The Packard Automotive Plant When it opened in Detroit, the Packard Automotive Plant served as a symbol of the meteoric rise of the city's production economy that employed over 40,000 skilled workers. Construction of the plant began in 1903 and was not completed until 1911. Packard Automotive Plant was designed by the great German-American architect Albert Khan. Albert Khan one of the most prolific architects in American history revolutionized the way factories were built based off his design of the Packard Plant. The plant's 3.5 million square feet stretch over a 40-acre campus on Detroit's east side. It was once considered the most advanced automotive factories in existence, and after several years of expansion contained one of the longest assembly lines in the world. Today, the Packard Automotive Plant is known as the largest abandoned factory in the World. The historically significances of this plant is due to the representation of an era of growth and optimism for the city of Detroit based around the auto industry. Packard & Weiss was founded by James Ward Packard, his brother William Packard and their partner, George Lewis Weiss, in the city of Warren, Ohio in 1893. Due to his years as a mechanical engineer, James Ward Packard believed they could build a better horseless carriage than the Winton cars owned by Weiss. The Packard brothers were inspired to start their own car company and their dream was becoming reality in 1899 after the first Packard automobile was released. In 1900, the company was incorporated as the Ohio Automobile Company and was renamed the Packard Motor Car Company in 1902.
From the very beginning of the start of the company the “Packards” featured innovations, including the modern steering wheel and, years later, the first production 12-cylinder engine and air-conditioning in a passenger car. The company began to experience early success shortly after producing its first car and did not wait long to start building more cars. The first year of production the Packard brothers produced a total of five cars each one better than the next. Their second year of production the company increased the production of cars to 50 and the following year it increased to 80 which was considered success during the time long before mass production of automobiles. The sells increased so rapidly they did not have time to even print brochures; a man eagerly inquiring information on their latest model at the time called their offices and they apologized to him stating, “There is not any printed ask the man who owns one”. The slogan “ask the man who owns one” would later became world famous throughout the duration of the company’s history. The car company was beginning to become famous for its reliability. In 1902, on a trip to New York City, a wealthy man by the name of Henry Bourne Joy happened to see two “Packards” chase down a horse-drawn fire wagon. Impressed, Joy bought the only Packard available in the city. Joy ecstatic by the Packard’s reliability, he visited James Ward Packard at his Warren, Ohio headquarters. James Packard insisted that he and his brother William Packard needed more capital. Joy enlisted a group of investors that included his brother-in-law, Truman Handy Newberry. On October 2, 1902, the Ohio Automobile Company became Packard Motor Car Company, with Joy's investors obtaining majority ownership. The automobiles quickly gained popularity; by 1903 the Packard Motor Car Company relocates to the eastside of Detroit. The 3,500,000 sq ft Packard plant on East Grand Boulevard in Detroit was located on over 40 acres of land. Designed by Albert Kahn, it included the first use of reinforced concrete for industrial construction in Detroit and was considered the most modern automobile manufacturing facility in the world when it was completed in 1911.
The Packard Motor Company was already experiencing success before arriving to Detroit but, the company would grow substantially after its arrival. By 1912 the Packard Motor Company would produce its first 6 cylinder car which brought the company prestige amongst the others. Every year Henry Joy would go on cross country car trips which would inspire him to develop the roads of the country due to rough trip he would experience. In 1913, Joy became one of the principal organizers and president of the Lincoln Highway Association, a group dedicated to building a concrete road from New York to San Francisco. Prior to the automobile people throughout the country would not have the means to travel and the experiences of the average person would only include approximately a 30 mile radius. It took about 20 years for Joy’s efforts to be fully realized and when it was he considered it his greatest accomplishment. However, all of Henry Joy’s ideas were not favored by the Packard Company. Henry Joy had ambitions of expanding Packard Charles Nash an ex president of General Motors shared his ambitions. Nash and Joy began talks of merging Packard with Nash’s new company but, the board of directors did not believe it made sense to do so. By 1916 Henry Bounre Joy resigned as the president of Packard Motor Company after being denied the possibility of merging the companies. Alvan Macauley would step in as president after Joy’s resignation and would lead Packard for the next 40 years. Alvan Macauley inherited a very successful company in 1916 Packard was selling over 10,000 cars a year and profits hit the six million dollar mark.
Macauley hired Jesse Vincent, an engineer who led the technical development at Packard. Jesse Vincent created Packard's "twin-six" twelve-cylinder engine enabling the automaker to step away from the competition and establish itself as an industry leader throughout the 1910s and 1920s. The twin six delivered 85 horsepower at 3,000 rpm, a bore and stroke at 3.00 × 5.00 inches resulted in a displacement of 424 cubic inches. Rockers were eliminated, with a separate cam for each valve, and all valves were located inboard of the cylinder blocks. A short, light crankshaft ran in three main bearings. During World War 1 the company like many others dedicated its efforts into helping out with the war. The twin six served as a basic to the liberty engine used in U.S. military aircraft during WW1. After the war the engines were used for record breaking motor boats. By the 1920’s the Packard brand was recognized as one of the leading luxury cars brands outselling Cadillac and other competitors combined but, the company would soon be faced with a crisis many car companies at the time would not expect.
