Had Packard just merged with Nash and Hudson the three might have potentially grown into a three tiered lineup with Nash as the entry line, Hudson as the performance/upscale lineup and Packard returning to its former stand as a builder of luxury cars within a decade of the formation of the merger.
@@seththomas9105 True in large part. Studebaker's problems were fiscal - they were well underwater financially. Studebaker is the only one with an OHV 8 cylinder engine which could have helped in other lines. Nash had the only line that was selling better over the years leading up to the 1953/54 merger/buyout rush. Hudson was moribund. Packard had lost its sales lead among the premium cars but, with careful stewardship, it might have proved able to enjoy prosperity in the high priced segment again. Sad to say, we will never know. We do know that American Motors (nee Nash-Kelvinator) survived independently for 33 years. I like to think that the addition of Packard would have made it far longer.
It all went kaput when George Mason died. Mason brokered the Nash-Hudson merger and was wooing Packard execs when he died. James Nance (head of Studebaker-Packard) and George Romney (yes, Mitt's papa) hated each other. Both wanted to be in charge of the new AMC and there wasn't enough room for two roosters in the henhouse.
@@brianp6965 I agree. Unfortunately Studebaker was the company most deeply in debt and most unsustainable. Had the other three merged AMC would have eventually made better profits and been able to build their own components grow into a larger and stronger company than it ever did and Packard, Hudson and Nash might possibly still be around.
This is Ed's most clever work yet. Very original, witty, and funny. And my family owned 2 Packards, a '49 and a '56. Why? Because my dad loved the brand and always wanted one before WWII. But by the time he could afford one, as Ed showed us, they clearly weren't the same.
@@wintersbattleofbands1144 Duesenberg essentially stopped after 1928. They existed for another decade, but everything they had was built ending in 28. The Chrysler Imperial was the most expensive car on the planet at the time. I'd rather a Packard, but they were sweet.
I think when Pakard made the 6 in the 30s the snobs rebelled and it was down hill from there. Repeat similar cheaper models in the 40s 50s. Big V12s and straight Eights. Enzo Ferrari was influenced by the Indianapolis Packard V12 racers 1912 Ralph DePalmer. Dusenberg was 1928 into 1929 The other comment.
My great grandfather was a loyal and long-time Pierce-Arrow owner. After the company folded he hung on to his beloved car until lightning struck the carriage house and it burned to the ground in 1944. With no new cars available, he purchased a 1941 Packard 180 which he drove until his passing in 1957.
In 1971 a friend had a '55 Clipper Custom. It was one of the coolest cars I've ever been in, but its significance was completely lost on two know-it-all 18-year-olds.
@@budlewis721 the museum near me had a loaded '55 Caribbean a handful of years ago. Aside of being so nice to look at, appreciating the engineering and design ideas were great
@@redram5150 I wish we (he) had possessed that same appreciation. He (we) beat the shit out of that poor, irreplaceable classic. 18-year-old boys are idiots.
Taking on Studebaker characteristics was the last thing Packard needed. Studebaker never had the class to loan Packard any styling tricks or advice , it was more like putting white boots on a whore,she still smells like cheap beer.
My parents owned a 56 Packard Clipper. They loved that car, they always talked about how great it was to drive with self-adjusting torsion bar suspension and how fast it was. My mom often told stories about outrunning such popular cars as Rocket 88s.
Very entertaining. And largely correct. What happened basically was that times changed, and Packard didn't (well, not enough, anyway.) The point about the 1951 Packard 200 was just a replay of the Packard 120 affair of 1935. Basically, Packard needed the economies of scale that the huge output of their mass market cars gave to GM, Ford and Chrysler. It is fun now to speculate what "might have been" if Packard and Studebaker (and what the hell, let's throw in Kaiser/Jeep) had managed to join the AMC combine.
Honestly it seems like packard needed a low cost companion brand to cover costs. Honestly if they had gone with Nash and Hudson and been part of AMC it may have helped AMC survive past the 80s. AMC was an economy brand and no matter how hard they tried their cars where always seen that way. Having a marque Like Packard could have changed that. I mean who was gonna pick an AMC Ambassador over a Buick or and Olds let's alone a Cadillac, hell even A Plymouth Belvedere could be spec's nicer.
@@nicholascortez728 I agree with much of what you said except for the AMC Ambassador bit. AMC priced the Ambassador as much as a mid-tier Oldsmobile or Dodge and targeted that same market. It was a solid car whose real calling card was being the first American car to have A/C as standard equipment.
Kaiser was never considered for AMC. It was already a dead brand by 1954. Hudson was also dead weight. It could have been successful with Studebaker Nash and Packard. Sort of predicting today's GM, Chevrolet Buick Cadillac.
Just tuning in to say I highly appreciate these discussions! This is one of the reasons I make these video's, to let people discuss automotive history in the comment section.
@@neildickson5394 You will notice that I said "Kaiser-Jeep." What if the bigger AMC (with Jeep) had mainstreamed all wheel drive way ahead of the big three?
