What if...

Being a former 1956 Packard Clipper owner, I've seen this photo many times. It's a little goofy in certain areas but definitely had potential. 😎 

Posted by: @chris

Being a former 1956 Packard Clipper owner, I've seen this photo many times. It's a little goofy in certain areas but definitely had potential. 😎 

Gotta Plus one this comment - all, except, for having owned the 1:1 version.

Works for me.

Not for me.

It looks a lot like the '58 Ford. No?

Posted by: @jkuvakas

It looks a lot like the '58 Ford. No?

To my eyes...yes.

I'd preferred a more forward styled windshield pillar tho. 

The rearward facing  'A Pillar' just looks stylistically wrong to me. 

Steve 

It looks very interesting ! I have that same picture on my computer and some Packard design studies from that time are fascinating. I believe someone from the inside and the design department wrote something called (I think) "The Last Days in the Bunker" about that time. An attempt was made to get resources and financing from Curtiss-Wright Corp I believe.

In one story, when everything had failed, he told the maintenance man at the design studio (with it's prototypes at Packard), "Ok I guess that's it. Everything has fallen though, so cut up the black one." (which was a design test prototype mule)

Later, when he came back a couple hours later, "Black Bess", the design test prototype, was laying in cut up pieces around the studio. Putting on a poker face he cried, "Oh my God ! What have you done ? Not THIS black car .......I meant the older black 1955 Packard sitting in the corner !" 

After the man, turned pale with fright, he then leveled with the guy and told him the truth and that he had done the correct thing ! The man still chased him around the room as he recovered from his shock !

Still......... I wish Packard has survived.

Posted by: @mikedetorrice

It looks very interesting ! I have that same picture on my computer and some Packard design studies from that time are fascinating. I believe someone from the inside and the design department wrote something called (I think) "The Last Days in the Bunker" about that time. An attempt was made to get resources and financing from Curtiss-Wright Corp I believe.

In one story, when everything had failed, he told the maintenance man at the design studio (with it's prototypes at Packard), "Ok I guess that's it. Everything has fallen though, so cut up the black one." (which was a design test prototype mule)

Later, when he came back a couple hours later, "Black Bess", the design test prototype, was laying in cut up pieces around the studio. Putting on a poker face he cried, "Oh my God ! What have you done ? Not THIS black car .......I meant the older black 1955 Packard sitting in the corner !" 

After the man, turned pale with fright, he then leveled with the guy and told him the truth and that he had done the correct thing ! The man still chased him around the room as he recovered from his shock !

Still......... I wish Packard has survived.

 

What a great background story..

Thank-you.

@100ford2003  Yes, a classic story told/perpetrated by designer Dick Teague (he was a prankster ) who later went on to AMC where he designed the Javelin and many others.

Here is "Black Bess"  and a proposed 1957 Clipper convertible. Another obscure "last-ditch idea"  was that Packard wanted to buy & re-purpose Lincoln bodies. 😬 😬 😬 

Hmm, but with that front end looking like 'it's sucking a lemon'...? 

great pics and car history, thanks fellas.

Posted by: @100ford2003

Hmm, but with that front end looking like 'it's sucking a lemon'...? 

Packard, of course, was trying to emulate the look of their classic Predictor  concept car. I will concede, however, that a little something  got lost in the translation. 🙄 🙄 

Not for me.

Posted by: @sizedoesmatter

Not for me.

+1  Ditto.