1957 Packard Introduction & Studebaker-Packard Press Conference in Color

[@martinsuter3531]

Ouch! It’s almost painful to hear these re-trimmed and re-badged '57 Studebakers being called '57 Packards. How far a once mighty and magnificent automaker has fallen. 😥

[@BELCAN57]

They were very nice Studebakers, but they couldn't hide their South Bend heritage.

[@kurtkrauss2041]

Two comments - the music at the beginning is by the Lester Lanin Orchestra and was a staple of high society parties. Also poor Harold Churchhill seems so nervous. Everyone knew the end of the road was near for Packard by this time and I doubt many folks wanted an orphan much less a dressed up Studebaker.

[@ambulet]

@@kurtkrauss2041 Is it me or did he sound and act just as stiff as Ed Sullivan. Maybe he should have had Topo Gigio to help him introduce this embarrassment.

[@jamesweinzierl7399]

The name of the hood ornament was later called the pedestrian de gutter.

[@JackF99]

Thanks for the fascinating episode. In the 50's apparently people got dressed up for just about anything!

[@T-41]

Interesting speeches. It was very challenging , trying to convince the audience of skeptical dealers that Studebaker-Packard was going to succeed. Mission impossible.

[@MatsCarVideos]

It was a hard task. We all know what the end result was.

[@nlpnt]

@@MatsCarVideos They had a few good years starting in '59 with the Lark but when that petered out it was time to consider signing up for a Datsun or Toyopet franchise.

[@here_we_go_again2571]

@@nlpnt If Packard, Studebaker, Hudson and Nash had combined they might have made it as one of the "Big Four" But the presidents, and CEO's of the corporations all wanted to be the top dog. If AMC had not gone with the smaller Nash platform, it might have folded before it did American Motors (1954-- 1988) Hudson (1909--1954) Nash (1916--1954) Packard (1899--1954) Studebaker (1852--1967) Studebaker Packard (1954--1962) (the Packard name on cars was dropped in 1958) As it was, Chrysler (1925--1998) Dropped DeSoto (1928--1961) Ford discontinued their Edsel (1958--1960) car line. The Mercury line lasted (1938--2011) The economic recession from mid- 1957 to the spring of 1958 did not help the situation for any of these automobile brands/marques. Even before the recession the American auto market was saturated with used cars. Granted there was no rust-proofing (until 1957-- Zeibart) but replacement parts could be found in every junkyard.

[@jimzone8153]

Very interesting. Never saw this before.

[@MatsCarVideos]

I'm glad you enjoyed the film

[@mrBILL-sr2cu]

Fascinating presentation. I would like to see more of these from Studebaker-Packard if they are available. Desperate times for sure as S-P didn't fool the dealers nor the customers with this Packard Clipper. Don't get me wrong, it was an excellent product and a great Studebaker, but not a Packard. Somehow, from listening to Mr. Churchill's remarks, I got the feeling he wasn't buying all of this either...

[@MatsCarVideos]

I'm always looking for new Packard & Studebaker films to upload to the channel. Hopefully there will be more coming soon.

[@wintersbattleofbands1144]

...and the 2 second delay before the applause after the big speech speaks volumes in its silence.

[@BELCAN57]

Rebadged Studebakers set out as a stopgap until a new car could be brought out. Why ? Packard closed their Detroit based East Grand and Connor Avenue plants. Unfortunately the South Bend Studebaker plant's assembly line was a smaller gauge than what had been used previously. These "Packardbakers" were the result.

[@63bbray]

5:12 "The going away look of the Packard Clipper....." The most accurate statement in the whole presentation, unfortunately.

[@gcfifthgear]

Ever notice that most automakers in their dying years showed pictures of the cars going away from the camera? (I remember the same phenomenon when Oldsmobile ended production in 2004)

[@wintersbattleofbands1144]

Even this warmed-over Studebaker was already 5 years old. No way to disguise the center box of the 3 box design. That said, they did a nice job of retooling what they could front and rear, and at an expense both companies hadn't been used to; each doing this or that every year or so, but not both a fairly major front and rear sheetmetal update.

[@vincentconsolo5782]

Every person in that room including Churchill and Hurley , KNEW S -P was doomed . This was a last ditch effort that had Hurley putting S- P on a path to automobile oblivion through diversication instead of focusing on the auto business as he elluded to .

[@ClassicChrome86]

I never knew this existed. Thank you for sharing!

