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114-447: Cars using the A platform in various markets around the world include: This list is not complete: A-platform vehicles not included on this list were sold in some countries until 1981. Wheelbases: The "A" name was reused again for the mid-size Chrysler LeBaron , Dodge Spirit and Plymouth Acclaim sedans, though this was changed to AA when Chrysler moved to two-letter names for 1990. The "AA" cars lasted until 1995 when replaced by

228-413: A 127 in (3,226 mm) wheelbase. The 200-series models were low-end models and now included a business coupe. The new appearance had similarities to Oldsmobiles , which were more moderately priced and sold in greater numbers. The 250, 300, and 400/Patricians were Packard's flagship models and comprised the majority of the production for that year. The Patrician was now the premium Packard, replacing

342-574: A 4 out of 5 for driver side and a 3 out of 5 for passenger side frontal impact occupant protection. Production Figures: M and K-platform cars were assembled in the Toluca, Mexico facility. The M-platform LeBaron was sold in Mexico from the 1977 to the 1982 model years. The K-car LeBaron was also produced in Toluca and was sold for the 1983 through 1987 model years. There were no K-platform convertibles offered from

456-501: A 5-door hatchback still derived from the K-car, the GTS (and the similar Dodge Lancer ) was more of a performance vehicle than the softer-tuned K-car LeBaron sedan. In base configuration, the car was powered by Chrysler's 2.2 liter inline-4 engine , later replaced by a 2.5 L TBI version generating 100 hp (75 kW). A turbocharged 2.2 L engine producing 146 hp (109 kW)

570-634: A Packard. Impressed by its reliability, he visited the Packards and soon enlisted a group of investors, including Truman Handy Newberry and Russell A. Alger Jr. On October 2, 1902, this group refinanced and renamed the New York and Ohio Automobile Company as the Packard Motor Car Company, with James Packard as president. Alger later served as vice president. Packard moved operations to Detroit soon after, and Joy became general manager (later chairman of

684-456: A backlog on war orders of $ 568,000,000. By the end of World War II, Packard was in excellent financial condition with assets of around $ 33 million, but several management mistakes became more apparent with time. Like other US automobile companies, Packard resumed civilian car production in late 1945, labeling them as 1946 models by modestly updating their 1942 models. As only tooling for the Clipper

798-560: A better horseless carriage than the Winton cars owned by Weiss, an important Winton stockholder, after Packard complained to Alexander Winton and offered suggestions for improvement, which were ignored. Winton replied to the suggestions by essentially telling Packard to "go build your own car". Packard's first car was built in Warren, Ohio , on November 6, 1899. Henry Bourne Joy , a member of one of Detroit 's oldest and wealthiest families, bought

912-447: A few years later). Ultramatic did not compare to GM's Hydramatic for smoothness of shifting, acceleration, or reliability. The resources spent on Ultramatic deprived Packard of the opportunity to develop a modern V8 engine. Also, when a new body style was added in addition to standard sedans, coupes, and convertibles, Packard introduced a station wagon instead of a two-door hardtop in response to Cadillac's Coupe DeVille. The Station Sedan ,

1026-535: A five-speed Getrag manual transmission. The Mexican AA-body Chrysler LeBaron 4-door sedan was called the New Yorker (all of them with Landau roof), and the "K" body (slightly shorter) was reserved for the 4-door LeBaron's, which were sold in two trim levels, one with Landau roof and leather, and the other one without those two options. Packard Packard (formerly the Packard Motor Car Company )

1140-555: A four-door sedan, with a Town & Country five-door station wagon added for 1978. Though the LeBaron sedan and station wagon were visibly similar to the Volaré (which shared the 112.7 in (2,863 mm) wheelbase), they had different hoods, trunk lids, and front and rear header panels. The LeBaron coupe shared the same wheelbase as the sedan/wagon (4 inches longer than the F-body coupe), with

1254-606: A great deal more hand labor and traditional craftsmanship. Although Packard almost certainly could not have survived the Depression without the highly successful Junior models, they did have the effect of diminishing the Senior models' exclusive image among those few who could still afford a luxury car. The 120 models were more modern in basic design than the Senior models. For example, the 1935 Packard 120 featured independent front suspension and hydraulic brakes, features that did not appear on

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1368-465: A kind of overdrive , claimed able to reduce engine speed 27.8%; it could be engaged at any speed over 30 mph (48 km/h). The same year, the company introduced a fifth, transverse shock absorber and made column shift (known as Handishift) available on the 120 and Six. A new body shape was introduced for the 1941 model year, the Packard Clipper . It was available only as a four-door model on

1482-690: A late model-year response to the Cadillac Seville and Lincoln Versailles , the Chrysler LeBaron was the first compact Chrysler ever produced. Effectively a new generation of the Dodge Aspen/Plymouth Volaré , the LeBaron was the inaugural model of the M platform (alongside the Dodge Diplomat ). In contrast to the Seville and Versailles, the LeBaron was offered as both a two-door coupe and

1596-515: A limited-edition " Fifth Avenue " option package for the 1980 LeBaron four-door sedan. A conversion by American Sunroof Corporation, the Fifth Avenue featured a padded vinyl roof covering the quarter glass of the rear doors and interior trim upgrades. Following the discontinuation of the Volaré for 1981, Chrysler introduced a police-equipment option package (keeping Chrysler-Plymouth dealers in competition for law enforcement fleet contracts); for 1982,

