Remember the movie “Weekend at Bernie’s”? No, it wasn’t a political special from last year’s crazy election. This classic comedy was about two fresh out of college business types attempting to make their recently deceased boss look alive enough to fool everyone. Well, Studebaker found themselves in a similar situation when they were bought by Packard in 1954. This 1958 Packard Starlight Hardtop, found for us by reader Adam C, represents the end of the line in name only for this once classic marque. Currently selling here on eBay for $4,051 with 22 bidders willing to drive to Archer, Florida to pick it up, this badge engineered “Studepackard” was a last-ditch attempt to keep the Packard name alive until enough money rolled in to build a proper Packard.
Packard was one of the oldest and most respected automakers in the world. They produced year after year of innovative automobiles clad in some of the most gorgeous designs to ever roll on four wheels. They were Cadillac’s strongest rival and were every bit their equal until World War II seemed to break the company’s momentum. Packard had produced over 55,000 Merlin airplane engines under license from Rolls Royce and a large number of boat engines during the conflict. When the war ended, the company was fat with profits but lacking a good plan to retain their former glory.
A series of management mistakes and the intense competition from “The Big Three” eroded whatever advantages the company had in the marketplace. By 1954, the company was on its heels and foolishly bought Studebaker. Studebaker itself wasn’t in the best of shape either, but the mindset was that independent automakers had better find a dance partner quickly if they wished to survive. The costs of developing modern automobiles were just too high. Just look at the race to put V-8 engines under the hoods of nearly every car sold in America. Nobody had time for old straight eight and straight sixes from before the war. After a few questionable redesigns, a sales war between GM and Ford that killed profits, and other misfortunes, the combined company was on the ropes.
The deal with Studebaker (sort of a KMart buys Sears deal from yesteryear) set the stage for the company’s final acts. The redesigned Packards for 1955 and 1956, which included a modern V-8 for the first time, were a hit. Sadly, quality took a dive and customer confidence was damaged. To add to the troubles, talented executives and engineers started to look for greener pastures. All of this added up to financial problems big enough to end any plans to retool for a new Packard. Any new designs would have to share a chassis with the Studebaker line. According to the ever trusty scribes at Wikipedia, the last true Packard rolled off the line on June 25, 1956. It was a Patrician four-door sedan.
By 1958, only four Packard models remained. Sadly, they were all Studebakers in all but name and styling. The coupe we see here was called a Starlight, which was a name Studebaker had used for their well-styled coupes. To further mess up an already pathetic situation, the company plastered on cheap styling gimmicks like fins and a grill opening that must have been inspired by the legendary monster catfish at the bottom of dams across America. July 25, 1958, marked the end of Packard’s zombie era, and the name finally got laid to rest for the last time.
This particular Studebaker based Packard is in relatively good condition. One of only 675 produced, it is also remarkably original in many ways. The car sports its factory paint and exterior, and only a few areas have been severely damaged by rust. Most of the corrosion seen in the pictures is just surface rust. The floors are in excellent condition, but the car itself is not running. The 289 cubic inch V-8 under the hood shouldn’t be too hard to bring back to life. The car has been stored indoors since the 1980s, and the engine does turn free.
Interest in this auction is surprising. Nobody wanted these cars back then, but it appears that this car has inspired a fair amount of bidding. It is not a bad car, and it certainly would draw attention wherever it went. Just like Bernie did.
This came from the styling team imagination of George Jetson and Fred Flintstone.
More like Quentin Crisp and Phyllis Diller.
Genius.
Commenters who know Quentin Crisp?
This place is even better than I thought.
The Naked Civil Servant.
An interesting, if not compelling Packardbaker.
Attention is brisk since the Studebaker Drivers Club folds their wing around these from time to time, and the Packard Club tolerates them mostly. *some* of the exterior is reasonable-ish to find, since the sedans looked like this as well (sigh). They had different interior trim than the Studebaker Hawks, so the missing bits can get interesting to find. Unique cars. If the Batmobile was a hardtop, sort of thing.
Anyone else feel like these pictures were taken from the inside of a fishbowl? Or do I need new glasses?
The one picture of the back end really demonstrates the tri-level angular fins on this car. Can you say “ouch” if you happen to bump into those chrome taillight reveals?
I think the wide-angle lens did an excellent job of accentuating the audacious over-styled mess the `58 Packabakers were! Tacked on this, and bulbous that; they were so cartoonish they were funny!
Studepackard? Never heard THAT term. I’ve only heard Packardbaker.
Basically a Studey with add on prosthetics, front and rear, to make it a Packard. Certainly didn’t fool buyers.
The taillights are highly sought by individuals that are into customizing. Recently saw a pair of taillights from a similar car for sale for $2,600. Explains a lot.
Yea, a few years ago found a pair and put on my Bobcat:
Packard was a thriving company before they merged with Studebaker which was a finical mess, hug looses and debt. Packard may still be with us if it wasn’t for the merger. Packard made more than a million dollars in profits the year before the merger.
Packard merged with Studebaker hoping to garner more sales through Studebaker’s much lager dealer network. Studebaker needed to sell over 282,000 vehicles just to break even, and they had come up about 200,000 short in 1954. Behind the scenes, George Mason was trying to put together a merger with AMC ( Nash-Hudson ) which by combining the 4 brands would have surpassed Chrysler as the # 3 automaker in size, and would have probably led to the survival of at least three of the brands for several more decades. Unfortunately, Mason died suddenly in 1954, and his successor, George Romney, was not interested in finalizing that merger, sealing the fate of Studebaker-Packard Corporation which had too much unfunded pension & benefit liability to survive. Pretty much similar to the issues facing a number of cities , except Studebaker-Packard couldn’t raise taxes to pay off their debts.