Packard's inline-8 was no slouch. They knew they were late to the party and so every year took steps to keep their old 8 competitive with the best V8's the competition offered. In 1954, *the last year Packard sold an inline-8,* the most powerful Cadillac V8 was 230hp & 332ft-lb@2800rpm with an 8.25:1 compression ratio. Packard's inline-8 was 212hp & 330ft-lb@2200rpm with an 8.70:1 compression ratio. In 1954 ALONE Packard bored & stroked it, made the head out of aluminum instead of cast iron, and canted the valves toward the cylinders allowing for better breathing and valve cooling (a trick gleaned from their wartime aircraft engine manufacturing). Basically Packard engineers threw everything they could at the old L-head (flathead) straight-eight before introducing their new overhead-valve V-8 the following year. In so doing it became the ultimate straight-eight manifestation.
Well done! I’ve always had a soft spot for Packards since my mother and father both drove Packards back in the 40s and 50s. I remember those straight 8s as being smooth and quiet running but lacked the power of the V-8s offered by the then “big 3”. After the joint venture with Studebaker, Packard’s identity and reputation was destroyed. A sad ending to a once great marque.
There was an executive from General Electric who was hired by Packard around 1951 who might have been responsible for some of the Packard bad decisions (I think that exec came from the marketing/advertising side,not the engineering/science side of GE).
Your channel has really grown on me since you started this and I think this Packard film noir version is the best yet.. I don’t know if it’s because I love noir or if it’s because I love you. Either way, keep up the work. You have a real talent, kid.
How do you only have 12k subs! Your content is top notch. I could listen to you talk about cars forever, Can't wait for your chanel to blow up with subscribers!
Very good! Well done! Hang in there, I've been sharing to the car guys I know. I have a Restoration shop with a big TV, and there are many like us. Thanks for video!
It was several years before my time, but I had two uncles (brothers) who used to argue constantly about which was better -- Hudson or Packard. Naturally, one of them owned a Hudson and the other owned a Packard. By the time I came along, both of them drove Cadillacs.
I have watched and enjoyed many of your videos (especially the early 60's Chrysler one). This has been my favorite. I'm partial to Packards ... my grandmother owned one in the 30's (before I was born, but I saw the pictures). Thanks so much for this. Hope you'll keep up the excellent work.
I really like your channel, funny creative and knowledgeable. You're a true car guy. Your style balances out my obsession with junkyard digs and vice grip garage!
Your presenting quality, humor and facts are better than pages with 100's of thousands of subs. I honestly can't believe your channel isn't bigger. Keep it up!!! I freaking love your videos!nn
At the end of my street there is a beautiful building which was designed by the great architect Albert Kahn. It was built in 1926 as a Packard showroom, and for the last 60 years it was a parking garage. It is currently being prepared for demolition.
Bravo, well done. I well recall tooling about with my Dad back in the 50s in his 20-year old '36 Packard. Sooth as silk, quiet, powerful, plush, and a Philco radio! Artfully down, thank you.
Around 1968, I bought a 53 Caribbean 2 door hardtop for $40. Every option except air conditioning. Straight 8, 6 volt, all power accessories were hydraulic. I gave it to a friend when I got drafted.
Packard is probably my favourite auto maker out of them all. Actually Packard's straight 8 was a really good engine, extremely robust, nearly bulletproof, and it could compete with all the ohv v8s at the beginning of the 50s. And obviously, the sound of a Packard eight is just something else, in my opinion, it sounds even better than a v8
Very entertaining and well done. Loving your content...educational, well-researched and with a healthy dose of humor thrown in to keep things from getting dull. Bravo!
Interesting and imaginative way of telling the story. You should have mentioned the Packard Predictor concept car as an example of what might've been. Keep the vids coming!
