Dick,
Sadly, Packard was not much of a force by 1951. Canada had serious currency
problems during 1946 and 1947, forcing the Canadian government to restrict
imports, and cars became one of the major restrictions. The Big Three and
Studebaker assembled cars in Canada, although their imported lines,
Oldsmobile 98, Buick, Cadillac, Lincoln, the eight-cylinder Chryslers, and
the Studebaker Commander fell under the restrictions. (Fifty years later
and Canada is faced with currency problems again. But with Canada being
involved in various trade agreements, such as NAFTA, cannot place
restrictions on imports to improve the dollar's value.)
Packard could import the smaller Packard Eight and DeLuxe Eight sedans, but
all else needed special government approval. The result of this was that
Packard registrations, which totalled 1,597 in 1947 (1.10% of the market)
dropped to 333 (0.24%) in 1948, 401 (0.22%) in 1949 and 372 (0.13%) in 1950.
Beginning in 1951 the restrictions were lifted (Canadian exports due to the
Korean War helped reverse the downward spiral in exports and the Canadian
dollar). Packard surged (?) to 880 units in 1952 (0.90%), but that was
small potatoes compared to Dodge's 19,466 units (7.10%). Packard hit a peak
in 1953 with 931 units (0.40%), but plunged to 351 (0.12%) in 1954. Even
the terrific looking 1955 restyle could not bring Packard back (284, 0.07%),
and the make died out in 1958 with 35 cars registered (0.01%). These
figures include all Packards, from the Eight/200/Clipper up to the Custom
Eight/400/Patrician.
So, I doubt if few people even knew Packard marketed a Mayfair hardtop, and
it is doubtful more than a dozen or two were sold in any given year.
The first year I have Imperial figures for is 1956. Imperial had
registrations of 237 (0.07%), Clipper/Packard was 343 (0.10%), Lincoln 993
(0.28%) and Cadillac 4,262 (1.21%).
Must compliment you on your taste in cars, and margarine!
Bill
Vancouver, BC
> This is interesting, in that Packard also called their first production
> "hardtop" the Mayfair (also in 1951). I wonder if the Canadian Mayfair on
> the Plodge chassis caused confusion
>
> Dick Benjamin (who has to say "Imperial", at least once in this
discussion -
> I had Imperial margarine on my toast this morning).
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Bill Watson <wwatson@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2002 1:45 AM
> Subject: Re: IML: Hardtop history (was: Chrysler Corp name game?)
>
>
> > Similarly, the Canadian Plymouth-based Dodge has its first hardtop, in
the
> > 1951 Regent series - the Mayfair. The Mayfair became a full series in
> > mid-1953 and Chrysler of Canada did not bother with special names for
> Regent
> > and Mayfair hardtops after that.
> > Bill
> > Vancouver, BC
>
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