| Vintage Motor Cars of Meadow Brook Saturday, August 2, 2008 |
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| 1907 Packard Motor Co. Stone Entranceway - Main Entrance | ||||||||
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Once Detroit investors joined the Packard Motor Co. in 1903, any idea of retaining the original manufacturing plant in Warren, Ohio was abandoned. The Michigan stockholders were now the majority, and were therefore calling the shots. Packard General Manager and Henry Joy took on the task of finding an architect for construction of the new factory in Detroit, and enlisted fellow Detroiter Albert Kahn, possibly because he had seen Kahn’s earlier work for another Packard shareholder. RM Auctions is pleased to offer the complete original stone entranceway from the original Packard Plant on East Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan. Beautifully crafted of cut stone and still an imposing presence, despite some cosmetic imperfections and the advanced stage of degradation of the building itself, this doorway remains in reasonable condition, with no obvious signs of serious deterioration. The property acquired by Packard in 1903 was originally a cow pasture; difficult to believe now that it has been completely surrounded by the modern city of Detroit. The numerous buildings designed by Albert Kahn for this site were significant for a variety of reasons, not only because of the beautiful vehicles that rolled off the assembly lines, but also because of its revolutionary effect Kahn’s designs had on the physical factories themselves. When Henry Joy brought Packard to Detroit, by hiring Albert Kahn he also ended up ushering in a new era in industrial architecture, especially for the automotive sector. Kahn did away with virtually all previous design and construction techniques, a highly beneficial move. Factories of this time were very unpleasant – and often downright dangerous – with poor lighting and ventilation and only the most rudimentary sanitary facilities. Most commonly made of wood, these structures were often literal death traps, with many disastrous and deadly fires over the years. Albert Kahn would change all of this with the Packard factory by using reinforced concrete as opposed to wood. The Packard name became synonymous with innovation yet again, as virtually all of the major auto companies followed Packard’s lead in their own subsequent construction, usually hiring Kahn to do so. This dynamic new material also allowed ease of expansion not only horizontally but vertically as well, without disturbing existing buildings. This was a key benefit since expansion was the order of the day as the automotive industry exploded during the first half of the twentieth century. The construction of the Packard factory did not go unnoticed by either the press or the industry – it was the most attractive manufacturing facility in Detroit and certainly the most advanced in the world for building automobiles. Motor Age magazine noted not only Kahn’s structural innovations, but also the building’s more “human” attributes: “When a man buys a Packard he gets a machine that was made by workmen who toil in pleasant surroundings, for if there is one thing more than another which characterizes the new factory…it is the bright, clean and cheerful aspect of the different departments.” The stunning entranceway offered here is believed to have been the main entrance of the building as originally constructed. This is the very entrance through which entered all the historical figures of the Packard Motor Car Company, along with many of the firm’s fabled clientele. Its classic design and relatively compact size make it suitable for installation as the ultimate entrance for any Packard collector’s garage. Provenance is undisputed, as the buyer will be responsible for its removal from the building, although a contractor will be available for immediate engagement to disassemble and pack the façade on pallets for shipment to the buyer’s car building. Buyer will be responsible for the lot and its safekeeping and removal immediately following the auctioneer’s declaration of sale. A map below provides directions to the site for inspection. |
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