@Ed's Auto Reviews please make a video about the 1955-1956 Packards- they are the best cars of the 50s in my opinion. In terms of design, technology, etc. They are like the 1961 Lincoln, but the 1955 Packard was not appreciated. Actually, the "Twin Ultramatic" automatic transmission from the 1955-1956 model years was a 3-speed transmission. It had 2 speeds and a lock-up torque converter, which allowed the 3 gear (ratio 1:1) to be a "bypass" of the torque converter, and it didn't have any gears. This means that at highway speeds at there was no power loss from the torque converter and no wear of the transmission gears. That was revolutionary for the time and is still modern, even by today standards. Lock-up torque converter automatic transmissions were created and used for the first time since Packard in the 80s and 90s. Also, that transmission was better than the GM Hydra-matic because it could handle a lot more power and torque than the Hydra-matic. Actually, at one point in 1955, GM almost signed a contract with Packard to put Ultramatics in the Cadillacs because there were problems with the production of the Hydra-matic. The Twin Ultramatic had an aluminum casing in 1956 - the first transmission to do so in the USA. Only one problem: the Twin Ultramatic was considered problematic because it had some defects in the control unit of the transmission, which were caused by the lack of time for testing before putting them into production. The Packard engine for 1955 - the new v8 was the most powerful American v8 engine of the mid-50s in terms of torque and was second by horsepower (after the Chrysler hemi). Later in the 60s, Cadillac copied their design. The Packard v8 was designed to be enlarged to 500 cu.in. from the beginning of its development, which started in the beginning of the 50s and cost nearly 20 million 1950s dollars. The development of their own automatic transmission cost nearly 8 million 1950s dollars. And let's not forget the revolutionary, even for today, "Torsion level" suspension designed before Chrysler's "torsion aire ride" and released in 1955, which eliminated coil and leaf springs and had an automatic load leveling like the Citroen DS, but far more simple and far more trouble-free. Then there was the big testing and world record-breaking durability test of 1955: 25000 miles for 10 days straight with no stops and average speed of 104 miles per hour. The Packard stopped only for 40-second pitstops for adding fuel, oil, changing drivers and tires. The engine never stopped working for these 10 days. The test was a hit. Packard broke the world record for speed at that type of durability testing. Let's not forget also the 1956 push-button operated transmission - packard created the 1st electric operated transmission in the world. In 1956, Chrysler's push-button Powerflite transmission also debuted, but the buttons were not electric, they were connected mechanically through levers with the transmission. Packard's 1956 push-button gear selector was electric and was 2 years before Edsel's electric push-button transmission. Unlike the problematic electric gear selector of the 1958 Edsel, the 1956 Packard "electronic push-button Twin Ultramatic" was trouble-free. In conclusion the 1955-1956 Packards were the best cars of the mid-50s. But when you've spent nearly 40-50 million dollars for developing a car from the ground up and then you buy the fucking liar Studebaker and on top of that Cadillac uses Henry Ford strategy to bankrupt you....... well I'd also buy 2 Cadillacs at the price of 1 Packard...
Hi, I found your video very interesting. I really enjoyed the noir movie atmosphere the you gave to the story. Really original and sharp. Congratulations.
Well done and very entertaining! Thank you. It is often said that the plan was to put Studebaker into an alliance of Packard, Nash, and Hudson. I am skeptical as George Mason at Nash, who was the leading thinker in the group, had deep reservations about Studebaker. Not about their product nor about their volume. The reservations owed to their expenses and their high priced contract with their union. Perhaps those reservations could have been eased, but Nash-Kelvinator was the most solvent of the independents and was because they were scrupulous about costs. Another factor was the apparent rivalry between James Nance and George Romney. We are told that Nance, Packard's President, was averse to joining up with a company that appeared to be headed toward elevating Romney to the top job. I know neither of these gentlemen but history shows that Romney was, indeed, a front runner for the head of any combination as he became the President of American Motors on Mason's sudden passing. There might be a story there, too, but it is likely to remain a mystery. Thanks again. What fun.
Man You got talent, its the first time watching your videos and I coming all the way from the first one planning to go to the last, Congrats, I will call you to help me on my videogame and its movie storyline
Excellent program! If Nash-Kelvinator, Studebaker, Packard and Hudson would have merged, the resulting AMC may have been stronger, but a large amount of trimming would still have been done. "Ladies and gentlemen: the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent."
Nice production quality! When my dad was 17, his dad got him a used 1938 Packard Business Coupe. It was a sweet-looking black car. He went to war in 1942 and signed it over to his dad and then the family lost track of it after his folks' divorce. Actually, Packard went into the mid-priced market during the depression with the small straight-8s and straight-6s. I guess that didn't work during the prosperous 1950's.
The problem was that Mason died before the merger could take place. George Romney (Willard's dad) assumed the Chair at AMC and he couldn't stand the Chairman of Packard, James Nance. Packard took the only other option open to them and bought Studebaker. Unbeknownst to them, Studebaker's "break even" number (the amount of cars they needed to make in order to stay afloat) was so high as to be an unobtainable goal. Packard had shackled themselves to a corpse. It was only a matter of time.
@@BELCAN57 The merger of Hudson and Nash-Kelvinator (which was renamed American Motors) was finalized on My 1, 1954. Mason died in September of that year. You are correct about the rivalry between Nance and Romney. Romney had been offered a job at Packard at the same time he took the job at Nash-Kelvinator. When he turned down Packard's offer, Nance was then hired by that company. It is just a guess on my part (although there is some historical evidence) that Nance wasn't keen on lashing his company to Romney's. Had he done so, we might be writing a different history given the many difficulties the other US manufacturers (Chrysler especially) faced themselves.
They predicted that if the merger of Studebaker, Packard, Nash and Hudson had gone ahead the combined company would've usurped Chrysler as the 3rd biggest carmaker
@@sutherlandA1 I believe it . Nash as the low level Studebaker, Hudson as the Luxury Entry lever, Packard as the high end Lux. Could very well have worked. 📻🙂
Fun Fact: John Z. DeLorean started his automotive career at Packard, later moving to Pontiac where as President he brought out the GTO. Later he went on to run Chevy but by then had made enough enemies among the GM Board to make the situation untenable, so he then went on to build his dream car- and to get busted doing cocaine deals trying to finance it.
the coke deals were typical CIA bullshit, Thatcher, the prime minister of the UK at the time, didn't like how Mr. Delorean was bringing peace and stability to northern Ireland's are with his factory. So she went to daddy regan and got him to take care of her DeLorean problem.