1710-550: A luxury car. Model year sales only climbed back to 55,000 units in 1955, including Clipper, in what was a strong year across the industry. As the 1955 models went into production, an old problem flared up. Back in 1941, Packard had outsourced its bodies to Briggs Manufacturing Company . Briggs founder Walter Briggs had died in early 1952 and his family decided to sell the company to pay estate taxes. Chrysler promptly purchased Briggs and notified Packard that they would cease supplying bodies after Packard's contract with Briggs expired at

1824-576: A more modern appearance. A larger LeBaron sedan based on the Dodge Spirit and Plymouth Acclaim would arrive for the 1990 model year. The 1985 LeBaron GTS was a somewhat different car than the standard LeBaron and was based on the Chrysler H platform . It was available at the same time as the Cadillac Cimarron as a luxury-brand model while offering a similar level of equipment to the small Cadillac. As

1938-495: A one-piece windshield, a wrap-around rear window, small tailfins on the long-wheelbase models, a full-width grille (replacing the traditional Packard upright design), and blunt "guideline fenders" with the hood and front fenders at the same height. The 122 in (3,099 mm) wheelbase was used on the 200-series standard and Deluxe two- and four-doors, 250-series Mayfair two-door hardtops (Packard's first), and convertibles. The higher-end 300 and Patrician 400 models were built on

2052-589: A padded vinyl half-roof with smaller "formal" backlight, as well as unique button-tufted bench seats. All LeBaron sedans came with a standard driver's side airbag , and could seat up to six passengers. Due to Chrysler's efforts to refocus the Plymouth brand at the value end and to expand the Chrysler brand's sales, for 1992 the Plymouth Acclaim would lose its mid-range LE and top-line LX trims. They were instead added to

2166-500: A revitalized Chrysler Direct Connection performance parts division) and ran them from 1988 until 1998. Production Figures: The last LeBaron sedan was built on the front wheel drive AA platform , another K derivative, as junior level sedan to the more upscale New Yorker . It offered rebadged versions under the Dodge Spirit and Plymouth Acclaim nameplates, and the three differed mostly in detail and trim choices, as well as

2280-408: A ride that was soft yet controlled. Additionally, this suspension featured an electro-mechanical compensator or "levilizer" that kept the car level regardless of passenger or trunk loading. As of October 1, 1954, Packard Motor Car Company bought the failing Studebaker Corporation to form America's fourth-largest automobile company, but without full knowledge of their circumstances or consideration of

2394-443: A separate make and division, its flagship luxury brand, taking its name from the original Chrysler Imperial series. Intended as a direct competitor for Cadillac , Lincoln , and Packard , Imperial was a completely distinct vehicle make/brand that did not use the Chrysler nameplate. Through the existence of the division, Imperial used two nameplates alongside a nameless base model (Imperial Custom, from 1960–1963). Its mid-range line

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2508-434: A single production line. By maintaining a single line and interchangeability between models, Packard was able to maintain low costs. Packard did not change models as often as other manufacturers. Rather than introducing new models annually, Packard began using its own "Series" formula for differentiating its model changeovers in 1923 borrowing a strategy from GM called planned obsolescence . The new model series did not debut on

2622-443: A sleeker roofline. A 225 cu in (3.7 L) Slant Six was the standard engine, with the 318 cu in (5.2 L) or 360 cu in (5.9 L) V8s optional. A three-speed Torqueflite automatic transmission was offered with all three engines, though a four-speed manual overdrive transmission was offered with the 225 and 318 engines through 1981. For 1980, the LeBaron underwent an mid-cycle facelift. The exterior

2736-405: A strictly annual basis, with some series lasting nearly two years, and others lasting as brief as seven months. In the long run, Packard averaged approximately one new series per year. By 1930, Packard automobiles were considered part of its Seventh Series. By 1942, Packard was in its Twentieth Series. The "Thirteenth Series" was omitted due to the western superstition about the number 13. To meet

2850-520: A three-ton load drove from New York City to San Francisco between July 8 and August 24, 1912. In the same year, Packard had service depots in 104 cities. The Packard Motor Corporation Building at Philadelphia , also designed by Albert Kahn, was built in 1910–1911. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. By 1931, Packards were also being produced in Canada. Entering

2964-463: A version. The Packard inline eight, despite being an older design that lacked the power of Cadillac's engines, produced no vibration. When combined with an Ultramatic transmission, the drivetrain made for a quiet and smooth experience on the road. Packard could not keep up with the horsepower race, which was increasingly moving to high compression, short-stroke engines capable of sustained driving at speeds above 55 mph (89 km/h). Packard's image

3078-454: A wagon-like body that was mostly steel, with a good deal of decorative wood in the back. A total of 3,864 were sold over its three years of production. The Packards of the late 1940s and early 1950s were built with traditional craftsmanship and the best materials, but the combination of the lower-priced Packards leading sales and impacting the prestige of their higher-end models and some questionable marketing decisions, Packard's crown as "king" of

3192-570: The Caribbean convertible. Competing directly with the other specialty convertibles marketed that year, ( Buick Skylark , Oldsmobile 98 Fiesta , Cadillac Eldorado , and Chrysler New Yorker Deluxe ), it was equally well-received and outsold its competition. Nevertheless, overall sales declined in 1953. While the limited edition luxury models such as the Caribbean convertible and the Patrician 400 Sedan, and

3306-472: The Chrysler Newport Phaeton, a super-streamlined dual cowl phaeton with an aluminum body, and the remarkable 1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt, a sleek roadster with concealed headlights and a retractable metal hardtop styled by Alex Tremulis , who went on to later style part of the legendary Tucker of 1948. Only 6 of each were made. For the 1955 model year, Chrysler Corporation spun off Imperial as

