Readers of this blog whose primary interest is Packards and their history will appreciate this site, but others may, too.
It's no secret that the city of Detroit is in a very difficult financial situation and has recently declared bankruptcy. But in its heyday it was abuzz with manufacturing, and its financial security relied heavily on automobile manufacturing. The Packard Motor Car Co. had one of the largest auto plants in Detroit, and in fact, the world. It was known far and wide for it's size (a mile long) and the luxuriousness of its showroom and executive offices. Of course, it also produced the most beautiful and prestigious cars of the 20th Century.
I visited there about 15 years ago and the old factory was already in a terrible state of disrepair, the site of fires and vandalism, and the "home" of quite a few homeless persons. It has gone downhill since then, and now is being torn down completely.
Above is a great interactive site showing the crumbling factory, before and after. Just run your cursor across each photo to see Now and Then. Very sad.
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