That revamped "new" Packard was here in Santa Barbara about 20-years ago. I had a ride in it and it was stunning. I have a video of the thing and some color photos ... I'm starting to search for them. Probably in my old Cannon ... If I find this, I'll sent it to you. (I assume in The Netherlands?) I lived for a while in Deventer and Den Haag.
Very informative and extremely interesting. Thank you ! Just one question : as the Soviet-built zIS-110 is said to originate from the Packard Super Eight, to what extent may the equally Soviet-built ZIL-111 be said to be of Packard lineage?
When Studebaker decided to consolidate production in South Bend it was discovered that real Packards were too large to be built on their lines, so they were forced to rush-job the Packarbakers. Personally, I like the Packard Hawk, but the rest of them are pretty sad, with their grafted on bits. The supercharged V8 was pretty cool, though.
All kinds of stuff I never knew about this mysterious Packard brand. My dad used to work at a Studebaker factory making bulletnose cars. The noir format of the production was a brilliant idea.
Even from the thumbnail I could tell this was gonna be another sad story. I've been an auto enthusiast long enough to recognize even very early badge engineering. Clearly it's just a Studebaker Hawk being disguised with a bad nose job; An undignified end for a brand which once stood alongside the likes of Dusenberg and Pierce Arrow
When I first got you recomended and heard your proffesional audio setup I dismissed you as yet another slick youtuber making minimal effort and reading from wikipedia. You proved me dead wrong with your Automotive history series. The humour of the earlier videos and creativity and craftmanship of this won me over easily. Very well done!
The Ultramatic transmission was not a two-speed but a variable ratio very much like Buick's Dynaflow. The Ultramatic had two "gears" but the torque converter could change speeds as well.
Had Packard just merged with Nash and Hudson the three might have potentially grown into a three tiered lineup with Nash as the entry line, Hudson as the performance/upscale lineup and Packard returning to its former stand as a builder of luxury cars within a decade of the formation of the merger.
Actually the 3 along with Studebaker made good cars, Packard esp. The 4 together could have made a AMC that would be alive today.
@@seththomas9105 True in large part. Studebaker's problems were fiscal - they were well underwater financially. Studebaker is the only one with an OHV 8 cylinder engine which could have helped in other lines. Nash had the only line that was selling better over the years leading up to the 1953/54 merger/buyout rush. Hudson was moribund. Packard had lost its sales lead among the premium cars but, with careful stewardship, it might have proved able to enjoy prosperity in the high priced segment again.
Sad to say, we will never know. We do know that American Motors (nee Nash-Kelvinator) survived independently for 33 years. I like to think that the addition of Packard would have made it far longer.
It all went kaput when George Mason died. Mason brokered the Nash-Hudson merger and was wooing Packard execs when he died. James Nance (head of Studebaker-Packard) and George Romney (yes, Mitt's papa) hated each other. Both wanted to be in charge of the new AMC and there wasn't enough room for two roosters in the henhouse.
@@brianp6965 I agree. Unfortunately Studebaker was the company most deeply in debt and most unsustainable. Had the other three merged AMC would have eventually made better profits and been able to build their own components grow into a larger and stronger company than it ever did and Packard, Hudson and Nash might possibly still be around.
Isn't Mercedes-Benz involved with Packard? If ever Mercedes-Benz bought Packard, surely it would still exists today.
This is Ed's most clever work yet. Very original, witty, and funny. And my family owned 2 Packards, a '49 and a '56. Why? Because my dad loved the brand and always wanted one before WWII. But by the time he could afford one, as Ed showed us, they clearly weren't the same.
I like the L.A. Noire music with the Mafia 2 opening
So much nostalgia lmao
They both in the same time period so I guess it makes sense
@@EduardoSalamanca1960 they feel like they’re a few decades apart but actually they’re just 4 years apart
Loved the Mafia2 game! I would swear there was a Packard model to drive a lot in this game.
Soon youll be a mega star on youtube I hope you remember us who were here from the begining
I haven't replied much to people, but your name just sticks. I don't know who you are, but I will find you, and I will eat one of your pizza's!
@@EdsAutoReviews I cant run...but I can hide...or something like that
Before WWII, Packard wasn't on the same table with Cadillac, Chrysler and Lincoln. It was one of the "Three P's": Packard, Pierce-Arrow and Peerless.
...not to mention Dusenburg and Auburn/Cord.
@@wintersbattleofbands1144 Duesenberg essentially stopped after 1928. They existed for another decade, but everything they had was built ending in 28. The Chrysler Imperial was the most expensive car on the planet at the time. I'd rather a Packard, but they were sweet.
I think when Pakard made the 6 in the 30s the snobs rebelled and it was down hill from there. Repeat similar cheaper models in the 40s 50s. Big V12s and straight Eights. Enzo Ferrari was influenced by the Indianapolis Packard V12 racers 1912 Ralph DePalmer. Dusenberg was 1928 into 1929 The other comment.
and now, its VW, Mercedes, BMW and Porsche, the factories bombed with Packards engines...
