This is the compelling story of the puzzling decline and fall of one of America's most prestigious automobile manufacturers, a company that for most of the fifty-nine years of its history was a synonym for luxury, excellence, and corporate stability. Although many books have extolled the long, glamorous history of Packard, this book focuses on the dark, post-World War II years that led to its dissolution in 1956. For the first time, this book gives an authoritative, deeply researched, and convincing explanation of why the Packard Motor Car Company died in the midst of one of the greatest automotive booms in history.

Founded in 1899, the Packard Motor Car Company grew into one of America's finest automobile companies, producing cars that exemplified American quality and innovation. Packards were the cars of presidents, movie stars, and those with an appreciation for high quality. The company is known for producing a variety of automobiles, as well as marine engines for PT boats. The Packard represents the classic era of automobile manufacturing and remains one of the most sought-after collector cars. The Packard Motor Car Company was in existence from 1899 to 1957, but the golden era of Packard cars came to a close in the late 1930s. The images featured in this book represent the early years at the Warren, Ohio and Detroit, Michigan factories. The first Packard was built in 1899, and the company then went on to build the fifth car to climb Mount Washington and some of the finest record-setting racecars in the history of automobile racing. Packard Motor Car Company contains rare images from the Larz Anderson Auto Museum that were saved from the Packard factory and the personal collection of James Ward Packard when the company closed.