3420-518: The Clipper became a separate make, with Clipper Custom and Deluxe models available. Now the Packard-Clipper business model was a mirror to Lincoln-Mercury. "Senior" Packards were built in four body styles, each with a unique model name. Patrician was used for the four-door top-of-the-line sedans, Four Hundred for the hardtop coupes, and the Caribbean for the convertible and vinyl-roof two-door hardtop. In

3534-559: The Cole 30 and Cole Runabout were $ 1,500, Packard concentrated on cars with prices starting at $ 2,600. The marque developed a following among wealthy purchasers in the United States and abroad, competing with European marques like Rolls-Royce , Renault , Isotta Fraschini , and Mercedes-Benz . The 3,500,000 sq ft (330,000 m ) Packard plant on East Grand Boulevard in Detroit

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3648-487: The Derham custom formal sedan brought back some prestige from past Packards, the "high pocket" styling introduced two model years prior was no longer drawing buyers for Packer's volume models. Furthermore, Packard's build quality also began slipping during this period as employee morale decreased. While American independent manufacturers like Packard did well during the early postwar period, supply had caught up with demand and by

3762-490: The European Chrysler Saratoga . Theoretically, as historically was the case in this era versus its Dodge and Plymouth corporate siblings, the LeBaron was marketed as the luxury version, reflecting the Chrysler brand's flagship status. In reality, however, there was considerable overlap amongst the three in available trim, equipment and features. Launched in a single trim, the top-line LeBaron Landau model offered

3876-630: The Plymouth Gran Fury was downsized to the M-body, directly replacing the Volaré. After the LeBaron was moved to the K platform for 1982, the M-platform remained in use until the end of the 1980s, supporting several Chrysler-brand nameplates (alongside the Dodge Diplomat and Plymouth Gran Fury). Production Figures: (For 1979 and 1981, coupe and sedan production figures are not separated) For 1982,

3990-513: The Twin Six , designed by Chief engineer Jesse G. Vincent, was introduced for 1932, with prices starting at US$ 3,650 (equivalent to $ 81,511 in 2023) ; in 1933, it would be renamed the Packard Twelve , a name it retained for the remainder of its run (through 1939). Also in 1931, Packard pioneered a system it called Ride Control, which made the hydraulic shock absorbers adjustable from within

4104-495: The "Bright LX" decor package which included a "bright" chrome grille, "bright" chrome badging, and "bright" chrome molding inserts, as opposed to being body-colored on the GTC. The available engines were a naturally aspirated 2.5 L and a turbocharged 2.2 and 2.5 L versions of Chrysler's inline-four , and the 3.0 L Mitsubishi V6 making a 141 hp (105 kW) in this application. The turbocharged engines were dropped from

4218-602: The "Cadillac of the Skies" by GIs in WWII. Packard also built 1350-, 1400-, and 1500-hp V-12 marine engines for American PT boats (each boat used three) and some of Britain's patrol boats . Packard ranked 18th among United States corporations in the value of wartime production contracts. By the end of the war in Europe, Packard Motor Car Company had produced over 55,000 combat engines. Sales in 1944 were $ 455,118,600. By May 6, 1945, Packard had

4332-429: The "Packard Six", priced at around $ 1200 ($ 25,433 in 2023 dollars ), was in time for the 1938 recession. This model also tagged Packards as something less exclusive than they had been in the public's mind and in the long run hurt Packard's reputation of building some of America's finest luxury cars. The Six, redesignated 110 in 1940–41, continued for three years after the war. In 1939, Packard introduced Econo-Drive,

4446-421: The "aero" revolution of the early 1990s. The 1992 LeBaron coupes and convertibles could be ordered with a new "sport package", which featured a monochrome appearance including body-colored grille, accent stripe, and decklid logo. The package also included 14-inch "lace" style wheelcovers and a black strip below the taillights in place of chrome, with special blacked-out window moldings on coupe models. In 1992 for

4560-405: The 120, Packard built a separate factory. By 1936, Packard's labor force was divided nearly evenly between the high-priced "Senior" lines (Twelve, Super Eight, and Eight) and the medium-priced "Junior" models, although more than 10 times more Juniors were produced than Seniors. This was because the 120 models were built using thoroughly modern mass production techniques, while the senior Packards used

4674-565: The 127 in (3,226 mm) wheelbase of the 160, but powered by 125 hp (93 kW; 127 PS) version of straight-8 engine used the 120. In 1942, the Packard Motor Car Company converted to 100% war production. During World War II , Packard again built airplane engines, licensing the Merlin engine from Rolls-Royce as the V-1650 , which powered the P-51 Mustang fighter, ironically known as

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4788-456: The 1930s, Packard attempted to beat the stock market crash and subsequent Great Depression by manufacturing ever more opulent and expensive cars than it had prior to October 1929, and began offering different platforms that focused on different price points allowing the company to offer more products and remain competitive. While the Eight five-seater sedan had been the company's top-seller for years,

4902-551: The 1930s. The Adonis hood ornament was briefly used in the late 1920s. In the 1920s, Packard exported more cars than any other in its price class, and in 1930, sold almost twice as many abroad as any other marque priced over US$ 2,000 (equivalent to $ 36,478 in 2023) . In 1931, 10 Packards were owned by the Imperial House of Japan . Between 1924 and 1930, Packard was also the top-selling luxury brand. In addition to luxury cars, Packard built trucks. A Packard truck carrying

5016-402: The 1993 model year, the LeBaron received a slight facelift. The hidden headlamps of the 1987-1992 models were deleted in favor of less costly flush-mounted replaceable-bulb headlamps , new wheel styles were made available, and all models got the amber rear turn signals introduced on the deluxe 1992 models. For 1994, a passenger side airbag became standard on all models. Also new for 1994 was