Pierce arrow best in the worlds
Thanks for making the story of Packard so entertaining.
My great grandfather was a loyal and long-time Pierce-Arrow owner. After the company folded he hung on to his beloved car until lightning struck the carriage house and it burned to the ground in 1944. With no new cars available, he purchased a 1941 Packard 180 which he drove until his passing in 1957.
The 41 Packard-the car i really want.
THEN I WAS BORN!
I love Packard. They have a fascinating history, and it deserved better than the ending it got
In 1971 a friend had a '55 Clipper Custom. It was one of the coolest cars I've ever been in, but its significance was completely lost on two know-it-all 18-year-olds.
@@budlewis721 the museum near me had a loaded '55 Caribbean a handful of years ago. Aside of being so nice to look at, appreciating the engineering and design ideas were great
@@redram5150 I wish we (he) had possessed that same appreciation. He (we) beat the shit out of that poor, irreplaceable classic. 18-year-old boys are idiots.
Taking on Studebaker characteristics was the last thing Packard needed. Studebaker never had the class to loan Packard any styling tricks or advice , it was more like putting white boots on a whore,she still smells like cheap beer.
No good deed goes unpunished. Thanks Packard for making so many Merlin Engines.
My parents owned a 56 Packard Clipper. They loved that car, they always talked about how great it was to drive with self-adjusting torsion bar suspension and how fast it was. My mom often told stories about outrunning such popular cars as Rocket 88s.
Very entertaining. And largely correct. What happened basically was that times changed, and Packard didn't (well, not enough, anyway.) The point about the 1951 Packard 200 was just a replay of the Packard 120 affair of 1935. Basically, Packard needed the economies of scale that the huge output of their mass market cars gave to GM, Ford and Chrysler. It is fun now to speculate what "might have been" if Packard and Studebaker (and what the hell, let's throw in Kaiser/Jeep) had managed to join the AMC combine.
Honestly it seems like packard needed a low cost companion brand to cover costs. Honestly if they had gone with Nash and Hudson and been part of AMC it may have helped AMC survive past the 80s. AMC was an economy brand and no matter how hard they tried their cars where always seen that way. Having a marque Like Packard could have changed that. I mean who was gonna pick an AMC Ambassador over a Buick or and Olds let's alone a Cadillac, hell even A Plymouth Belvedere could be spec's nicer.
@@nicholascortez728 I agree with much of what you said except for the AMC Ambassador bit. AMC priced the Ambassador as much as a mid-tier Oldsmobile or Dodge and targeted that same market. It was a solid car whose real calling card was being the first American car to have A/C as standard equipment.
Kaiser was never considered for AMC. It was already a dead brand by 1954. Hudson was also dead weight. It could have been successful with Studebaker Nash and Packard. Sort of predicting today's GM, Chevrolet Buick Cadillac.
Just tuning in to say I highly appreciate these discussions! This is one of the reasons I make these video's, to let people discuss automotive history in the comment section.
@@neildickson5394 You will notice that I said "Kaiser-Jeep." What if the bigger AMC (with Jeep) had mainstreamed all wheel drive way ahead of the big three?
Ive always wondered what happened to Packard. Ive always loved their 1920s and 1930s cars.
Packard's inline-8 was no slouch. They knew they were late to the party and so every year took steps to keep their old 8 competitive with the best V8's the competition offered. In 1954, *the last year Packard sold an inline-8,* the most powerful Cadillac V8 was 230hp & 332ft-lb@2800rpm with an 8.25:1 compression ratio. Packard's inline-8 was 212hp & 330ft-lb@2200rpm with an 8.70:1 compression ratio. In 1954 ALONE Packard bored & stroked it, made the head out of aluminum instead of cast iron, and canted the valves toward the cylinders allowing for better breathing and valve cooling (a trick gleaned from their wartime aircraft engine manufacturing). Basically Packard engineers threw everything they could at the old L-head (flathead) straight-eight before introducing their new overhead-valve V-8 the following year. In so doing it became the ultimate straight-eight manifestation.
Hilarious video! It was said when Packard & Studebaker merged, it was like two drunks walking together trying to help each other cross the street!
RIP Packard, it was a sad way to go, but still better than becoming a zombie brand.
Does 'zombie brand' referr to mitsubishi
Well done! I’ve always had a soft spot for Packards since my mother and father both drove Packards back in the 40s and 50s. I remember those straight 8s as being smooth and quiet running but lacked the power of the V-8s offered by the then “big 3”. After the joint venture with Studebaker, Packard’s identity and reputation was destroyed. A sad ending to a once great marque.
There was an executive from General Electric who was hired by Packard around 1951 who might have been responsible for some of the Packard bad decisions (I think that exec came from the marketing/advertising side,not the engineering/science side of GE).
As a Detroiter, I commend you for this. Informative and amusing; well done!
Loving this channel and the mafia 2 la noire intro was gold lol.
