Packard, once upon a time America's leading luxury brand, was about to disappear during the 1956 model year. Cars bearing the Packard name were marketed through 1958, but those post-1956 cars were essentially facelifted Studebakers and not, so far as true Packard fans are concerned, actual Packards.
The Clipper brand was created for the '56 model year. Previously, Clipper was the name of a Packard model -- for 1953-55, the entry-level Packard. I wrote about the Clipper brand
here.
A fairly detailed account of the 1956 Packard Executive is
here. It was a Clipper with a Packard grille and slightly different side trim. The concept was that the top of the Clipper line would be dropped (it was) and the Executive would be the entry-level for the Packard brand.
My speculation is that Packards were selling poorly, that production at the Connor Avenue (Detroit) plant would be terminated soon regardless, and that there was a supply of Packard grilles that would otherwise be excess, but might be used on a new model. Hence, the Executive as a means of using up those grille components. Otherwise, the Executive was given minimal distinction from its Clipper origin.
Gallery
This is a 1956 Packard hardtop, Mecum auctions photo.
Another Mecum photo, this of a 1956 Clipper sedan. Note the differences in grills and side trim.
Rear quarter view of a Clipper hardtop to be auctioned. This shows the distinctive Clipper rear styling and a better view of its side trim.
Factory image of a Packard Executive sedan. The grille is Packard's.
1956 Packard Executive for sale. The only difference from Clippers seen here is the lower boundary of the two-tone panel -- very inexpensive to develop.
Rear quarter view, same car. As noted, essentially a Clipper: Packards had a different rear end treatment.
Finally, another view of a Packard Executive sedan from an unknown image source.
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