5130-592: The 2,490 cu in (40.8 L) versions of the Liberty L-12 V-12 engine. This updated engine powered United States Navy PT boats . After the Second World War, Packard struggled to survive as an independent automaker against the domestic Big Three (General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler). Packard merged with Studebaker in 1953 and formed the Studebaker-Packard Corporation . This merger

5244-437: The 356, the move was seen by some as further denigrating Packard's image as a luxury car. Since 1951 offered little new from other manufacturers, Packard's redesigned lineup sold nearly 101,000 cars. The 1951 Packards were a mixture of the modern (automatic transmissions) and old (using flathead inline eights when OHV V8 engines were becoming the norm). No domestic car lines had OHV V8s in 1948, but by 1955, every car line offered

5358-638: The Chrysler Division: The last Chrysler LeBaron was produced in 1995, to be replaced with the Cirrus and Sebring . The LeBaron was one of Chrysler's longest-running brands. LeBaron was one of the many prominent coachbuilders in the 1920s and 1930s to provide bodies for luxury cars. It was founded in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1920 by Thomas L. Hibbard and Raymond H. Dietrich . It was later purchased by Briggs Manufacturing Company of Detroit in 1926,

5472-455: The Custom Eight line. Original plans were to equip it with a 356 cu in (5.8 L) engine, but the company decided that sales would not be sufficient to justify producing the larger, more expensive engine, and so the de-bored 327 cu in (5.4 L) (previously the middle engine) was used. While the smaller engine offered nearly equal performance in the new Packards to that of

5586-464: The LeBaron GTC, it was not offered with the automatic. Both turbo versions were discontinued during 1989; the 2.5 Turbo returned (only with the five-speed manual transmission) some time during 1990. The new version produces 155 PS (114 kW; 153 hp) at 4700 rpm, but it was discontinued yet again in 1991. The 3.0-liter Mitsubishi V6 engine was introduced to European buyers in mid-1989, and

5700-494: The LeBaron lineup as the base and LX trims, below the former standard trim, which was now called Landau. The LX, which retained the Acclaim's taillights instead of the LeBaron's full-width treatment was available for 1992 only, and now the only model to feature the V6 as standard. For 1993, the LeBaron sedan received new rear lights , which incorporated the reversing lamps previously located in

5814-461: The LeBaron moved to the front-wheel drive Chrysler K platform , where it was the upscale brand's lowest-priced offering. It was initially available in just sedan and coupe versions. In early 1982, it was released in a convertible version, bringing to the market the first factory-built open-topped domestic vehicle since the 1976 Cadillac Eldorado . A station wagon version called the Town and Country

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5928-486: The LeBaron was available in Highline and Premium , typical Chrysler trims at the time. The number of trims grew, peaking in 1990, with six available. After that, the number decreased until just two trim levels remained for 1995. The LeBaron coupe/convertible was part of Chrysler's export push and was regularly available across Europe. Springs and shocks were somewhat firmer on European-market cars. The initial European lineup

6042-498: The Mexican Chrysler Phantom R/T DOHC 16V also offered the same 2.2-liter turbo engine as used in the U.S. market Dodge Spirit R/T . For 1990, the LeBaron's interior was refreshed, featuring an all new dashboard, gauge cluster, door panels, and center console design. All of the new components were designed to be smoother and more flowing than the comparatively boxy 1987-89 interior style, making it more in tune with

6156-600: The Senior Packards until 1937. During this time, Packards were built in Windsor, Ontario by the Packard Motor Company of Canada to benefit from Imperial Preference as well as to build right-hand-drive cars for export. Production started in 1931, with the best year being 1937, with just over 2,500 cars built. Parts manufactured in Canada included tires, upholstery, radiator cores, headlamps, springs, and wheels, while

6270-451: The U.S. market, and a convertible was added. These new designs hid their relationship with the Clipper. Even that name was dropped for a while. The design chosen was a "bathtub" type, commonly called ponton . While this was considered futuristic during the war and the concept was taken further with the 1949 Nash , and survived for decades in the Saab 92–96 in Europe, the 1948–1950 Packard styling

6384-421: The accounting department, did not want the job and quickly made it clear that he was serving on a temporary basis until a permanent company president could be found. The 1951 Packards were redesigned. Designer John Reinhart introduced a high-waisted, more squared-off profile fitting the contemporary styling trends — very different from the traditional flowing design of the postwar era. New styling features included

6498-668: The board). An original Packard, reputedly the first manufactured, was donated by a grateful James Packard to his alma mater , Lehigh University , and is preserved there in the Packard Laboratory. Another is on display at the Packard Museum in Warren, Ohio. While the Black Motor Company 's Black went as low as $ 375, Western Tool Works ' Gale Model A roadster was $ 500, the high-volume Oldsmobile Runabout went for $ 650, and

6612-517: The bread-and-butter Clipper line (the 250 series was dropped), Mayfair hardtop coupes and convertibles, and a new entry-level long-wheelbase sedan named Cavalier. Among the Clippers was a novelty pillared coupe, the Sportster, styled to resemble a hardtop. With time and money lacking, 1954 styling was unchanged except for modified headlights and taillights, essentially trim items. A new hardtop named Pacific

6726-405: The bumper fascia. Trim levels were reduced to just the base model, renamed LE, and the luxury Landau. The LeBaron sedan was discontinued on May 18, 1994, while the Dodge Spirit and Plymouth Acclaim continued production until December 21, 1994. The Chrysler LeBaron was replaced by the "Cloud Car" Chrysler Cirrus . In 1994, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rated the LeBaron