Best video so far from this series. Love your story telling style. Before this I only knew the name Packard. Thank you so much for the enlightenment.
Your channel has really grown on me since you started this and I think this Packard film noir version is the best yet.. I don’t know if it’s because I love noir or if it’s because I love you. Either way, keep up the work. You have a real talent, kid.
This was really well done, Ed!! You got a good amount of the history in, whilst twisting everything into a engaging and interesting story. Bravo!
Honesty the effort you put in the videos amazing your channel will get big keep it up !
Nice one! One of your best videos to date. Love the Dutch accent, coming from a MOPAR loving Finn. Keep up the good work, Ed!
Absolutely loved the way this story was told! Amazing presentation skills!
You're production values are outstanding!
How do you only have 12k subs! Your content is top notch. I could listen to you talk about cars forever, Can't wait for your chanel to blow up with subscribers!
a load of fun! so great to see that you put your all into these. great and memorable to tell a story as well!
Very good! Well done! Hang in there, I've been sharing to the car guys I know. I have a Restoration shop with a big TV, and there are many like us. Thanks for video!
It was several years before my time, but I had two uncles (brothers) who used to argue constantly about which was better -- Hudson or Packard. Naturally, one of them owned a Hudson and the other owned a Packard. By the time I came along, both of them drove Cadillacs.
I'd love to see one of these cases on Rambler/AMC, I think it would be interesting!
I have watched and enjoyed many of your videos (especially the early 60's Chrysler one). This has been my favorite. I'm partial to Packards ... my grandmother owned one in the 30's (before I was born, but I saw the pictures). Thanks so much for this. Hope you'll keep up the excellent work.
Masterclass video. You're a storytelling genius!
Great video, sad story. Very well done, your choice of dramatic mystery theater / film noir music was superb.
This is now my favorite auto channel!
Holy shit, I love you and this video too. This was way too NEAT.
I really like your channel, funny creative and knowledgeable. You're a true car guy. Your style balances out my obsession with junkyard digs and vice grip garage!
Your presenting quality, humor and facts are better than pages with 100's of thousands of subs. I honestly can't believe your channel isn't bigger. Keep it up!!! I freaking love your videos!nn
At the end of my street there is a beautiful building which was designed by the great architect Albert Kahn. It was built in 1926 as a Packard showroom, and for the last 60 years it was a parking garage. It is currently being prepared for demolition.
This is a clear and clever way to present the information!
Bravo, well done. I well recall tooling about with my Dad back in the 50s in his 20-year old '36 Packard. Sooth as silk, quiet, powerful, plush, and a Philco radio! Artfully down, thank you.
Around 1968, I bought a 53 Caribbean 2 door hardtop for $40. Every option except air conditioning. Straight 8, 6 volt, all power accessories were hydraulic. I gave it to a friend when I got drafted.
Your channel is going huge. I know for sure! 👌🏼
One can dream.. one can dream...
Packard is probably my favourite auto maker out of them all. Actually Packard's straight 8 was a really good engine, extremely robust, nearly bulletproof, and it could compete with all the ohv v8s at the beginning of the 50s. And obviously, the sound of a Packard eight is just something else, in my opinion, it sounds even better than a v8
Ed, this was very well done, and a great concept!
Ed, you have me balling my eyes out here. Poor Mr. Packrat.
This is the best car related channel on RUclips. Thank you!!
Wonderful and intelligent way of portraying the Packard demise. Loved it.
This was great. Informative and a really creative format!
Very entertaining and well done. Loving your content...educational, well-researched and with a healthy dose of humor thrown in to keep things from getting dull. Bravo!
That was a brilliant take on a history lesson. Well done!
Really fun and interesting presentation’s. You entire series in very entertaining and professional. A must watch for car fans, and everybody else.
I love the narration and story line. Great video. Very much one of the best I've seen in a long time. Informative, humorous and entertaining.
Interesting and imaginative way of telling the story. You should have mentioned the Packard Predictor concept car as an example of what might've been. Keep the vids coming!
Great video. Informative and nice job on the old school detective movie feel
Ed…you are so clever with these works. I enjoy them and thank you for your diligence.
