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1956 marks the year of the end of the independent Packard factory. Sales had slumped to such an extent, that in August 1956, Packard operations in Detroit were stopped as a result of the take-over by Studebaker. For 1957 Packards were still available but were spin-offs of the current Studebaker range. In 1958 the name disappeared forever.

The reasons for the demise are relatively simple, Packard cars were very luxurious as well as bloody expensive. The final 1956 range consisted of the Clippers and the Packard 5680 series, which included the Caribbean, the Patrician and the Four-Hundred. The Four Hundred 2-door coupe was at the same price level of the series 62 Cadillac, and the 4-door Patrician was hardly any cheaper.

Technically Packard had taken long to pick up with new developments, maintaining the inline-8 side valve engine up to 1955, when a new V8 was finally introduced. Available with 320 (5358cc) or 352 (5768cc) cid, power ranged from initially from225 to 245 bhp, but for 1956 a 374 ( 6128cc) cid version became available which produced 290 bhp, fed from a four barrel Rochester carburetor set.

Shown here is a 1956 Patrician model, a 4-door sedan, fitted with the 374 engine. Of this model only 3775 were made, out of a total 1956 model run of 28835 cars, making this a relatively rare automobile. The car was presented at the 2007 Interclassics Show in Maastricht.