

“These are occupation troops, Ferris,” replied Gunter. “The officers here aren’t exactly the cream of the crop. Besides, we’ll be long gone before they realise that we’ve gone to a… what’s the word?”

“A dive,” said Ferris. “Hell, makes the dives back in Brooklyn look like the Ritz.”

“Hell, I didn’t know they had dive bars in Indiana,” said McLean. “Didn’t know they had anything in Indiana.”

“Alright, settle down,” said Gunter. “Let me take the lead here, ja?”

“You’re the boss, Cap,” replied Ferris.

Gunter nodded, leading the men into the Honest Abe. The smell of cigarette smoke and cheap beer was overpowering, mixed with mysterious stenches that were somehow even less appealing. The soldiers were singing old folk songs - a few particularly drunken men in the corner were trying a decidedly unique take on Jailhouse Rock. Others talked - some loudly and some in hushed tones. A few men in dirty tanker uniforms quietly shared a table - one of them locked eyes with Gunter, and in his ice blue orbs he could see the echoes of battle.

The gentleman sitting at the bar, flanked on both sides by laughing, singing soldiers, some of whom were hitting on the barmaids, stood out like a sore thumb. He was slightly taller than average, his hair a greying red, and he wore a clean, pressed uniform that marked him out as a staff officer. He didn’t look up as Gunter sat down next to him, McLean and Ferris strategically taking a seat close by.

“Comrade Kyrylenko?”

“Comrade White.”

Kyrylenko got out of his stool and motioned for Gunter to follow.

The Ukrainian led Gunter into the men’s room, which had been blocked off by an ‘out of order’ sign written in English and Cyrillic. As he slipped in, Kyrylenko glanced back at the barman - for a moment, the old Hispanic man looked up and nodded, before returning to the glass he was cleaning.

Gunter shut the door behind him. The bathroom was, perhaps unsurprisingly, even dirtier than the bar outside. Discarded toilet paper lay on the floor, and the window was ajar, leaving the last stall alarmingly exposed to the alley beyond.

“Perhaps you could have chosen a place that smelt less of… piss?” he said flatly.

“Would you have preferred a boardroom?” Kyrylenko replied wryly. “I hear you capitalists like that.”

“I would have preferred somewhere where I didn’t have a chance of contracting VD, I suppose,” muttered Gunter. “Or at very least, I would have liked a drink first.”

“Very funny,” grunted Kyrylenko. “Listen, I want to make one thing very clear; I’m not doing this because I’ve ‘seen the light of the Western system.’ I don’t have time for the Americans or the British, and quite frankly I hate Germans.”

“Charming.”

“Yet Soviet strategy is changing, and… and I fear where it is leading.”

He reached into his jacket and produced an envelope.

“These are all the notes I could smuggle out,” he said. “I took them from General Cherdenko’s Headquarters - the airship Lazar Kaganovich. That is where they are keeping your President and your General Carville while they are interrogated. That envelope contains the deck plans and as much as I could write down about the ship’s security arrangements.”

He swallowed.

“It also contains two pages on the Chicago Project.”

“The Chicago Project?” Gunter tilted his head.

“It’s-”

“Sir, we got a problem.”

McLean and Ferris barged into the room.

“Couple of guys in green caps just walked in,” said McLean. “They got SMGs and they look mighty pissed.”

“Chekists,” snarled Kyrylenko.

He drew his pistol from his holster.

“Everything I know is in that folder,” he said. “Make sure it reaches your commanding officer. If the Chicago Project succeeds…” He shook his head. “Get out, through the window.”

“What about you?” asked Gunter.

“I’ll buy you time,” Kyrylenko replied, training his gun on the door. There was a gunshot outside and the sound of screaming.

“Good man,” said Gunter. “McLean, Ferris, with me! Los!”

“You’re gonna have to shoot your own countrymen, you know,” Ferris warned as he followed Gunter to the window.

Kyrylenko smiled wryly.

“They’re not my countrymen, Yankee,” he said. “They’re Russians.”

