Packard 300

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Packard
300 Touring Sedan model 2402-2472 (1951)
300 Touring Sedan model 2402-2472 (1951)
300
Production period: 1951-1952
Class : Upper class
Body versions : limousine
Engines: Otto engine :
5.4 liters
(111.9 kW – 115.8 kW)
Length:
Width:
Height:
Wheelbase : 3226 mm
Empty weight : 1760 kg
Previous model Packard Super Eight
successor Packard Cavalier

The Packard 300 (pronounced: Three-Hundred ) was a passenger car that was built by the Packard Motor Car Company in Detroit in model years 1951 and 1952 .

Model history

Thus the model 300 belongs to the 24th (August 21st 1950 to September 30th 1951) resp. 25th series (November 1, 1951 to November 20, 1952). It was the easier of two Packard models on the longer wheelbase. The equipment is comparable to that of the shorter coupés and convertibles of the 250 series , which, like the 300 and Packard Patrician 400 , the top model of those years, usually belong to the so-called senior models. Junior models are the mid-range Packard 200 and 200 Deluxe models on the shorter wheelbase and with smaller eight-cylinders of 288 ci (4.6 liters) displacement and 135 bhp (100.7 kW). The Patrician 400 and 300 were the only four-door models with a rear, three-part panoramic window . Just like the Patrician 400 and later produced 250 , the 300 had additional chrome "teeth" arranged in an oval field in the radiator grille, which the 200 version lacked.

In both years of production, the 300 model was only available as a 4-door sedan Touring Sedan with a wheelbase of 3226 mm. The car received largely the basic equipment of the 250 models and their respective side decorations. The differently designed rear lights required different detailed solutions. By default, the deluxe radiator figure was attached, which shows a cormorant with spread wings. It was also available for an additional charge for the 200 , where it then replaced the "rocket figure" Goddess of Speed . These figures were modified annually.

The brand slogan Ask the Man Who owns One, introduced in 1904, was retained and supplemented with America's New Choice in Fine Cars ("America's new choice in luxury cars"). The latter was tantamount to an indirect admission that one had slipped from the dominant brand in this segment to an outsider.

Equipment and prices

In addition to that of the 200 Deluxe , the basic equipment included striped upholstery made of a better material, a clothes rail for the rear passengers, an oil bath oil filter, an adjustable, glare-free exterior mirror on the driver's door, chrome-plated hubcaps ( 200 : hub covers) and trunk lighting. Tinted windows were available; It is unclear whether they were part of the basic equipment. Typical of the time, today's items such as heating, defroster, reversing lamp or a warning display for the handbrake were available for an extra charge. Leather upholstery cost US $ 153 extra, an automatic was only standard on the Patrician 400 . Searchlights mounted on the A-pillar and swiveling from the inside were quite common . Unusual accessories were also available, such as a shade for sun protection, a light signal indicator, a windshield wiper for the rear window, a curb sensor or a tissue dispenser. The vehicle could also be optically upgraded, for example with chrome trim parts such as a frame for the flap to the petrol tank, special license plate frame or a deflector for the exhaust, which directed the exhaust fumes against the roadway.

At the time of market launch, the list price of US $ 3034.00 was slightly below that of the Packard 250 Mayfair (US $ 3166.00) and Convertible (US $ 3320.00); for 1952 it rose to US $ 3,094.

Distinguishing features

Packard 300 Touring Sedan Model 2502-2572 (1952)

The almost identical Packard of the 24th and 25th series can only be distinguished from each other in details. The 51 models have Packard lettering in block letters on the front edge of the bonnet and the senior models have a cormorant hood ornament with wings spread vertically. Instead of the letters, the 52 models have the Packard coat of arms in the center of the upper lip of the radiator grille and a cormorant with wings stretched backwards. In addition, the front side trim has been changed slightly.

In 1952, at the request of the authorized dealer, the Clipper Deluxe also received the radiator grille with "teeth". The shorter wheelbase and the more massive roof without Panonarma rear window distinguish the Clipper Deluxe Touring Sedan from the 300 .

technology

Along with the other models of the 24th series, the 300 also received a new chassis and a new, modern body. Only the engines were taken over, slightly revised. A V8 engine was already in development at that time, its introduction was delayed until 1955. At the same time as this model change, new names were introduced; traditional model names such as Clipper, Custom Eight or Super Eight (the predecessor of the 300 ) were omitted, although the well-established name Clipper was resumed in 1953 for the junior models.

