The Detroit Free Press mega-feature is the best thing ever done on the Packard Plant. Simply magnificent. I recommend everyone spend some time with it. Meanwhile, my own humble contribution: a photo essay of my most recent visit to the Packard ruins in July 2012. Please look it over. Ruins ****: A Photo Gallery of the Detroit Packard Plant | Mac's Motor City Garage.com
Detroit and its problems aside, the Packard plant is an example of how treacherous the car business can be. Car companies are often criticized for not thinking outside the box. While that may or may not pay off, there are MANY examples of a successful company like Packard making a couple miscalculations and ending up out of business.
Bob I agree that is a great shot. It appears to be a V12 as well (the 12s had a chrome piece just forward of the louvers that opened on the hood sides). With or without the side curtains what a great car. It more than likely also has a body by Dietrich tag on the lower cowl behind the right sidemount. Wish I owned it. As to the Packard Plant it is sad but it is time for it to come down. That costs money and the city doesn't have the money to even supply a 30 yard rollback these days, little alone absorb the costs of a demolition and then cleanup. The present owners I believe have cried short pockets as well. Real easy for us armchair quarterbacks to chime in these days but the reality is once the plant was sold, the new owners took over the responsibility. Who is going to pay for the demolition and who are we going to put in charge? The present council members have a few responsible people but Detroit has had its share of questionable characters. Let's see one is going to be released from prison very soon, another has such large decisions as which tiara she should wear to council meeting on that day, another just recently one lamented as to when they are going to get their bacon for voting for Obama. Politics aside the city of Detroit has a few more pressing problems than the Packard plant. Survival from potential bankruptcy may be more on the minds of those that have a mind. I have always really liked the plant. My grandfather worked there years ago and I did paint projects for GM for three years during the 80s in the Gemmer gear building just across the freeway. Saw the Packard stacks every day. I walked through many areas of that plant including the experimental department where the the car in my avatar was built. What a great structure it once was and it was not too bad in the mid 80s at least comparatively. They rented space to small businesses and it was OK during the day. We stored a 1923 Packard touring in one of the finished rooms and it was stolen but not by the riff raff but I am sure a car guy. Never saw it again. I drove by there about a year ago and it is a pretty dangerous spot. The one description I use more than any other when it comes to Detroit is sad. I was born in Detroit and love what it was not what it has become-Jim
Jim,here are 2 more favorite Packard pictures.Maybe I stole them from you!There also 2 V-12 Packard tourings at the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum ( http://www.fountainheadmuseum.com )here in Fairbanks with Dietrich coachwork.
I did the google thingy and couldn't get past page 4..... It just bummed me out too much... What a wasteland!!...
Bob that yellow 36 you posted is very similar to the car with side curtains save for the wheels. They are really wonderful cars and every time I worked on one I marveled at their excellence. Here is a 35 Twelve Convertible Sedan with a Dietrich tag as well that I restored in the eighties as well. Just think of what was created there, pure artwork. As to the racecars (23 OHC six and the 905 record car) those pictures were taken in the plant in 1923. Don't know where i got them either but they are now all over the web.-Jim
"25 y.o. manchild" LOL..... The greatest crime of all is the horsehit you see in so many cities that goes like this: The City of **** approved the demolition of the factory. In it's place are plans to build a strip center with an insurance agency, nail salon, bank, Chinese food restaurant, and another nail salon. It's the same garbage - the city fathers would much rather foster a bunch of low-skill, low brainpower businesses that produce no noise or waste, require no capital investment, yet provide a reliable source of tax revenue from both the landlord and tenant.
Same thing happened in a community called West Allis (just West of Milwaukee) and Allis Chalmers.The city wanted more taxes.Allis Chalmers moved.The rest is as you described it Greg.
The Packard plant is dead, but the proving grounds in Utica are being revived. Support the foundation restoring the proving grounds. I have from the foundation a cube of wood factory flooring with a br*** plaque, a piece of wood paneling taken from the walls of the office area, and an oak office door. You too can purchase these items from the foundation to support the proving grounds. (o{}o)
I agree with what jimdillon above stated, unfortunately the Packard plant should come down. I worked in Detroit back in the early 80's. the building i worked in was partially empty back then, now the whole thing is empty and deteriorating. There are so many empty industrial buidings in the city, it would be a huge capital investment, and not finacially viable when you look at the area and that the plant closed some 50+ years ago.
I worked for APGreen Refractories for 18.5 years from '77 to '95?. The last 12.5 years was in Product Installation - Gunning/Gunite - starting at Southbend, IN and then back to Mexico, MO. My Buddy Charlie that taught me how to install the gunning refractory materials in industrial furnaces worked at the old Stude Plant in Southbend before getting with Greens. I want to say that he was a foreman in the foundry "Crib" back then. It's sad, but Southbend still has a very GOOD Stude following to this day. I think Southbend has a Stude Museum?? But it's been years and years.. I bring this up because Stude bought Packard back then. pdq67
Yes, there's a great Studebaker museum in South Bend. We'll be featuring it at Mac's Motor City Garage.com soon.
Update: A guy from Peru is redeveloping the site. the groundbreaking ceremony was yesterday: http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2017/05/packard_plant.html#incart_river_home
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