SUBJECT—High Spots in Packard History

The following facts are important points in the history of the Packard Motor Car Company which you, as a salesman, should find useful in building up sales talks that will instill customer confidence in this company and its products.
As of today, there are 106 motor car factories. Banking statistics show that 16 of these companies do approximately 80% of the business. It is also essential to know that automobiles are the only manufactured products sold today whose prices are almost 30% below prewar prices.

As a Packard salesman you are part of a company whose manufacturing equipment, marketing and service facilities are developed to the highest known efficiency.

The Efficient Survive

Why do some companies succeed and others fail? What is the reason for the mortality rate in automobile factories? Who will be in business five years hence—yes, 10, 25 years hence? Will your customer (who has since become your friend) greet you with the question, ‘Where can I get some parts for this machine you sold me last year?” Or will he say after five or more years of satisfactory service, “Well, John, I guess I will have to have another Packard. The one you sold me in 1915 is still good, but the folks believe we ought to have an enclosed car.”

THINK! SALESMEN. Is it not important to weigh these facts before deciding on your future? Stability of company and product should be the very root foundation of your sales ambitions.

First at Warren, Ohio

The Packard factory was started in Warren, Ohio, by J. W. Packard, in 1899, but the Packard Company, as it is now known, actually became a factory in the automotive industry only after Mr. H. B. Joy, Mr. Russel Alger, Mr. Jas. MacMillan, Mr. Truman Newberry and associates purchased the Warren Plant, moved it to Detroit in 1903 and incorporated the present Packard Motor Car Company.

It is a very vital fact that the original incorporators are still officers of the company, members of the Board of Directors, or hold the largest majority of stock.

Many Employees Stockholders

Many of our employees are stockholders and we have approximately 5000 other stock holders who have purchased Packard stock purely as an investment. Our stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange where a value has been established and where it is actually traded in daily. Public participation is optional and our ever increasing list of stockholders speaks well for the stability of our company and the esteem with which it is held.

Finances
Our finances of today, boiled down for your information, consist of property accounts which includes plant, machinery, tools, dies, fixtures, and real estate, amounting to $21,000,000. Our inventories amount to $12,000,000. Cash on hand and in United States Government securities, $17,000,000. Our rights, trade mark, good will and inventions are carried on the books at $1.00.
 
Conservative book keeping suggests that this item, although returning about $350,000 yearly in patents alone, should be written off. Our depreciation accounts are very well balanced and our property accounts, as well as our inventories, are listed at or below actual cost. There is no bonded indebtedness and our fixed charges are reduced to a minimum.

Pioneer Designer

This company as one of the earliest pioneers was forced to design and originate much machinery to perfect many of the mechanical parts necessary to construct an automobile. We have continually studied machinery requirements and are constantly perfecting this end of our manufacturing department.

As an example, the Packard was the first car to use helical cut gears. These were of our own manufacture and included the designing of the machinery to make them. It was also the first American car to use the 4-bearing crankshaft in a 4-cylinder engine; also the 7-bearing crankshaft in a 6-cylinder, and a 9-bearing crankshaft in an 8-cylinder automobile engine; the force feed lubrication system; the torque arm construction. The separate and distinct establishing of a Service Parts Building, which operated as an individual unit of the factory rather than a part of the factory production was an early step in Packard organization policy.

Some of the earliest practices established included a heat treating laboratory on a large scale. Packard has long been known to have perhaps the most complete heat treating department in this country. Our material inspection department was another pioneering step where various units that were manufactured outside of this plant were carefully inspected after being manufactured supposedly to our standard.
 
Rigid Inspection Methods

Strange as it may seem to you, who, perhaps know little of our method of inspection, we have been forced at times to reject as high as 70% of the material sent us in shipments. This includes such items as glass, certain types of castings, certain electrical equipment, and other things which are vital in the construction of our car.

This is not a reflection on the manufacturers of such equipment, but is mentioned to show you that our earliest ideals are guarded in order to build up what has become that intangible something called PACKARD.
It is doubtful if the original incorporators of this company ever dreamed of the magnitude of the present factory. For instance, in 1904 we occupied 3000 sq. ft. of floor space, while in 1923 we occupy approximately 3,000,000 sq. ft.

In 1904 the 4-cylinder automobile with its heavy reciprocating parts was designed. Previous to that we had the 1- and 2-cylinder cars. The 4-cylinder car lived until 1912 when the first Packard Sixes were manufactured. This engine, which gave three explosions to one revolution of the crankshaft hand a greater range of ability, greater smoothness and more even flow of power than the well known “30’s” and “18’s” which were its predecessors.
 
