Allison vs. Merlin

[The Inspector]

When the war ended, so did PACKARDS contract for MERLINS-there were lots of them laying around new/surplus and the military was in love with that stovepipe stuff. PACKARD emerged from WW2 very weak as the market for their big cars had evaporated, and the 'little PACKARDS' were more expensive than the equivalent OLDS or BUICK and it took PACKARD until the mid 50's to develop and market a modern V-8 overhead valve car engine and FORD, CHEVY, BUICK, STUDEBAKER, RAMBLER and OLDS already had much better OHV V-8's in production (the old 'visible V-8 1/4 scale engine kit was mostly based on a PACKARD). PACKARD sold out to STUDEBAKER and the last PACKARDS from 1958 when the brand rolled over and sank were B#ll S#itted, odd looking versions of the STUDIE LOWEY coupe, the Lowey Studie continued until 1964 as a series of 'HAWKS' and finally as the Gran Turismo.

[Mark Allen M]

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Last edited by Mark Allen M on Mon Sep 10, 2012 3:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[StudeDave]

PACKARD sold out to STUDEBAKER and the last PACKARDS from 1958 when the brand rolled over and sank were B#ll S#itted, odd looking versions of the STUDIE LOWEY coupe, the Lowey Studie continued until 1964 as a series of 'HAWKS' and finally as the Gran Turismo.

Uhhhhhhh- no.
While some facts are close- many are not!!!

Packard bought Studebaker. The reallities of economics saw the company close Packard's Detroit plant at the end of 1956.
Studebaker did the same with it's South Bend, Indiana plant in late 1963- and then shifted production to Canada.
That lasted through 1966. But they made more then just Hawks...


That's Cleo, my 1958 Packard. She is a sedan that is NOT based on the Lowey Coupe in any way shape or form.
Now, her sisters~ the Packard Hawks- were. The Hawk line was but a part of what Studebaker-Packard (and later just Studebaker) produced all the way to 1966.
Here are some examples~




All of my Studebakers (and my Packard) are sedans/wagons but for one-


So while the Hawks seem to be the cars everyone remembers-
please don't forget there was more to the StudeStory then just them~
thank goodness!!!!