THE BEGINNING
The Packard Bell name existed long before home computing ever started. The original Packard Bell Corporation was founded in 1933 by Leon Packard and Herb Bell. It was a producer of radios for homes and cars at a time when radios were covered in wood paneling and cars had swooping curves and chrome.
The company later moved into other consumer electronics, such as television sets, and even military equipment. Of note to this story, in 1957, a subsidiary was formed to produce computers. However, in 1968, Packard Bell was bought out by an American industrial conglomerate, Teledyne Technologies, after which the name was essentially abandoned.