@Ed's Auto Reviews please make a video about the 1955-1956 Packards- they are the best cars of the 50s in my opinion. In terms of design, technology, etc. They are like the 1961 Lincoln, but the 1955 Packard was not appreciated. Actually, the "Twin Ultramatic" automatic transmission from the 1955-1956 model years was a 3-speed transmission. It had 2 speeds and a lock-up torque converter, which allowed the 3 gear (ratio 1:1) to be a "bypass" of the torque converter, and it didn't have any gears. This means that at highway speeds at there was no power loss from the torque converter and no wear of the transmission gears. That was revolutionary for the time and is still modern, even by today standards. Lock-up torque converter automatic transmissions were created and used for the first time since Packard in the 80s and 90s. Also, that transmission was better than the GM Hydra-matic because it could handle a lot more power and torque than the Hydra-matic. Actually, at one point in 1955, GM almost signed a contract with Packard to put Ultramatics in the Cadillacs because there were problems with the production of the Hydra-matic. The Twin Ultramatic had an aluminum casing in 1956 - the first transmission to do so in the USA. Only one problem: the Twin Ultramatic was considered problematic because it had some defects in the control unit of the transmission, which were caused by the lack of time for testing before putting them into production. The Packard engine for 1955 - the new v8 was the most powerful American v8 engine of the mid-50s in terms of torque and was second by horsepower (after the Chrysler hemi). Later in the 60s, Cadillac copied their design. The Packard v8 was designed to be enlarged to 500 cu.in. from the beginning of its development, which started in the beginning of the 50s and cost nearly 20 million 1950s dollars. The development of their own automatic transmission cost nearly 8 million 1950s dollars. And let's not forget the revolutionary, even for today, "Torsion level" suspension designed before Chrysler's "torsion aire ride" and released in 1955, which eliminated coil and leaf springs and had an automatic load leveling like the Citroen DS, but far more simple and far more trouble-free. Then there was the big testing and world record-breaking durability test of 1955: 25000 miles for 10 days straight with no stops and average speed of 104 miles per hour. The Packard stopped only for 40-second pitstops for adding fuel, oil, changing drivers and tires. The engine never stopped working for these 10 days. The test was a hit. Packard broke the world record for speed at that type of durability testing. Let's not forget also the 1956 push-button operated transmission - packard created the 1st electric operated transmission in the world. In 1956, Chrysler's push-button Powerflite transmission also debuted, but the buttons were not electric, they were connected mechanically through levers with the transmission. Packard's 1956 push-button gear selector was electric and was 2 years before Edsel's electric push-button transmission. Unlike the problematic electric gear selector of the 1958 Edsel, the 1956 Packard "electronic push-button Twin Ultramatic" was trouble-free. In conclusion the 1955-1956 Packards were the best cars of the mid-50s. But when you've spent nearly 40-50 million dollars for developing a car from the ground up and then you buy the fucking liar Studebaker and on top of that Cadillac uses Henry Ford strategy to bankrupt you....... well I'd also buy 2 Cadillacs at the price of 1 Packard...
Hi, I found your video very interesting. I really enjoyed the noir movie atmosphere the you gave to the story. Really original and sharp. Congratulations.
Well done and very entertaining! Thank you.
It is often said that the plan was to put Studebaker into an alliance of Packard, Nash, and Hudson. I am skeptical as George Mason at Nash, who was the leading thinker in the group, had deep reservations about Studebaker. Not about their product nor about their volume. The reservations owed to their expenses and their high priced contract with their union. Perhaps those reservations could have been eased, but Nash-Kelvinator was the most solvent of the independents and was because they were scrupulous about costs.
Another factor was the apparent rivalry between James Nance and George Romney. We are told that Nance, Packard's President, was averse to joining up with a company that appeared to be headed toward elevating Romney to the top job. I know neither of these gentlemen but history shows that Romney was, indeed, a front runner for the head of any combination as he became the President of American Motors on Mason's sudden passing. There might be a story there, too, but it is likely to remain a mystery.
Thanks again. What fun.
What a cool way to tell the story of Packard. If not for a clash of egos Packard and nash may have made a good company.
Bravo, Ed! You really out did yourself on this one. I am absolutely loving the history series, 10/10!
Insanely good!! Great narrative. Keep this up!
Well done. That was both good fun and informative.
Man You got talent, its the first time watching your videos and I coming all the way from the first one planning to go to the last, Congrats, I will call you to help me on my videogame and its movie storyline
Excellent program! If Nash-Kelvinator, Studebaker, Packard and Hudson would have merged, the resulting AMC may have been stronger, but a large amount of trimming would still have been done. "Ladies and gentlemen: the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent."
Great story Ed, thanks for sharing!
Nice production quality! When my dad was 17, his dad got him a used 1938 Packard Business Coupe. It was a sweet-looking black car. He went to war in 1942 and signed it over to his dad and then the family lost track of it after his folks' divorce. Actually, Packard went into the mid-priced market during the depression with the small straight-8s and straight-6s. I guess that didn't work during the prosperous 1950's.
This was ingenious! One of the best episodes!
If Mason would have succeeded with the mergers, AMC may have made it as a “big -4”.
A real shame
Another great video.
📻🙂
The problem was that Mason died before the merger could take place. George Romney (Willard's dad) assumed the Chair at AMC and he couldn't stand the Chairman of Packard, James Nance. Packard took the only other option open to them and bought Studebaker. Unbeknownst to them, Studebaker's "break even" number (the amount of cars they needed to make in order to stay afloat) was so high as to be an unobtainable goal. Packard had shackled themselves to a corpse. It was only a matter of time.
@@BELCAN57
Yep. That’s exactly what happened.
(They sealed their own fate).
📻😐
@@BELCAN57 The merger of Hudson and Nash-Kelvinator (which was renamed American Motors) was finalized on My 1, 1954. Mason died in September of that year.
