In 1900, the Ohio Automobile Company was founded to produce Packard automobiles and in 1902 the name was changed to the Packard Motor Car Company with James Packard as president. With regard to marketing, Packards were an automobile for the wealthy. The Great Depression of the 1930s sounded the death knell for many American automobile manufacturers. Packard responded to the challenges by continuing to manufacture luxury automobiles. Packard had a single production line with interchangeability between models which meant that Packard was able to keep its costs down. In addition, Packard did not introduce new models annually.
By 1935, the Great Depression forced Packard to introduce its first lower priced car, the Packard 120. Sales tripled in 1935 and then doubled again in 1936. The 120 model was built in an entirely separate factory. By 1936, the company’s labor force was evenly divided between the Senior lines (i.e. the luxury vehicles) and the low-priced Junior models. While Packard produced only 1 Senior car for every 10 Junior cars, the Senior cars required more hand labor.
Shown below are some of the 1930s Packards on display in the Packard Museum in Dayton, Ohio. At this time, enclosed Packards were less common than convertibles.
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