It was possibly the greatest automotive marketing slogan ever – “Ask the Man Who Owns One.” Packards were such high quality, reliable cars that asking someone who owned a Packard was sure to produce a very complimentary reply. Throughout much of the company’s history, its cars were considered among the best, if not the best, automobiles available in the world. Sadly, it was mostly poor decision making by the company management that resulted in the demise of Packard.
Creation and Rise of Packard
One way to tell the story of Packard is by focusing on the people who were most involved in the decisions made about the company. The first of these people was James Ward Packard, for whom the company was named. Packard headed the New York and Ohio Company, a manufacturer of electrical equipment in Warren, Ohio. His personal involvement with an automobile came with he bought the 13th auto built by Alexander Winton in Cleveland. That purchase, on August 13, 1898, resulted in an unsatisfactory experience for Packard. The car broke down repeatedly, leading him to return it to Winton. During the argument that followed, Winton challenged Packard to build a better car. It was a challenge Packard undertook.