You are correct about the rivalry between Nance and Romney. Romney had been offered a job at Packard at the same time he took the job at Nash-Kelvinator. When he turned down Packard's offer, Nance was then hired by that company.
It is just a guess on my part (although there is some historical evidence) that Nance wasn't keen on lashing his company to Romney's. Had he done so, we might be writing a different history given the many difficulties the other US manufacturers (Chrysler especially) faced themselves.
They predicted that if the merger of Studebaker, Packard, Nash and Hudson had gone ahead the combined company would've usurped Chrysler as the 3rd biggest carmaker
@@sutherlandA1
I believe it .
Nash as the low level
Studebaker,
Hudson as the Luxury Entry lever,
Packard as the high end Lux.
Could very well have worked.
📻🙂
Fun Fact: John Z. DeLorean started his automotive career at Packard, later moving to Pontiac where as President he brought out the GTO. Later he went on to run Chevy but by then had made enough enemies among the GM Board to make the situation untenable, so he then went on to build his dream car- and to get busted doing cocaine deals trying to finance it.
the coke deals were typical CIA bullshit, Thatcher, the prime minister of the UK at the time, didn't like how Mr. Delorean was bringing peace and stability to northern Ireland's are with his factory. So she went to daddy regan and got him to take care of her DeLorean problem.
Very interesting, entertaining, and imaginative approach to telling the story of the downfall of Packard. Nicely done!
This was brilliant! As a fan of both Packard and Film Noir, you pushed all the right buttons with me. Bravo!❤
Great video man!! Keep up the good work. Cant wait to see your channel grow! Great quality videos!
Genius episode! Loved it! :)
That revamped "new" Packard was here in Santa Barbara about 20-years ago. I had a ride in it and it was stunning. I have a video of the thing and some color photos ... I'm starting to search for them. Probably in my old Cannon ... If I find this, I'll sent it to you. (I assume in The Netherlands?) I lived for a while in Deventer and Den Haag.
Excellent video!!!! Well done! I own a 57 Packardbaker and it's really just a Studebaker in a tuxedo!!
Ed, this is an excellent channel.
You absolutely deserve a much greater number of subscribers.
Keep up the great work.
Very informative and extremely interesting. Thank you ! Just one question : as the Soviet-built zIS-110 is said to originate from the Packard Super Eight, to what extent may the equally Soviet-built ZIL-111 be said to be of Packard lineage?
Aww. Poor fat car. 😂 I love these videos man, truly satisfied with randomly finding you the other day 💯
THX for the outstanding content and the thousands of hours spent producing it.
When Studebaker decided to consolidate production in South Bend it was discovered that real Packards were too large to be built on their lines, so they were forced to rush-job the Packarbakers. Personally, I like the Packard Hawk, but the rest of them are pretty sad, with their grafted on bits. The supercharged V8 was pretty cool, though.
This video is pure brilliance.
That was a really well-made video! It's a shame when once interesting and innovative car brands disappear.
Great video! I had always thought that Packard were part of GM - but I would mix them up with LaSalle
All kinds of stuff I never knew about this mysterious Packard brand. My dad used to work at a Studebaker factory making bulletnose cars. The noir format of the production was a brilliant idea.
This is The Coolest Video I ever saw on YT. Tremendous storytelling.
I usually just give a like and call it a day, but as a person who love L.A. Noire, damn this was good, deserves a comment for the algorithms gods.
Even from the thumbnail I could tell this was gonna be another sad story. I've been an auto enthusiast long enough to recognize even very early badge engineering. Clearly it's just a Studebaker Hawk being disguised with a bad nose job; An undignified end for a brand which once stood alongside the likes of Dusenberg and Pierce Arrow
I saw this when it first showed 9n here. And have since episode 1. This is some of yhe best on RUclips. 👍🏼
Your videos are beyond cool 😀
(Pls never change the intro lol)
When I first got you recomended and heard your proffesional audio setup I dismissed you as yet another slick youtuber making minimal effort and reading from wikipedia. You proved me dead wrong with your Automotive history series. The humour of the earlier videos and creativity and craftmanship of this won me over easily. Very well done!
Loved it. Now could you do something similar about Pontiac!.
Very nice setup for this vlog! Perfect! 👌
Great intro, music and overall presentation, good job !
These are the best American Car videos i ever saw,, and the narator sounds european.. great stuff man
This vid reminds me of One Of My All Time Video Game for PC. L.A. Noire. The black and white photos the trumpet snazzy jazz. Damn Great Vid❤❤❤❤❤❤
Amazing story telling. Subscribed!
your vids are illuminating, entertaining and amusing. well done. thanks
The Ultramatic transmission was not a two-speed but a variable ratio very much like Buick's Dynaflow. The Ultramatic had two "gears" but the torque converter could change speeds as well.
I like the format. Subscribed. Keep the good work coming. This will be a very successful channel
a most notable & enjoyable creation.. I could watch more like this one.. might there be more?
My gosh, i fuckign in LOVE WITH THIS AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY, ED, YOU ARE AMAZING (brazilian friend, love you job and creative ) GOOD JOB MY DUDE