The Fall of the Packard Motor Car Company

The Fall of the Packard Motor Car Company
Author: James Arthur Ward
Publisher:
Total Pages: 309
Release: 1997
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780804731652

This is the compelling story of the puzzling decline and fall of one of America's most prestigious automobile manufacturers, a company that for most of the fifty-nine years of its history was a synonym for luxury, excellence, and corporate stability. Although many books have extolled the long, glamorous history of Packard, this book focuses on the dark, post-World War II years that led to its dissolution in 1956. For the first time, this book gives an authoritative, deeply researched, and convincing explanation of why the Packard Motor Car Company died in the midst of one of the greatest automotive booms in history.

"Ask the Man Who Owns One"

Author: Arthur W. Einstein, Jr.
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 283
Release: 2014-01-10
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 0786456612

A major force in the American automobile scene through the 1950s, Packard made a mark on American advertising as well. The cars themselves seemed built for promotion--the red hexagon in the hubcap, the yoke grille, and the half-arrow belt-line molding acted as a logo of sorts, setting a new standard in visual continuity and branding. The company's image became so firmly established, in fact, that Packard eventually ran advertisements which pictured the cars but purposely omitted the name, instead asking readers to "guess what name it bears." This book traces Packard's advertising history from 1900 through 1958, based on original research that includes several first-hand interviews with the people who made it happen. Filled with reproductions of Packard ads (some in color), the book looks beyond the surface to examine how the advertisements reflect and interpret the company's management and business convictions, how they were influenced by business conditions and competitive pressure, and how they changed with the times.

Abandoned America

Abandoned America
Author: Matthew Christopher
Publisher: Jonglez Photo Books
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2014
Genre: Photography
ISBN: 9782361950941

Originally intended as an examination of the rise and fall of the state hospital system, Matthew Christopher's Abandoned America rapidly grew to encompass derelict factories and industrial sites, schools, churches, power plants, hospitals, prisons, military installations, hotels, resorts, homes, and more.

Storied Independent Automakers

Storied Independent Automakers
Author: Charles K. Hyde
Publisher: Wayne State University Press
Total Pages: 328
Release: 2009-11-15
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0814340865

Auto historians and readers interested in business history will enjoy Storied Independent Automakers.

A Grand Complication

A Grand Complication
Author: Stacy Perman
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 342
Release: 2013-02-19
Genre: Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN: 1439190089

"The race between two ambitious, complicated men in the early 1900s to create the most extravagant, complicated timepiece ever"--

Packard Motor Car Company

Packard Motor Car Company
Author: Evan P. Ide
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Total Pages: 132
Release: 2003
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780738512082

Founded in 1899, the Packard Motor Car Company grew into one of America's finest automobile companies, producing cars that exemplified American quality and innovation. Packards were the cars of presidents, movie stars, and those with an appreciation for high quality. The company is known for producing a variety of automobiles, as well as marine engines for PT boats. The Packard represents the classic era of automobile manufacturing and remains one of the most sought-after collector cars. The Packard Motor Car Company was in existence from 1899 to 1957, but the golden era of Packard cars came to a close in the late 1930s. The images featured in this book represent the early years at the Warren, Ohio and Detroit, Michigan factories. The first Packard was built in 1899, and the company then went on to build the fifth car to climb Mount Washington and some of the finest record-setting racecars in the history of automobile racing. Packard Motor Car Company contains rare images from the Larz Anderson Auto Museum that were saved from the Packard factory and the personal collection of James Ward Packard when the company closed.

The Automobile in American History and Culture

The Automobile in American History and Culture
Author: Michael L. Berger
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 516
Release: 2001-07-30
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0313016062

This comprehensive reference guide reviews the literature concerning the impact of the automobile on American social, economic, and political history. Covering the complete history of the automobile to date, twelve chapters of bibliographic essays describe the important works in a series of related topics and provide broad thematic contexts. This work includes general histories of the automobile, the industry it spawned and labor-management relations, as well as biographies of famous automotive personalities. Focusing on books concerned with various social aspects, chapters discuss such issues as the car's influence on family life, youth, women, the elderly, minorities, literature, and leisure and recreation. Berger has also included works that investigate the government's role in aiding and regulating the automobile, with sections on roads and highways, safety, and pollution. The guide concludes with an overview of reference works and periodicals in the field and a description of selected research collections. The Automobile in American History and Culture provides a resource with which to examine the entire field and its structure. Popular culture scholars and enthusiasts involved in automotive research will appreciate the extensive scope of this reference. Cross-referenced throughout, it will serve as a valuable research tool.