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The 1957 and 1958 Packard lineup of automobiles were actually Studebakers: mildly restyled, rebadged and given slightly more luxurious interiors. After 1956 production, the Packard engine and transmission factory was leased to the Curtiss-Wright Corporation while the assembly plant on Detroit's East Grand Boulevard was sold, ending the line of Packard-built cars. However, some Studebaker executives still saw value in the Packard name. These cars were developed in hopes that enough would be sold to enable the company to design and build a completely new luxury Packard. ==1957 Packard Clipper== For the 1957 model year, Studebaker-Packard took its top-of-the-line model, the President, and added a revised grille and taillights along with a Packard styled dashboard and called the car the Packard Clipper. Two models were produced in 1957, a four-door Town Sedan and a station wagon Clipper Country Sedan. Carryover parts from earlier Packard models included taillights, wheel covers, block letters on hood, instruments and radios. The headlight 'eyebrows' and front bumper assembly were styled for a Packard appearance. A 1955 hood ornament was modified to fit the Studebaker hood shape and the long wide side trim was designed to be reminiscent of recent Packard trim. A stamped overlay for the lower rear fenders also gave them a body crease line suggestive of the side trim of the 1956 Caribbean. Dashboard and interior were all Packard styled. Some former President features like the rear folding seat armrest and faired in door armrests were reserved for the Clippers, with the addition of door mounted ashtrays, thick pile carpeting, and exclusive Packard style cloth/vinyl fabrics. Other unique features included under dash courtesy lights, fully padded dash top (that unfortunately didn't like the sun), padded sun visors, and gold plated hor ring. When Packard dealers saw the resulting car at regional previews, the response was quick, angry and loud. Many dealers felt the Clipper was too similar to the Studebaker on which it was based and dropped Packard completely. Sales were a low 4,809, almost all of which were the Town Sedan. Critics bestowed the less than positive name "Packardbaker" on the cars. In order to produce an engine of appropriate power for a Packard, a McCulloch-supercharged version of Studebaker's 289 in³ (4.7 L) small-block V8 was used, giving 275 bhp (205 kW), equivalent to the Packard engines in use the year before (and likewise used in the Studebaker Golden Hawk). Since the Studebaker-bodied cars were quite a bit lighter than the previous year's Packards, the 1957 Packard range actually had quite exceptional performance for the time. Writer and auto historian Richard Langworth has noted that while these cars weren't truly Packards, they were, however, very good Studebakers. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「1957 and 1958 Packards」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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