Not presented well by the seller in the pictures. Who in their right mind uses a fisheye lens to take car sale photos? The tail end is outrageous if you google the model.
Regardless on how it looks,you will probably get a lot more attention at car shows in the midst of a sea of ’55-57Chevys and Ford T-Birds,Camaros,Mustangs,and Corvettes.Those pre-war Packards are beautiful.
I had always understood the Packard-Studebaker hookup to be a merger, not a purchase of one by the other. But Wikipedia also says Packard was the buyer, so I’ve learned something new today.
Either way, it’s a case study in due diligence, or lack thereof. Studebaker’s financial condition was far shakier than they let on, and Packard bought themselves a rapidly-sinking boat anchor.
The dashboard does not look right on this car. Something is missing, maybe the hood over the dashboard, maybe a gold applique, not sure, but it definitely looks strange and unfinished.
I restored a 1958 Studebaker Commander 2-dr. hardtop a few years ago, which is essentially the same car as this.
Good catch! Apparently the dash pad had deteriorated to the point that someone took it off and filled the mounting holes in the dash.
That is a very rare car.
New paint and get her running and it would be the star at any car meet.
Price has suddenly surged over $15,000 now.
So ugly it’s awesome.
I have loved these for years, but I have never, ever been able to get my eyes to make sense of that rear end.
The front, yes, a visual connection to the Packard Hawk. But that second set of fins made zero sense.
The 57 was so much more cohesive [in comparison]
I have the same problem with the 62 Dodge Dart front end. Years and years of trying and I’m still thinking: how did they get to the point where anyone thought it was marketable.
The bidding is currently over $15,000 and I smell something fishy. They are very rare but as Wayne Carini discovered that doesn’t always translate to value. He bought a perfect 58 wagon (158 built) and tried to sell it at auction with poor results. I’m not sure it’s more than a $30,000 restored.
Step away from the camera before anyone else gets hurt……
Simply put, about this time was the death knell for independent companies.
But ironically, Studebaker survived the merger for a while and managed to put out some cool cars, and the Nash/Hudson (and then Nash/Hudson/Kaiser/Willys) merger held out for thirty years.
Quentin Crisp and Studebaker on the same thread-Is this a great country or what? Shame about Packard-just looking at pics of the derelict plant is depressing, although someone has bought it and is cleaning it up with intentions (apparently) of restoration, although I doubt if the funds exist to bring it back to its full former glory (It was considered an architectural masterpiece in its day-any experts?). If this project is successful, it, like the Ford train station project, would go a long way towards bringing Detroit back from life support, so here’s hoping that intentions are honorable. As for this car, I want to like it, but owning it for me would be like owning a pet catfish. Still, someone will want to take it home so GLWA.
Too funny. I doubt anyone found this car stylish even in 58. They didn’t have the money to retool the front fenders for quad headlights so they tacked on those fiberglass bezels to the 57 fenders. Desperate for money they made the car worse instead of better
Fins on top of fins. That’s different. Front bumper looks like fiberglass, probably just dull though.
Check out the ’57 Dodge
Fins on top of fins. That’s different. Front bumper looks like fiberglass, probably just dull though.
My Uncle John used to call these stupidpackards. He also called
Studebakers Stupidbakers because
he was a Cadillac man and couldn’t
stand them. He got on my case for
buying a non running ’54 Champion
coupe for $25. Had fun with it though,
I found a 375 HP 327 and an M-20
Muncie 4-speed at the local wrecking
yard and went to work. By the time I
got finished building it, I had the hottest
car in town! Man that thing was fast and
got me in trouble too. Got clocked doing
115 in a 35 MPH speed zone! Dad was
a police officer then and when he found
out about it, he made me sell it. I made
peace with him by trading it for a ’62 Olds
Starfire hardtop that packed a 394 V-8
with 3 deuces. Got in trouble with that
one too, but that’s another story.
Don’t tell me your dad made you sell the Starfire. That car is a looker!
Oh Packard,,,you were once so proud,,,look what they reduced you to. I say this every time a ’58 Packard shows up, this car, regardless of what you think of it’s styling, represents the last gasp of a great automaker and just the fact it has Packard on it, still means something to me. I like the fitting comparison to K Mart/ Sears. One sinking ship helping another. ( I just read, ANOTHER 46 K Mart and Sears stores are closing) It was if, they knew it was the end, and cleaned out the parts bins to make this car, and buyers were not impressed. Still, a handful were stout Packard buyers until the bitter end, and this was it. I think it was a really cool car.
MY DAD HAD AN 1941 OLDS TWO DR FASTBACK WITH HYDRAMATIC, FIVE FAMILY MEMBERS WERE TRAVELED FROM CINCINNATI OHIO TO CALIFORNIA MOVING DURING WW2 IT WAS AN EXPERIENCE THAT I WAS 10 YEARS OLD HEADING TO NEW MORE WARM CLIMATE, THE OLDS WAS LATER TRADED FOR A 1950 SUPER88 ROCKET ALSO HYDRAMATIC 4 DR SEDAN AND WAS THE BEST AUTOMATIC FOR BOTH OLDS MODELS WE EVER HAD. OLDS MADE GREAT CARS! i AM ABOUT TO TURN “SUPER 88” OF AGE AND MIISS THE OLDS BRAND OF CAR!!!