Packard 200 - Marketing Legacy

Marketing Legacy

While Packard's overall sales for 1951 were over 100,000 units, too many of the units sold were low-line models in the 200 and 250 series. Senior Packards – the traditional prewar niche that Packard ruled in the 1920s and 1930s – offered during 1951 and 1952 were only available as two models, the 300 and the Patrician 400, both of which were only available in a single body type, the four-door sedan. Dealers, who were quick to appease their customers, sold Packard 300 and Patrician 400 model trim and applied it to the lesser Packard 200 and 250 models, diluting the Senior Packards of the visual uniqueness that separated them from lesser priced cars.

To remedy this, Packard hired James J. Nance, the CEO of Hotpoint to reestablish Packard as an automotive leader. Among Nance’s first moves was to begin building model identity by dropping the numeric model designations and renaming the entire range of models. Nance also saw to it that Senior Packards received broader visual cues and trim to separate themselves from lesser models. Nance also began creating different specialty and show cars in an attempt to create "buzz" in the automtive press and make Packard look less-moribund.

The 200 and 250 models were renamed the Packard Clipper Special and Clipper Deluxe, part of Nance’s plan to ultimately spin the cars off into their own make in 1956 as the Clipper and return the Packard name to a maker of strictly luxury automobiles.