[@here_we_go_again2571]

That 1957 Packard (Studebaker--Packard) Clipper was a nice looking car. Thank you for sharing. ❤👍😊 Thank you for sharing. Those vinyl seats were so much nicer than the wool broadcloth and "Mohair" (trade name for a type of wool used in autos) used during the 1930's/1940's/very early 1950's

[@drakbar5957]

Badge engineering seldom works. Studebaker pulled the plug on Packard one model year after this presentation. Roy Hurley’s beloved Packard Hawk was the last gasp of a dying brand.

[@gcfifthgear]

While most people weren't totally impressed with the 1957 Packard Clipper, even the dealers acknowledged the new Packard was better than the alternative--which was no Packard at all. It should be noted the "Clipper" name was dropped for 1958. In fact, there were no other model names than the "Packard Sedan," "Packard Hardtop,' "Packard Station Wagon," and "Packard Hawk."

[@twinh53]

Great video, I’ve never seen this before.

[@MatsCarVideos]

I’m really glad you liked it. I try is a very interesting film

[@whatsamattayu3257]

Serving sandwiches and punch at a new model year debut by the executive's wives, no less, says a lot about Packard's financial situation.

[@kevincruz4045]

This is awsome in 2023! A very beautiful car indeed 👌. This is probably the best Studebaker sedan made. What they really built here is a tribute car. This is such an ocquard event at a difficult time. Thank you so much for sharing this!

[@wintersbattleofbands1144]

Did you mean awkward?

[@reelreeler8778]

Regardless if they were Studees at heart, I think the '57 Packards were good looking, especially the station wagon.

[@chrisjeffries2322]

I believe that the body shell for this Packard was also used for the Fabulis Lark!

[@ambulet]

That is absolutely true. The center body was the basis for the Lark, with the front and rear clip shortened.

[@ambulet]

What i wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall in the hotel bar that night when the dealers "loosened up" a little and really started facing reality.

[@wintersbattleofbands1144]

This is the comment that speaks volumes. Count me in.

[@Pisti846]

I felt the exterior styling of the Clipper sedan was outstanding though I wasn't keen on the interior.

[@nlpnt]

S-P's breakout hit of '57 was the ultra-stripped Scotsman at midyear.

[@schizy]

What a riot! A Studebaker gussied up to sell as a Packard. That totally killed Packard, and Studebaker soon followed. This was the Cadillac Cimarron of the 50s. Sort of analogous to a Yugo Bentley.

[@randyc8171]

It was NOT a Cimmeron, it was an excellent automobile. The buying public was extremely fickle back then. Kaiser, Nash and Hudson died around the same time followed by DeSoto a couple years later for the same reason. Most people now do not have the brain power to understand that.

[@billpressler5319]

Studebaker had its best-ever profit year in 1959, in its 107-year history. With Packard product gone and the Lark introduced, Studebaker was able to hang on building cars another several years.

[@whatsamattayu3257]

Packard sold 4800 cars in '57 and 2600 in '58.

[@MatsCarVideos]

The writing was on the wall. No way a car company could survive with those sales numbers

[@randyc8171]

@@MatsCarVideos The name died, not the company.

[@jameskinkland3215]

At about 20:40, man in foreground, at table, rubs his eyes/face in order to stay awake during the droning speech of the stiff from Curtiss-Wright.

[@MatsCarVideos]

I'm sure he knew the writing was on the wall. He could see what was coming.

[@normanlefkowitz5197]

This is Packard’s Swan Song. 😢

[@TheCanalBridge]

Take a good look at the dealers in the audience. At least half of them knew that was an bogus product, so they flew the coop and signed up to become EDSEL dealers ! I would have too....as I would have rather sold the loser Edsel than the losers that Studebaker produced. Anything associated with Studebaker was a Disgrace to the Packard company

[@billpressler5319]

Yet, Studebaker had a solid hit on its hands in '59 and even into '60, while Edsel died on the vine.

[@gcfifthgear]

@@billpressler5319 And what really hurt Studebaker was when The Big Three introduced their own compacts for 1960. The people who signed up for Studebaker dropped their franchises when the Corvairs, Falcons and Valiants became available. Even the Comet--sold by Lincoln Mercury--was to have been the compact version of the Edsel, to replace the big Edsel in 1961

[@Angrybarberman]

Almost as bad as watching them try to pitch Kamala to the American public! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@middleclassretiree]

Those dealers had to know these ugly studebakers were doomed for failure my god they’re ugly compared with the 56’s and the competition