I’ve been working on a car company lore for a while now and this challenge fits right in with one branch of its history.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Fenton Holdings Limited (FHL) was looking to the future both in technology and market practices. They knew the “big cars” boom of the era was only temporary and research showed that most of their cars sold predominantly only one option package or trim level meaning their more typical 4 or 5 trim models were adding expense for very small gains if any at all. They decided to make a so-called “new millenium car” that would emulate or define what the future car would be. This car would be a small, reliable, everyman’s car with an emphasis on economy, cost savings, and a rich base feature set thus eliminating the expense of options and trims. This sort of car naturally fit into FHL subsidiary Everette’s lineup of budget cars even if it was more upscale and a departure from their marketing practices so the project was delegated to them.
Everette came through fantastically in the project goals and in 1994 released the Everette Packwood 1.3 Touring, a 4-seater B-segment estate car with a 5-speed manual transmission, marketed as “A car for the New Millennium.”
While the styling of the Packwood was somewhat understated if even a little bit weird, it abounded with features that were usually only seen on luxury and race cars of the day for an extremely affordable $12,900. Standard on the base and only model 1.3 Touring was padded cloth and leather interior, heated front seats, air conditioning, power windows, and a cassette deck. The base model also featured a wide number of driver and safety amenities including double wishbone front suspension, 4-pointed ABS vented disc brakes, alloy wheels, low profile tires, and even traction control. And even with all those goodies it was still able to get to 60 mph in 11.8 seconds and achieve 42 US MPG (or 5.58 L/100 km). Optional equipment included an a 4-speed automatic transmission and rear passenger vent controls, though the weight of these options adversely affected fuel economy.
The Packwood may have seemed like magic in that regard but that was because it was futuristic in more than just its feature set. It was powered by an all-aluminum 1.3L straight-3 that had a DOHC 15-valve all-cam-VVT high flow head, multi-port EFI, forged bottom end, and a tubular exhaust manifold. It addition, it cut weight in a number of ways such as the torsion beam rear suspension, making the door panels out of aluminum, and the hood out of plastic.
Ultimately, despite its innovation, the Packwood was never the success that Fenton Holdings hoped it would be. It was outshown larger SUVs and minivans as they became the “practical” cars of choice. In 1999, before the new Millennium, Everette discontinued production of the Packwood due to low sales volume and limited market penetration.
Many have speculated why the Packwood was a failure. Some say it was the oddball 3A1-E1394 motor being seen as unusual and weird by the public. Some say it was that it wasn’t offered standard with an automatic transmission and this taken together with the estate body style made the car seem antiquated upsetting its image as “A car for the New Millennium.” Some say it was because it had only one trim level and a handful of options. Maybe…
The more likely explanation though is that the Everette Packwood was a car ahead of its time. It offered features people didn’t know they wanted in a small package at a time when big cars were king. Had it been produced into the 2000s when oil prices skyrocketed, people probably would have flocked to it. In fact enthusiasts already do and in recent years it has grown a cult following who all cite the car’s good handling, comfort (especially quietness thanks to aerodynamic design), and ease of modification as the 3A1 motor was a derivative of Everette’s 2.6L V6. Thus the Packwood remains an interesting footnote in FHL and Everette’s histories but little more, and although the nameplate was later revived as a more conventional design, the only true Packwood is a 1st Gen.
