The Bathtub: ’50 Packard Super Eight Sedan
We mean Bathtub in a good way. But back in the day, the styling wasn’t appreciated very much and many critics called this model the Bathtub. Post-war Packards sold okay but the glory days were clearly over as management tried to reposition the company for volume. After all, the country was crying for new cars and sales were brisk although natural resources to make them were still scarce. So we can Monday Morning Quarterback the demise of the Packard Company. They just tried to hard too grow and wound up in the dust bin. Fast forward 63 years and the Bathtub looks kind of cool. Elegant almost. And you know how much we like original cars and this one is exceptional. The mileage is 35,029 so it can be said to be museum quality. A close inspection will attest to the statement I am sure. The Super Eights were at the top of the line and this one has a few neat options like the sunshade and driving lights. The cloth interior looks to be in good condition and hopefully not too fragile after all these years. We don’t know the sellers but the eBay listing is well done. You can see it by clicking here.
Many automotive historians are of the opinion that Packard’s ultimately disastrous effort to chase higher sales volume began in the mid-1930s when ex-GM production man George Christopher brought the 120 Series to market and invested in additional production capacity, dramatically increasing the company’s fixed cost base.
When new, the ’48 ‘bathtub’ Packard received the “Fashion Car of the Year” gold medal from the New York Fashion Academy, so it wasn’t universally reviled back in the day.