The stock market crash of 1929 would have devastating consequences for prestige brands like Packard. Alvan Macauley refused to believe that the financial crisis would last and he had plans on building bigger and better automobiles. Financially the 1920’s were excellent for Packard, gaining profits with each year so Macauley’s ambition should have been expected. During this time many luxury automobile companies were putting their efforts until luring consumers into buying cars despite the depression. The efforts resulted in cars with larger engines and Packard had no choice but to follow suit. During the Great Depression Packard’s style commanded attention. The stylish cars produced at this time would not prevent the continuing decline of sells which would force Packard into producing a more economically friendly model. The introduction of the One-Twenty was a necessary move to keep Packard in business during the final years of the Great Depression. The model would go on to set Packard’s all time sells record in 1937.
By 1942, Packard like other car company’s would have to put their car production to a halt. During WWII Packard was busy with its war efforts but afterwards the company was ready to continue producing cars. After the war many consumers were eager to buy new cars but, it took time for the manufactures to switch from building arms for the war to producing cars. Packard wanted to take advantage of the eagerness of the consumers and started producing new cars. However, by the end of the war Packard had a new president George Christopher during a period perhaps the most important in Packard's history.
The company had stepped out of the role of master car engine builder and now faced a period of intense competition with the other major car companies. During the war some Packard dealers were not able to survive repairing cars and had to close their doors. Most of Packard's car building equipment and machinery had to be placed outdoors for storage since there was no room for them to be sheltered. The equipment, though it had been protected by covers and grease, was in terrible condition. Most of the electric motors had to be rebuilt or replaced. More than all that, however, was the state of Packard's product. The Clipper, which had been an exceptionally modern product at the start of the war, was now a four-year old design, and it didn't look startlingly new any longer. Despite the dislike of the models produced after the war Packard sold over 98,000 models in 1948 which made their new president George Christopher establish a new goal of producing 200,000 cars annually. It soon became clear Christopher was not going to reach his sales goals. The 1950 model ended with just over 100,000 models sold and the money he spent on his original sales goal was a serious strain on Packard’s finances and Christopher was fired soon after. James Nance would soon takeover as Packard’s president and some success but; the Packard Auto Company could not compete with the other major automotive companies with companies like Ford and General Motors producing more cars in a month than Packard could produce in a year. Nance wanted to combine small independent companies with Packard to compete with the major car companies. The last true Packard rolled off the production line at Packard's Detroit plant in 1956. The company had once been the standard of American luxury, but by the early 1950s Packard was having a hard time fighting dwindling car sales. Packard merged with the also struggling Studebaker in the 1954 in an attempt to solve their sales woes. In doing so the two companies created the fourth largest car company at the time and sealed the eventual fate of Packard. Within two years it had been announced Packard production in Detroit would be shut down. Although the name was used for two more years on rebadged Studebakers, the last "real" Packard was the one built on June 25, 1956.
On the 100 year anniversary of the Packard Auto Company demolishing of the Packard Automotive Plant began but, soon came to a complete halt. Today the Packard Plant stands as the largest abandoned industrial complex in the world. Since its abandonment, the Plant has been a favorite for urban explorers, graffiti artists and vandalism. It may come as a surprise to many people that a Plant 3.5 million sq feet that stretch over 40 acres of land would continue to rot for over 50 years in a major city but, the cost of demolishing the property is staggering. The Packard factory isn’t going anywhere soon. It would likely cost the city of Detroit over $10 million to properly demolish it. With low property values and no immediate needs to re-develop the area, bankrupt Detroit could not justify it in their financial crisis. In 2013 the Packard Plant has gained interest of a Peru Developer named Fernando Palazuelo. Palazuelo believes he can preserve and rehab sizable portions of the original structures despite decades of decay, arson and metal theft. He envisions transforming the 40-acre site into a residential, commercial and industrial hub. Palazuelo particularly likes the many vacant industrial structures on the east side of Detroit because they’re cheaply priced, easier to bring up to code than some downtown buildings and because the area is more accessible than downtown to the suburbs. Palazuelo estimated it would cost him around 300- 400 millions dollars to redevelop the structure. Only time will be able to determine if the Packard Plant will ever be redeveloped, but until then the Packard Plant will continue to be the largest abandoned factory in the world.

Work Cited
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Fenster, Julie. Packard: The Pride (An Automobile Quarterly Magnificent Marque). N.p.: Automobile Quarterly, 2005.
Kimes, Beverly. Packard: A History of the Motor Car and the Company (Automobile Quarterly Magnificent Marque Books). N.p.: Automobile Quarterly, 2005.
Reindl, JC. Packard Plant bidder from Peru: Ruined structure has 'size charisma history'. Detroit: Detroit Free Press, 2013. Accessed November 2, 2013.
Ward, James. The Fall of the Packard Motor Car Company. Standford: Stanford University Press, 1995.