Quality Ruling Factor

Very early in the history of the company “Quality Avenue” was established and the word was sent out, forever Packard products must be built to the highest standard, never down to a price. Volume today could be doubled, yes, quadrupled, if this sterling principle were abandoned. And who would pay? Our reputation which has been built up and earned by a sincere desire to serve is a constant challenge to us who remain in Detroit determined to do better and bigger things so that you in the field may also serve and enable us to magnify that qualification called Reputation.

In 1914 our engineers, conceived the idea of a more flexible, greater range of ability, and more silent in operation motor car engine. The Twin-Six was the answer and was in production until this year, which was approximately eight years of manufacture. It is safe to say that few, if any, of these engines are worn out, and our files contain many volumes regarding the sterling worth of this car that glided along the roads of the world over with such effortless ease.

Single-Six Engine

In 1914 there was also produced the now famous Single-Six engine. For many weeks it was tried out in every conceivable way, and when ready in 1916 for factory production the War called us all to halt.
The War work and War production of this company contains many thrills. For months we were guarded day and night. Machines, and ofttimes men, worked twenty-four hours a day, now on trucks, now on Liberty motors, then on aircraft engines and planes.

Out of it all, our present Single-Six, in a state of real perfection, arrived. The first ones were out August, 1920. Since then, approximately 40,000 have been delivered and we can with more confidence than ever emphasize our slogan-”Ask the man who owns one.”
 
“The Single-Six, whose detailed construction you have in your handbook, is really a ten year car. You may BUY it with that thought and you can SELL it with that thought. If your customer would agree to keep it at least five years before he attempted to trade it out, we know that he would then begin to get out of it some of the “goodness we built into it.”

Body Building

Years ago our body department was made a very important part of our factory. Hand hammered sheet aluminum was the cry of the day. Since then we have learned that aluminum is best in some parts of the body, steel in others, and bronze in others. While we do not make all of our bodies, we wish it were possible to have every buyer see our method of inspection and manufacturing. Eleven different kinds of wood in each enclosed body— each piece inspected after each operation— every piece as perfect as humanly possible to manufacture—no forced fitting—each piece must fit when it gets into assembly or it is rejected. When completed the skeleton is really a work of art—no warping, weaving or creaking—just as you would do it if you were a skilled cabinet maker and could afford to exercise your every idea of perfection.

Engineering Developments

In the early part of 1920, our engineering department, as a result of its study and experimenting, felt that the Twin-Six had reached its largest possible volume. They also concluded that this applied to practically all V type constructed engines. As a result, experiments were conducted with a large, heavier, 6-cylinder engine. New dual ignition, dual valves, various shapes and sizes of engine blocks, new ideas in carburetion, valving, counter balanced crankshaft, and all of the many suggested improvements were tried out with the hope that they could develop the even flow of power of the Twin-Six with fewer reciprocating parts, greater economy of operation, lessened service costs, etc.

After very patient experimenting, much road work and other tests, this engine did not prove equal to our Single-Six or Twin-Six, and was abandoned.

The V-Type Superseded

The attention was then returned to the V-type construction. The usual out of balance of the twin-four, several of which type had been fairly successful on the market, was tried out in many ways, but like any V-type of construction, it was found to have several mechanical faults.

Keeping in mind the fact that the new car must be a better automobile than the TwinSix, Colonel Vincent and staff began experimenting on an eight which would have all cylinders in line and on which all cylinders were centered. After months of laborious effort, the present 9-bearing crankshaft was evolved, and a firing order, which differed from anything previously used in a motor car engine developed.
 
Many important steps were thereby accomplished—among them were greater flexibility than the Twin-Six or any V-type motor—mechanical balance of the 8-cylinder motor—greater power for a given amount of fuel, simplicity in design, and consequent low servicing costs, longer wheel base for longer motor—and better body treatment—greater acceleration by adopting the fuelizer in original design of intake parts, exhaust valves, etc., greater deceleration by adoption of better throttle control, 4-wheel mechanically operated brakes, accessibility of many units, and an ease of operation in steering, such as has never been accomplished in any motor car.

The Single-Eight

Today, the Single-Eight stands preeminently the finest, most luxurious automobile manufactured in the world and it has become a worthy companion to that fascinating performance enjoyed by everyone who today owns a Single-Six Packard, the lowest cost per mile vehicle to own and operate that we know of.

In writing these few high spots in Packard history, no attempt has been made to cover the many interesting details of gear cutting, drop forging, upholstering, designing and heat treating of metal, or to touch upon the valuable personnel built up by this company.

You, as a salesman, must know such things to become an important factor with this company. We therefore expect you to write this department frequently, asking us what you do not know, asking us questions which you cannot answer, thereby fitting yourself to secure our share of the business which rightfully belongs to us in your particular territory.

PACKARD MOTOR CAR CO.,
Sales and Educational Dept., Detroit.

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