1958 Packard Station Wagon
Provided by Hemmings

In hindsight, the decision to build out the final years of Packard production using slightly modified Studebaker bodies was truly a sad way of seeing an end to a marque that had created some wonderful cars, starting with its five Model A roadsters built in 1899. Surviving the depression and two World Wars, Packard lost its hold on the luxury car market by continuing to offer mid-level priced models during the mid- to late-'40s. Despite the fact that its image suffered because of this marketing decision, Packard did well through to the end of the 40's, only to see its fortunes take a turn for the worse in the early '50s. Unable to bring a new model to its line to commemorate its 50th anniversary in 1949, and ranked last among the independent manufacturers, 1950 brought strikes and low production numbers to the company's list of woes.

Looking like it was poised to rebound, Packard announced that it would restyle its model lines on an annual basis starting in 1951. Though profitable defense contracts helped financially, the impact of the Korean War limited car production and again strikes in supporting industries added more problems. Packard bought out a struggling Studebaker in June of 1954 and before this new corporation, Studebaker-Packard, was taken over by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation in 1956, managed to debut a number of powerful, technologically advanced models in its 1955 line. But the heyday of this independent automaker was fading fast. Overwhelmed by production and quality-control problems and losing sales because of a price war between giants Ford and GM, the 1957-58 Packard line clearly displayed its Studebaker roots, and though mechanically sound, buyers were quick to realize that these cars represented a stopgap measure. The plan to carry the Packard name on models built at Studebaker's South Bend facility, as Packard's Detroit factory had been closed down, didn't fool anyone into believing that these were anything but revamped Studebakers. This is most evident when viewing the new models of the 1957 line, the Town Sedan and Country Sedan (station wagon).

The 1958 line offered slightly more refined styling, but it was still obvious that these weren't true Packards. The Clipper nomenclature was eliminated and the Packard line consisted of four models. Of these, the station wagon recorded the least sales with only 159 buyers. The '58 wagon carries many of the styling elements that were en vogue at the time, from its quad-headlamp arrangement to its nicely blended tailfins. Two-tone paint, a hood scoop and bullet-nosed bumpers continued the theme and really helped differentiate the country sedan from its sibling in the Studebaker line, the 1958 Commander Provincial station wagon, but as soon as one views the greenhouse/roof structure, there's no denying the Packard's lineage.

Specifications:
Wheelbase: 116.5 inches
Length: 206 inches
Weight: 3,555 pounds
Track: (F/R) 56-11/16/55-11/16 inches
Body: All steel four-door, 6-passenger based on Studebaker Commander platform
Engine: Studebaker 289-cu.in V-8, 210hp