Packard Plant destroyed by weekend fires

I just noticed this story in the Old Cars Weekly Blog and quickly decided that I need to post this here and let our readers know that this part of our old car history is now gone up in smoke. This article is excerpted from the Old Car Weekly Blog and is used here for information purposes only and is not intended or used in any way as an infringement of their ownership rights. For your information I have a picture of the last car made at the plant which was a centenniel edition made in 1999 to celebrate 100 years of Packard History. The plant closed down in 1956 and has been in shambles since then.

According to several online sources, the sprawling, five-story, 3.5 million square feet complex has been abandoned for a number of years, and firefighters have made nearly weekly visits to the fire-plagued site in recent months. On Sunday, a two-alarm fire sent firefighters there to battle a blaze that started on the fourth floor. Jason Frattinni of Firehouse.com reported that Sunday’s fire raged most of the day and through the night before it eventually burned out. Crews worked through the night and continued to work into Monday. Causes of the recent fires at the site have stemmed from scrappers working with acetylene torches and by vandals.Concerned with hazards, the Detroit Fire Department had ordered personnel to stay out of the interior of the complex while fighting a fire. They had held special training sessions there so neighboring fire units would be familiar with the plant.The complex, consisting of 43 buildings, was designed by Albert Kahn and opened on Detroit’s eastside in 1907. Luxury vehicles were made there until 1956. It was sold the following year for $750,000. From the late 1970s through the late 1980s, the building was used as the Motor City Industrial Park. According to the Detroit Free Press it was most recently owned by Bioresource Inc., which emerged with the title after a lengthy court battle with the City of Detroit. The company was declared dissolved by the state in 2003 after failing to pay city taxes.

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