6840-540: The car. For one year only, 1932, Packard fielded an upper-medium-priced car, the Light Eight , at a base price of $ 1,750 ($ 39,080 in 2023 dollars ), or $ 735 ($ 16,414 in 2023 dollars ) less than the Standard Eight. Packard rivals Cadillac and Lincoln benefited from the huge support structure of GM and Ford. Packard could not match the two new automotive giants for resources. The 1920s had proven extremely profitable for

6954-446: The challenge of the Depression, Packard started producing more affordable cars in the medium price range. This was a necessary step as the demand for hand-built luxury cars had diminished sharply and people who could afford such vehicles were reluctant to be seen in them when unemployment was over 20%. In 1935, the company introduced its first car under $ 1000, the 120 . Sales more than tripled that year and doubled again in 1936. To produce

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7068-540: The company and it had assets of approximately $ 20 million in 1932 ($ 447,000,000 in 2023 dollars ) while many luxury car manufacturers were almost broke. Peerless ceased production in 1932, converting the Cleveland manufacturing plant automobile production to brewing for Carling Black Label Beer. By 1938, Franklin , Marmon , Ruxton , Stearns-Knight , Stutz , Duesenberg , and Pierce-Arrow had all closed. Packard had one advantage that some other luxury automakers did not:

7182-434: The company. One of James Nance's first actions as president was creating a pension plan to induce Packard executives to retire. Nance worked to snag Korean War military contracts and turn around Packard's badly diluted image. He declared that Packard would cease producing mid-priced cars and build only luxury models to compete with Cadillac. As part of this strategy, Nance unveiled a low-production (only 750 made) model for 1953,

7296-442: The death of Mason, the new president of AMC, George W. Romney , announced "there are no mergers under way either directly or indirectly". Romney continued with Mason's commitment to buy components from SPC. Although Mason and Nance had previously agreed that SPC would purchase parts from AMC, it did not do so. Packard's engines and transmissions were comparatively expensive, so AMC began development of its own V8 engine , and replaced

7410-503: The early 1950s they were increasingly challenged as the domestic "Big Three"— General Motors , Ford , and Chrysler —battled intensely for sales in the economy, medium-priced, and luxury markets. Those independents that remained in business in the early 1950s, merged. In 1953, Kaiser merged with Willys to become Kaiser-Willys. Nash and Hudson became American Motors Corporation (AMC). The strategy for these mergers included cutting costs and strengthening their sales organizations to meet

7524-470: The edges lit up, and curved ( Coke bottle ) style rocker panels. The LeBaron was equipped with a trip and fuel economy computer as well as full instrumentation. In Mexico, these models were marketed as the Chrysler Phantom. The available engines were the stock 2.2-liter and 2.5-liter, naturally aspirated or turbocharged, and for the 1990 model year, a 3.0-liter Mitsubishi V6 became available, although

7638-451: The end of 1953. Packard was forced to move body production to an undersized plant on Connor Avenue in Detroit. The facility proved too small and caused endless tie-ups and quality problems. Bad quality control hurt the company's image and caused sales to plummet for 1956, though the problems had largely been resolved by that point. Additionally, a "brain drain" of talent away from Packard was underway, including John Z. DeLorean . For 1956,

7752-602: The engines were locally assembled. Production ended in 1939, although the company maintained an office in Windsor for many years. Packard was still the premier luxury automobile, even though the majority of cars being built were the Packard One-Twenty and Super Eight model ranges. Hoping to catch still more of the market, Packard issued the Packard 115C in 1937, powered by a Packard six-cylinder engine. The decision to introduce

7866-506: The era, such as Lincoln and Packard . After purchasing LeBaron with its parent Briggs Manufacturing Company , Chrysler introduced the luxury make Imperial in 1955, and sold automobiles under the name Imperial LeBaron until 1975. Chrysler discontinued the Imperial brand in 1975 and reintroduced the Chrysler LeBaron in 1977 to what was then Chrysler's lowest-priced model. The "LeBaron" name has since been applied to five different cars built by

7980-723: The factory. Chrysler Phantom was the Mexican-market version of the J-Body LeBaron Coupe. There were no convertibles of the J-body 2-door for the Mexican market. Phantoms were Chrysler's top-of-the-line model in Mexico and generally sold with a higher trim level than their United States counterparts; the Phantom was also only ever available with the more powerful, turbocharged engines. Chrysler Phantoms were marketed from 1987 until 1994, with

8094-475: The financial implications. Studebaker-Packard's Nance refused to consider merging with AMC unless he could take the top command position (Mason and Nance were former competitors as heads of the Kelvinator and Hotpoint appliance companies, respectively), but Mason's grand vision of a Big Four American auto industry ended on October 8, 1954, with his sudden death from acute pancreatitis and pneumonia. A week after

8208-515: The first cars delivered in December 1986. A more powerful R/T version (similar to the American LeBaron GTC but using a higher-tuned turbo engine) was also available in 1992 and 1993. The Phantom R/T originally received the 2.5-liter 175 hp (130 kW) Turbo II engine, coupled to a three-speed automatic, but this was quickly changed to the 224 hp (167 kW) Turbo III engine with

8322-466: The first generation LeBaron coupe and convertible in 1986, Chrysler released a new LeBaron for 1987, built on the J platform (a K platform derivative) and available as a coupe or convertible. The all-new LeBaron looked modern and aerodynamic compared to its boxy predecessor and was quite stylish for its day, featuring headlights hidden behind retractable metal covers and a waterfall grille, steeply raked windshield, full-width taillight lenses though only

