Science Fair Projects Ideas - Studebaker-Packard Corporation

All Science Fair Projects

      

Science Fair Project Encyclopedia for Schools!

  Search    Browse    Forum  Coach    Links    Editor    Help    Tell-a-Friend    Encyclopedia    Dictionary     

Science Fair Project Encyclopedia

For information on any area of science that interests you,
enter a keyword (eg. scientific method, molecule, cloud, carbohydrate etc.).
Or else, you can start by choosing any of the categories below.

Studebaker-Packard Corporation

The Studebaker-Packard Corporation was the entity created at the time of Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana merged into the Packard Corporation of Detroit, Michigan, in 1954. In effect, Packard actually acquired Studebaker in the transaction. While Studebaker was the larger of the two companies, Packard's balance sheet and Executive team were stronger than the South Bend, Indiana company's.

It was hoped that Packard would benefit from Studebaker's larger dealer network. Studebaker hoped to gain through the additional strength that Packard's cash position could provide. Once both companies stabilized their balance sheets and strengthened their product line, it was hoped that they would join American Motors Corporation. However the death of AMC’s George Mason, and the selection of George Romney as his successor doomed any chance of the proposed merger.

Packard executives soon discovered that Studebaker had not been forth coming in all of its financial and sales records. The situation was more dire then Packard's James Nance and his team were lead to believe. Furthering problems was the loss of about 30% of Studebaker's dealer network by 1956.

Following a disastrous sales year in 1956, Packard production in Detroit was stopped and all efforts were shifted to South Bend, where future Packard’s (1957, 1958) were essentially Studebaker's with excessive amounts of bright work. The vehicles were referred to as Packardbakers by comedians. The final Packard rolled off the assembly line in 1958.

The one bright spot of the merger was that it forced Studebaker-Packard into a distribution agreement with Daimler Benz, both for the income that Mercedes-Benz could add to the company's bottom line and as another product that the increasingly disgruntled Studebaker dealer network could sell.

Studebaker-Packard Corporation made on last stab at resurrecting the Packard nameplate, that would have badge engineered the Franco-American Facel-Vega four door sedan, the Facel-Vega Excellence as a Packard. The plans fell through when Daimler Benz demanded that Studebaker-Packard cease with the plans or risk loosing its German partner.

In 1960, the company began diverisfication efforts by buying:

  • D.W. Onan & Sons - Generators
  • Cincinnati Testing Labs - Plastics Research
  • Gering Plastics - Plastics Manufacture
  • Clarke Floor Machine Company - Fork Lifts, etc.
  • Gravely Tractors - Quality lawnmowers
  • Chemical Compounds Company - Maker of STP additives

In 1962, four years after the last "Packard" rolled off the assembly line, and eight years following the merger between Packard and Studebaker, the company dropped Packard from its legal name and reverted to the Studebaker Corporation.

Last updated: 05-30-2005 20:57:25
10-26-2009 08:16:03
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details
Science kits, science lessons, science toys, maths toys, hobby kits, science games and books - these are some of many products that can help give your kid an edge in their science fair projects, and develop a tremendous interest in the study of science. When shopping for a science kit or other supplies, make sure that you carefully review the features and quality of the products. Compare prices by going to several online stores. Read product reviews online or refer to magazines.

Start by looking for your science kit review or science toy review. Compare prices but remember, Price $ is not everything. Quality does matter.
Science Fair Coach
What do science fair judges look out for?
ScienceHound
Science Fair Projects for students of all ages
All Science Fair Projects.com Site
All Science Fair Projects Homepage
Search | Browse | Links | From-our-Editor | Books | Help | Contact | Privacy | Disclaimer | Copyright Notice