The 24th series was the last Packard series for which chief engineer Jesse G Vincent was responsible, a highly respected technician who joined Packard in 1912 and included the legendary V12 models, the Twin Six and Twelve, as well as the eight and six-cylinder models Had developed in the 1920s and 1930s. Together with Elbert J. Hall and Henry M. Leland , he is considered one of the "fathers" of the Liberty aircraft engine program and was responsible for the adaptation and large-scale production of the Merlin V-1650 engine.

engine

The Packard 300's "Thunderbolt 327"

In both years the 300 was powered by the powerful, water-cooled inline eight-cylinder "Super Eight Thunderbolt" with 327 ci (5359 cm³) displacement and now 150 bhp (111.9 kW), which the 250 and 300 shared. This side-controlled motor was a development from the 1930s and known for its smoothness. It had a crankshaft with seven bearings , which, in addition to its lower compression of 7: 1 ( Patrician 400 : 7.8: 1) , set it apart from the engine of the top model with nine crankshaft bearings and 5 bhp (3.7 kW) more power. However, versions with an Ultramatic gearbox were factory- fitted with a different cylinder head and a compression that was also increased to 7.8: 1, which also increased the output to 155 bhp (115.6 kW) and was intended to compensate for the power loss caused by the automatic. The valve lifters were hydraulically controlled. The mixture preparation got a downdraft -Zweifachvergaser Carter WGD 767s .

Power transmission

A manual three-speed gearbox was standard, at an additional cost of US $ 100 there was an electrically switchable overdrive . The in-house " Ultramatic " automatic transmission, which was only introduced last year, was only part of the standard equipment in the Patrician 400 , otherwise it cost US $ 189.- extra.

Chassis and suspension

Packard 300 Touring Sedan model 2402-2472 (1951). The colored roof cost US $ 20 extra.
The Packard 300 dashboard is typical of all Packard 24th and 25th series.

Again, Packard used massive lead frames in its 24th series. The independent front suspension was a tradition at Packard and was adapted to the new vehicle. The rear rigid axle was suspended from leaf springs. There were hydraulic single circuit without power assistance ; this could later be retrofitted upon request after it had been introduced as an extra for the 26th series (1953). The tires were 8.00 × 15.

body

By 1940 Packard had given up its own body production and had it manufactured and assembled by Briggs in their Detroit plant. The finally contemporary design - after a long time with the outdated Clipper and its successor - came from the company's own styling department and was the last draft of the also resigning chief designer John Reinhart , who switched to Ford and later created a milestone there with the Continental Mark II .

The on-board electrical system worked with 6 volts; the windshield wipers were operated with negative pressure .

Name change

In 1952, James J. Nance, a new CEO, took over management. To give the Packard models more character, he introduced model names in place of numbers in 1953. So the 300 became a Cavalier with the 26th series . Until 1954 it received only minor modifications. A total of 22,309 Packard 300s were built in 2 years, in 1951 alone there were 15,309.

Remarks

  1. ↑ 115 kW for versions with Ultramatic gear
  2. ↑ A very useful optical instrument on the dashboard that mirrored the traffic light display in such a way that the driver could see it even when he was first in the waiting column.
  3. ↑ In pairs, one each deep on the wheel cutouts on the passenger side. These feelers make a scratchy noise when they scratch the curb. They are no longer allowed because of the risk of injury to pedestrians

swell

  • John A. Gunnell (editor): The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975 , Kraus Publications (1987), ISBN 0-87341-096-3 .

literature

  • Beverly Rae Kimes (Editor): Packard, A History of the Motor car and the Company. Automobile Quarterly Publications, Kutztown PA, General edition, 1978; ISBN 0-915038-11-0 .
  • George H. Dammann, James A. Wren: Packard. Motorbooks International, Osceola WI, Crestline Series , 5th Edition, 1996; ISBN 0-7603-0104-2 .
  • Mark A. Patrick (Ed.): Packard Motor Cars 1946-1958 Photo Archive. Iconographix, Osceola WI, 1996; ISBN 1-882256-45-X .
  • RM Clarke (Ed.): Packard Gold Portfolio 1946-1958. Brooklands Book Distribution Ltd., Cobham, Surrey (UK); ISBN 1-870642-19-8 .
  • Nathaniel D. Dawes: The Packard: 1942-1962. AS Barnes & Co. Inc., Cranbury NJ, 1975; ISBN 0-498-01353-7 .
  • George L. Hamlin: 1951-1954 Packard, America's New Choice in Fine Cars. Collectible Automobile , February 1992, Issue 8, Number 5, pp. 56-69.

Web links