8436-400: The impossible figure of 250,000 cars annually to break even. Due diligence was placed behind "merger fever", and the deal was rushed. It became clear after the merger that Studebaker's deteriorating financial situation put Packard's survival at risk. Nance had hoped for a total redesign in 1954, but the necessary time and money were lacking. Packard that year (total production 89,796) comprised

8550-549: The intense competition from the Big Three. In 1953–54, Ford and GM waged a brutal sales war, cutting prices and forcing cars on dealers. While this had little effect on either company, it damaged independent automakers. Nash's president George W. Mason thus proposed that the four major independents (Nash, Hudson, Packard, and Studebaker) merge into one firm American Motors Corporation (AMC). Mason held informal discussions with Nance to outline his strategic vision , and an agreement

8664-419: The larger E-body sedans. This generation featured Chrysler's Electronic Voice Alert , a computerized voice that warned drivers about various conditions with phrases such as "A door is ajar" or "Your engine oil pressure is low". The LeBaron was facelifted for 1986, receiving rounder front and rear ends to improve aerodynamics. A landau padded top replaced the sedan's full vinyl roof. The instrumentation cluster

8778-439: The late 1930s, LeBaron/Briggs built more bodies for Chrysler and fewer for Ford. Chrysler became their biggest customer, with additional bodies built for Packard , Hudson , and Graham-Paige . During the late 1930s and early 1940s, the LeBaron name and division became less critical for Briggs, although it remained a division of Briggs until the Chrysler buy-out in 1953. LeBaron's last projects for Chrysler were two concept cars:

8892-412: The lineup in 1992 for the 1993 model year. The coupe was discontinued after 1993. For the last two model years, the 3.0 was the only available engine. The convertible was discontinued after 1995, to make way for the new Chrysler Sebring coupes and convertibles , for 1995 and 1996 respectively. Throughout its lifetime, the LeBaron convertible/coupe was available in many trim levels. For its first year,

9006-400: The luxury car market was at risk. In 1950, sales dropped to 42,000 cars for the model year. When Packard's president George T. Christopher set the course for an evolutionary styling approach with a facelift for 1951, others wanted a radical new design. Christopher resigned and Packard treasurer Hugh Ferry became president and demanded a new direction. Ferry, who had spent his career at Packard in

9120-408: The major manufacturer of bodies for Ford, Chrysler, Hudson, Packard, and others, and operated as a Briggs specialist subsidiary. LeBaron supplied exquisite custom bodies for various car companies such as Chrysler's luxury Imperial line, Duesenberg , and Cadillac . LeBaron's last projects for Chrysler were the Chrysler Newport Phaeton, a super-streamlined dual cowl phaeton with an aluminum body, and

9234-818: The midrange volume models. During this time, Cadillac was among the earliest US makers to offer an automatic transmission (the Hydramatic in 1941). Packard caught up with the Ultramatic , offered on top models in 1949 and all models from 1950 onward, but its perceived market reputation now had it as a competitor to Buick . Designed and built by Packard, the Ultramatic featured a lockup torque converter with two speeds. Early Ultramatics normally operated only in "high", with "low" having to be selected manually. Beginning in late 1954, it could be set to operate only in "high" or to start in "low" and automatically shift into "high". "High"

9348-528: The modern steering wheel , air-conditioning in a passenger car, and one of the first production 12-cylinder engines, adapted from developing the Liberty L-12 engine used during World War I to power warplanes. During World War II , Packard produced 55,523 units of the two-stage/two-speed supercharger equipped 1,650 cu in (27.0 L) Merlin V-12s engines under contract with Rolls-Royce. Packard also made

9462-478: The more modern, but less popular, JA "Cloud Cars" in the same year. Cars that used the front wheel drive AA platform were: Chrysler LeBaron The Chrysler LeBaron , also known as the Imperial LeBaron , is a line of automobiles built by Chrysler from 1931 to 1941 and from 1955 to 1995. The model was introduced in 1931, with a body manufactured by LeBaron , and competed with other luxury cars of

9576-458: The new design was Packard's new overhead-valve V8 , displacing 352 cu in (5.8 L), replacing the straight-eight that had been used for decades. Packard offered a variety of power, comfort, and convenience features, such as power steering and brakes as well as electric window lifts. Air conditioning was available on all car makes by the mid-1950s, but it was installed on only a handful of cars in 1955 and 1956 despite Packard's status as

9690-401: The outsourced unit by mid-1956. Although Nash and Hudson merged, the four-way merger Mason had hoped for, which would have joined Nash, Hudson, Studebaker, and Packard, did not materialize. The S-P marriage (really a Packard buyout) proved to be a crippling mistake. Although Packard was in fair financial condition, Studebaker was not, struggling with high overhead and production costs and needing

9804-515: The remarkable 1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt, a sleek roadster with concealed headlights (like the 1936 Cord 810/812 ) and a retractable metal hardtop styled by Alex Tremulis , who would later style the legendary Tucker of 1948. Chrysler purchased Briggs Manufacturing Company in 1953. Two years after the Chrysler Corporation introduced the Imperial as a separate luxury division, LeBaron

9918-458: The separation of the Clipper line from Packard. As late as the cars' introduction to the market was, there was reasoning for in 1957 this car was to be continued. It then became a baseline Packard on the all-new 1957 Senior shell. Clippers would share bodies with Studebaker from 1957. The new 1955 Packard design did not affect Cadillac's continuing to lead the luxury market segment, followed by Lincoln, Packard, and Imperial. Reliability problems with

