Inside Packard Detroit: How 35,000 Workers Built 55,523 Merlin Engines — Made Berlin Reachable

Step inside Packard’s Detroit factory and witness how American mass production met British precision to build the Rolls-Royce Merlin under license—powering the air war over Europe. On August 2, 1941, the first American-built Merlin roared to life inside Building 81, proving skeptics wrong and launching a wartime manufacturing surge that would deliver 55,523 Packard-built Merlin (V-1650) engines. This story follows the engineers who converted tens of thousands of British drawings, re-created proprietary alloys, and standardized tolerances measured in thousandths of an inch—then the 35,000-worker workforce that ran shifts nonstop, with women filling critical roles on lathes, gauges, and assembly stations.

From early failures and metallurgy fixes to full-rate production, you’ll see how quality control, supplier networks, and relentless process refinement turned an “impossible” engine into an industrial routine—one that helped transform the P-51 Mustang into the long-range bomber escort fighter that could reach Berlin and back. If you love untold World War II engineering and factory history—Merlin superchargers, machining operations, safety, labor tensions, and the people behind the numbers—this is for you.

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⚠️ Disclaimer: This video is an entertainment-focused story based on information about American war factories gathered from online sources. While we strive to present engaging and faithful narratives, some details may be inaccurate or simplified. This content is not an academic source. For verified historical information, please consult professional historians and official archival records. Watch with critical awareness.