1956 Packard Executive Line Hardtop Coupe

Introduced mid-year on March 5, 1956, the Executive was the last new model Packard ever produced. It was targeted to 'the young man on the way up' with an invitation 'to enter the luxury car class now-at a modest investment.'

Packard sales were plunging in early 1956, and the company desperately needed a successful new car to generate cash to stay afloat. Designers responded with the Executive, an attractively redesigned Clipper Custom with a Packard front end and modified side trim.

Packard risked its reputation by placing its prestigious name on a lower-priced car in 1935. That strategy succeeded and saved Packard from bankruptcy during the Great Depression, but the magic was gone by the 1950s. Only 2,815 Executives were built before production ended on June 25, 1956. This example is one of just 1,031 Executive hardtops built.

Special Features
Engine: 352 CID/275 horsepower V8. Torque 380 lb/ft at 2,800 RPM; Compression ratio 9.5; Ignition: negative ground

Transmission: Revision from traditional Packard hypoid differential to Packard-Spicer. Rear axle ratios, 3.54 and 4.09 standard; 3.54 and 4.09 overdrive; 2.87, 3.07, 3.31, 3.54 and 4.09 Ultramatic

Chassis: Torsion-level suspension standard

Body types: sedan and hardtop avaialble

Paint: eighteen selections plus two-tone combinations

Total production: 2,815

Price range: $3,069 (sedan) to $3,560 (hardtop)