10032-646: The shape was too radical for buyer's tastes, and non-Airflow models outsold Airflows by about 3 to 1. Raymond Dietrich , co-founder and former stylist at LeBaron, was hired in 1932 to be Chrysler's in-house stylist. Dietrich restyled the Airflow line and moved Chryslers to more mainstream styles. As a result of the poor Airflow sales, Chrysler's designs became quite conservative for the next two decades. Auto manufacturers continued to build up their in-house styling departments and bodyworks. LeBaron thus became less important to most of its customers for design ideas and bodies. Toward

10146-547: The spring of 1956, the Executive was introduced. In a four-door sedan and a two-door hardtop, the Executive was aimed at the buyer who wanted a luxury car but could not justify Packard's pricing. It was an intermediate model using the Packard name and the Senior models' front end, but using the Clipper platform and rear fenders. This was to some confusion and went against what James Nance had been attempting for several years to accomplish,

10260-551: The war ended in 1953 and the new Secretary of Defense Charles E. Wilson began cutting defense contracts from all automotive manufacturers other than GM, where he had been president. Packard's last major development was the Torsion-Level suspension by Bill Allison, dubbed Torsion Level Ride . The front and rear suspensions on each side of the car side are interconnected by a long torsion bar. This design reduced pitching while allowing for low spring rates, which imbued Packards with

10374-419: Was added to the flagship Patrician series and all higher-end Packards featured a bored-out 359 cu in (5.9 L) engine. Air conditioning became available for the first time since 1942 although Packard introduced air conditioning in the 1930s. Clippers (which comprised over 80% of production) became available in a hardtop model, Super Panama, but sales fell to 31,000 cars. The new model Nance hoped for

10488-464: Was also added. A unique Town and Country convertible was also made from 1983 until 1986 with a 1,105 total produced, which, like the wagon, featured simulated wood paneling that made it resemble the original 1940s Town and Country . This model was part of the well-equipped Mark Cross option package for the latter years. Despite being mechanically similar to the Aries and Reliant, its fascias closely resembled

10602-631: Was also available. The GTS moniker was dropped for 1989, the final year of this vehicle's production, after the K-based LeBaron sedan was discontinued after 1988. Production Figures: After some years of absence, Chrysler officially started offering some models under its brand on the European market from April 1988. One of them was the "Chrysler GTS", which was a rebadged version of the Dodge Lancer ES. Sales figures were moderate. After discontinuing

10716-647: Was also responsible for the iconic Packard slogan, "Ask the Man Who Owns One". The Packard Six was initially introduced as a senior-level luxury platform for three years starting in 1913, then upgraded to the Packard Twin Six starting in 1916. The first appearance of the Packard "Goddess of Speed" hood ornament was in 1925 on the Packard Eight and soon adorned all models, while the Cormorant or Swan appeared in

10830-646: Was an American luxury automobile company located in Detroit , Michigan . The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899, and the last Packards were built in South Bend, Indiana , in 1958. One of the "Three Ps" – alongside Peerless Motor Company and Pierce-Arrow – the company was known for building high-quality luxury automobiles before World War II. Owning a Packard was considered prestigious, and surviving examples are often found in museums and automobile collections. Packard vehicles featured innovations, including

10944-526: Was at hand, the Senior-series cars were not rescheduled. One version of the story is that the Senior dies were left outdoors to rust and were not usable. Another tale is that Roosevelt gave Stalin the dies for the Senior series, but the ZiS-110 state limousines were a separate design. The Clipper became outdated as the new envelope bodies started appearing, led by Studebaker and Kaiser-Frazer. Although Packard

11058-442: Was delayed until 1955, partially because of Packard's merger with Studebaker. Packard stylist Dick Teague was called upon by Nance to design the 1955 line, and to Teague's credit, the 1955 Packard was well received. Not only was the body completely updated and modernized, but the suspension was new, with torsion bars front and rear, along with an electric control that kept the car level regardless of load or road conditions. Along with

11172-567: Was designated the top-of-the-line Imperial models in 1957 through 1975. The LeBarons started in the 1930s during the automobile's Classic era and competed directly with the luxury brands of its day, such as Lincoln , Cadillac , and Packard . In the mid-1930s, Chrysler added a radical new "Art Deco" design shape, known as the Airflow Imperials, to the Chrysler line. LeBaron supplied the high-end CW series. The design features were considered advanced and perhaps ahead of their time. However,

11286-463: Was extremely high, and nearly any vehicle would sell. Attempting to maintain strong sales beyond this point would prove more problematic. Cadillac's new 1948 cars had sleek, aircraft-inspired styling that immediately made Packard's "bathtub" styling seem old-fashioned. Cadillac also debuted a brand-new OHV V8 engine in 1949 whereas Packard's lack of a modern engine became an increasing liability. Packard outsold Cadillac until circa 1950; most sales were

11400-607: Was guided by its president and General Manager James Alvan Macauley , who served as President of the National Automobile Manufacturers Association. Inducted into the Automobile Hall of Fame, Macauley made Packard the number one designer and producer of luxury automobiles in the United States. The marque was also competitive abroad, with markets in 61 countries. Gross income for the company was $ 21,889,000 in 1928 ($ 388,402,000 in 2023 dollars ). Macauley

11514-402: Was in good financial condition as the war ended, they had not sold enough cars to pay the cost of tooling for the 1941 design. While most automakers were able to introduce new vehicles for 1948 and 1949, Packard could not until 1951. The company updated cars by adding new sheet metal to the existing body (which added 200 lb (91 kg) of curb weight). Six-cylinder cars were discontinued for

