Ad for “The New Packard” in “The Saturday Evening Post,” June 20, 1953.
The 1953 model year is significant as it was the final year before Packard's problematic merger with Studebaker and featured what many consider the last "true" Packards with their distinct engineering. The popular Packard Clipper (featured in the ad) included standard and Deluxe sedans, as well as a Sportster coupe.
Other models offered in 1953 were the large and luxurious Patrician and the sportier Caribbean convertible. The Caribbean was a limited-production, high-end "halo car" to rival the Cadillac Eldorado and Buick Skylark. Designed to restore Packard’s image as a luxury style leader, the Caribbean featured full cutout rear wheel openings; a broad, low hood scoop; a standard continental spare tire kit; luxurious full-leather interiors; and Kelsey-Hayes chrome wire wheels. Only 750 units were produced, but it outsold its primary competitor, the Cadillac Eldorado in its first year.
The 1953 Packard models were powered by revered 327-cubic-inch or 359-cubic-inch straight-eight "Thunderbolt" engines, known for their exceptional smoothness and quiet operation, a result of features like a heavy crankshaft and nine main bearings. The cars offered features like the "Ultramatic" automatic transmission (praised for its smoothness), power brakes, power steering, and power windows. The 1953 Packards featured subtle styling updates, including "fishtail" chrome fins on the taillights, to keep up with contemporary trends, presenting a look of "subdued elegance" compared to the flashier designs of its competitors.
Packard, once America's preeminent luxury car brand, faced a series of challenges after World War II that ultimately led to its demise. The "Big Three" automakers (GM, Ford, and Chrysler) engaged in price and production wars that squeezed independent manufacturers like Packard. It struggled to compete but it was perceived by some as stodgy and old-fashioned. A problematic 1954 merger with Studebaker led to the eventual suspension of its Detroit manufacturing in 1956, with the last Studebaker-built Packards produced in 1958.
[Sources: Wikipedia and Supercars.net]
Ad for “The New Packard” in “The Saturday Evening Post,” June 20, 1953.
The 1953 model year is significant as it was the final year before Packard's problematic merger with Studebaker and featured what many consider the last "true" Packards with their distinct engineering. The popular Packard Clipper (featured in the ad) included standard and Deluxe sedans, as well as a Sportster coupe.
Other models offered in 1953 were the large and luxurious Patrician and the sportier Caribbean convertible. The Caribbean was a limited-production, high-end "halo car" to rival the Cadillac Eldorado and Buick Skylark. Designed to restore Packard’s image as a luxury style leader, the Caribbean featured full cutout rear wheel openings; a broad, low hood scoop; a standard continental spare tire kit; luxurious full-leather interiors; and Kelsey-Hayes chrome wire wheels. Only 750 units were produced, but it outsold its primary competitor, the Cadillac Eldorado in its first year.
The 1953 Packard models were powered by revered 327-cubic-inch or 359-cubic-inch straight-eight "Thunderbolt" engines, known for their exceptional smoothness and quiet operation, a result of features like a heavy crankshaft and nine main bearings. The cars offered features like the "Ultramatic" automatic transmission (praised for its smoothness), power brakes, power steering, and power windows. The 1953 Packards featured subtle styling updates, including "fishtail" chrome fins on the taillights, to keep up with contemporary trends, presenting a look of "subdued elegance" compared to the flashier designs of its competitors.
Packard, once America's preeminent luxury car brand, faced a series of challenges after World War II that ultimately led to its demise. The "Big Three" automakers (GM, Ford, and Chrysler) engaged in price and production wars that squeezed independent manufacturers like Packard. It struggled to compete but it was perceived by some as stodgy and old-fashioned. A problematic 1954 merger with Studebaker led to the eventual suspension of its Detroit manufacturing in 1956, with the last Studebaker-built Packards produced in 1958.
[Sources: Wikipedia and Supercars.net]