McLean climbed out the window first, Ferris swiftly following. Gunter half dove through the opening, and seconds later he could hear the door being kicked in.

“Major Kyrylenko, you are under arrest-”

“Slava Ukraini!”

Kyrylenko fired three times, and then there was the rattle of at least three submachine guns. Gunter winced; without another word, he raced off down the alley, leaving the Honest Abe far behind.

----

An hour later, a staff car pulled up outside the Honest Abe.

Lieutenant-General Khabarov climbed out before the driver could open the door. He frowned at the sight - the KGB had gathered the staff of the bar on the pavement outside. They had been forced to kneel, and one of the Chekists was inserting a magazine into his service pistol. General Cherdenko was standing to the side, hands tucked behind his back - he nodded to the Chekist, who walked up behind one of the barmaids and lifted his pistol to the back of her head.

Bang.

“Winning hearts and minds, General Cherdenko?” said Khabarov, watching the body drop with distaste.

“Dealing with partisans, General Khabarov,” replied Cherdenko. “These decadent imperialists only understand force.”

“Are these the same ‘decedent imperialists’ we’re meant to be converting to Marxism?”

He watched as another body dropped limply to the ground.

“Everywhere we don’t have a PsiCorps beacon, we are dealing with an intense insurgency,” he said. “We have had officers assassinated, convoys ambushed, the entire supply system disrupted. We can’t advance west because we keep having to put out brushfires in the rear. This does not help. It only makes them angrier.”

“Comrade Khabarov.” Cherdenko grinned. “Once the Chicago Project is online, it will not matter. We must simply hold on for two more weeks - then the war is won.”

“I could have sworn we said something like that in Pittsburgh,” muttered Khabarov.

He shook his head.

“I remember Kyrylenko,” he said. “One of your staff officers aboard the Lazar Kaganovich. Did he share anything with the Americans?”

“Even if he has,” said Cherdenko, “my security detail is impeccable. They’ll never get through to their President.”

“I would recommend taking your ship to the rear nonetheless,” replied Khabarov. “The last thing we need is for Dugan to be broken out.”

Cherdenko scoffed.

“You’re getting terribly soft, Leonov Viktor,” he said flippantly. “You need to drink more - and perhaps indulge in the more carnal pleasures. You’re too wound up!”

He laughed, walking towards the door of the bar.

“Colonel Chenkov! Have your men liberated any of that American ale?”

The Chekist had reached the end of the line of captives. He raised his gun to the back of the trembling barmaid’s head and pulled the trigger - there was a click, and the slide sailed backwards harmlessly. He fumbled for another clip, but Khabarov raised his hand.

“That will be all, Sergeant,” he said. “The point has been made.”

The Chekist nodded and walked away, leaving the terrified woman alone. Khabarov sighed and turned back to his staff car.

“Two weeks until peace,” he muttered. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

[robby3472drivetime]

Packard Studebaker President Starlight

1958

[twoguysandaride]

1962 Studebaker LARK

The Studebaker Lark is a compact car that was produced by Studebaker from 1959 to 1966.

From its introduction in early 1959 until 1962, the Lark was a product of the Studebaker-Packard Corporation. In mid-1962, the company dropped "Packard" from its name and reverted to its pre-1954 name, the Studebaker Corporation. In addition to being built in Studebaker's South Bend, Indiana, home plant, the Lark and its descendants were also built in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, from 1959 to 1966 by Studebaker of Canada Limited. The cars were also exported to a number of countries around the world as completed units and completely knocked down (CKD) kits which were then assembled at a local factory.

Lark-based variants represented the bulk of the range produced by Studebaker after 1958 and sold in far greater volume than the contemporary Hawk and Avanti models. Beginning with the 1963 Cruiser, the Lark name was gradually phased out of the company catalog and by early 1964, Lark-based models were being marketed under Commander, Daytona and Cruiser nameplates only. The Studebaker company, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1952, ceased automobile production in 1966.

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