11628-689: Was increasingly seen as dowdy and old-fashioned, unappealing to younger customers. Surveys found that nearly 75% of Packard customers had owned previous Packards and few new buyers were attracted to the make. Compounding this problem was the company's geriatric leadership. The Packard board of directors by the early 1950s had an average age of 67. In 1948, Alvin Macauley, born during the Grant Administration , had stepped down as chairman. Hugh Ferry decided to hire an outsider as president. He recruited James Nance from appliance manufacturer Hotpoint. At 52, Nance

11742-485: Was intended for normal driving and "Low" was mainly for navigating hills. The Ultramatic made Packard the only American automotive manufacturer other than GM to develop an automatic transmission completely in-house. Ford had chosen to outsource their design to Borg-Warner (Ford had attempted to purchase Ultramatics from Packard to install in Lincolns, but bought Hydramatics until Lincoln developed its own automatic transmission

11856-720: Was intended to be temporary while an eventual consolidation with American Motors Company (AMC) was planned. Disagreements among the firms' executives thwarted these plans, so Studebaker-Packard remained a separate company. The Packard brand was phased out in 1959 after two years of declining sales of the Studebaker-built 1957 and 1958 model year Packards. Packard was founded by James Ward Packard , his brother William , and their partner, George Lewis Weiss, in Warren, Ohio , where 400 Packard automobiles were built at their factory on 408 Dana Street Northeast, from 1899 until 1903. A mechanical engineer, James Packard believed they could build

11970-490: Was located on over 40 acres (16 ha) of land. Designed by Albert Kahn Associates , it included an early use of reinforced concrete for an automotive factory when building #10 opened in 1906. Its craftsmen practised over 80 trades. The dilapidated plant stood until demolition commenced in September 2022, despite repeated fires. The factory is in close proximity to the current General Motors Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly , which

12084-476: Was made up of the naturally aspirated 2.5 and the turbocharged 2.2; both were offered with a 5-speed manual or a 3-speed automatic. Power is 98 and 148 PS (72 and 109 kW; 97 and 146 hp) respectively. In mid-1988, the turbocharged 2.2 was partially replaced by the 2.5 Turbo, with power slightly lower at 146 PS (107 kW; 144 hp). The 2.2 Turbo received an intercooler, which boosted maximum power to 177 PS (130 kW; 175 hp). Called

12198-412: Was more than a decade younger than the youngest Packard executive. One reason for the aged leadership of Packard was the company's lack of a pension plan for executives (rank-and-file workers had a pension plan per their UAW contract). As a result, Packard executives were reluctant to retire with no source of income other than a Social Security payment, thus blocking younger men from coming to power in

12312-661: Was only available with the four-speed automatic. It produces somewhat less power than the American models; 136 PS (100 kW; 134 hp) at 5200 rpm. The top speed was 182 km/h (113 mph) and the 0–100 km/h (62 mph) sprint took 10.8 seconds. After the 2.5 Turbo was discontinued in 1991, the V6 remained the only regular option until the LeBaron Coupé/Convertible ended European sales in mid-1994. Several ARCA (one tier down from NASCAR cup racing) teams built LeBaron based race cars (supported by

12426-467: Was polarizing. To some, it was sleek and blended classic with modern. Others nicknamed it the "pregnant elephant". Test driver for Modern Mechanix , Tom McCahill , referred to the newly designed Packard as "a goat" and "a dowager in a Queen Mary hat" in the January 1948 issue. Packard sold 2,000 vehicles in 1948 and a total of 116,000 of the 1949 models. In the early post-WWII years, the demand for new cars

12540-446: Was reached for AMC to buy Packard's Ultramatic transmissions and V8 engines. They were used in 1955 Hudsons and Nashes . It did not help that Chrysler and Ford waged a campaign of "stealing" Packard dealerships during the early 1950s. Consequently, Packard's dealer network became smaller and more scattered which made it even more difficult to sell Packard vehicles. Although Korean War defense contracts brought in badly-needed revenue,

12654-459: Was revised from a rectangle speedometer and fuel gauge with a message center to round gauges similar to the Reliant/Aries but with an argent surround for a more upscale appearance. Coupes and convertibles were dropped for 1987, replaced by the all-new J-body LeBaron released that year. The sedan and wagon continued with minor changes until 1988. A new digital dashboard replaced the analog gauges for

12768-463: Was styled with sharper-edged sheetmetal and restyled with a waterfall grille (similar to the 1974-1975 Imperial); the sedan roofline underwent aerodynamic revisions (no longer shared with the Volaré). The two-door moved to the shorter F-body wheelbase, also receiving aerodynamic enhancements to its rear sheetmetal. The interior underwent design upgrades to make the model line more luxurious. Chrysler introduced

12882-640: Was the Imperial Crown, with the flagship line branded as the Imperial LeBaron (in deference to the coachbuilder); Southampton was a sub-designation applied for pillarless hardtop bodystyles. In June 1975, Chrysler retired the Imperial brand in response to declining sales of the marque; the Imperial LeBaron was repackaged for 1976 as the Chrysler New Yorker Brougham. For 1977, the LeBaron returned, moving from Imperial to Chrysler. Introduced as

12996-719: Was the former site of the Dodge Vehicle factory from 1910 until 1980. Architect Kahn also designed the Packard Proving Grounds in Shelby Township, Michigan . From this beginning, through and beyond the 1930s, Packard-built vehicles were perceived as highly competitive among high-priced luxury American automobiles. The company was commonly referred to as being one of the "Three Ps" of American motordom royalty, along with Pierce-Arrow of Buffalo, New York , and Peerless of Cleveland, Ohio . For most of its history, Packard

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