Packard (automobile manufacturer)

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Packard Motor Car Company

logo
legal form Corporation
founding 1899 as the Ohio Automobile Company
resolution 1954
Reason for dissolution fusion
Seat Warren (Ohio) and Detroit , USA
management James Ward Packard (1899–1909), Henry Bourne Joy (1909–1916), James Alvan Macauley senior (1916–1939), Max Gilman (1939–1941), George T. Christopher (1941–1950), Hugh Ferry (1950 –1952), James J. Nance (1952–1954)
Branch Automobile , commercial vehicle and engine manufacturers

Packard Motor Car Company Gold Bond Specimen dated April 15, 1921
Packard Custom Eight (Model 740) Coupé-Roadster (1930)

Packard was an American automaker founded by the brothers James Ward Packard and William Doud Packard and George L. Weiss in 1899 as the Ohio Automobile Company based in Warren ( Ohio ) and renamed Packard Motor Car Company in 1903 . The company, from 1904 in Detroit ( Michigan resident) was enjoyed a manufacturer large, luxury, high-quality, but conservative cars, which are very popular both among wealthy customers, heads of state, but also gangster bosses. The Packard Model A from 1899 was the first car with a gate shift. Until then, vehicle transmissions were switched in series, which means that you could only shift up or down one gear at a time.

The Model C (1901) was one of the first automobiles to have a steering wheel instead of a steering lever. In 1903, Packard was the first manufacturer to set up a school for mechanics, which was later expanded to include a specialist library. From 1915 to 1923, Packard produced the Twin Six, the world's first production car with a V12 engine. A later variant, produced from 1932 to 1939, was one of the best automobiles in the USA. In 1940, Packard first introduced air conditioning in a production car . The Clipper was the design sensation the following year. In 1950 Packard launched its own automatic transmission as the only manufacturer independent of the large corporations GM , Ford and Chrysler . 1954 merged the company with Studebaker for Studebaker-Packard Corporation . The last generation of cars built by Packard itself appeared in 1955 with modern V8 engines and innovative torsion bar suspension . In 1956, automatic operation at the push of a button, its own power steering , the first limited-slip differential in a production car and one of the most powerful production engines in the world followed. With the Clipper , a new brand was launched for a short time. In the same year Studebaker-Packard became the property of the Curtiss-Wright armaments company , which closed production in Detroit and made the models of the brand into variants of the Studebaker President and Hawk . These models were the first Packards to have body components and dashboards made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic . Due to declining sales , production was stopped in 1958. In 1962, the name part "Packard" was removed from the company name. In addition to automobiles, Packard also manufactured commercial vehicles (1904–1923) and engines for airplanes and boats (1916–1956) and developed jet engines for fighter aircraft (1948–1952).

Several attempts to revive the brand have so far failed.

history

Packard Model A Runabout, Car No. 1 (factory picture, early November 1899)
Packard Model F, single cylinder from 1903

The brothers James Ward Packard and William Doud Packard came from a respected family of entrepreneurs who had lived in the Warren area since 1825. In 1890 they and partners founded the Packard Electric Company , which manufactured dynamos , lamps , cables and electrical devices and was the first to offer electrical street lighting . On January 27, 1891, they founded the New York & Ohio Company to manufacture light bulbs . The name came about because the Packards business partners and relatives from New York participated in the company.

Single Cylinder and Ohio Automobile Company

Suffering experiences with a Winton automobile motivated JW Packard, a technical college graduate, to build his own automobile. With the help of the plant manager William Albert Hatcher , who had been poached by the Winton Motor Carriage Company , they put a car with a single-cylinder engine on the wheels within a few months . There was a pilot series of five of this Packard Model A ; only one was actually sold. For further marketing, the brothers established a partnership with investor George L. Weiss , in which they each invested US $ 3,000. Packard and Weiss was organizationally affiliated with its light bulb manufacturer New York & Ohio Company .

This is where the first vehicles were built before their own rooms were available. On July 3, 1899, the Ohio Automobile Company was founded , and JW Packard became the majority owner and president; this also brought in five patents . William Albert Hatcher acted as chief engineer.

The originally planned brand name Ohio was dropped when the A was built and the vehicles were probably called "Packard" by the end of 1899. In the specialist literature, 1899 is consistently seen as the year the company was founded, and vehicles that were built before 1903 - i.e. the models A, B , C , G , M and sometimes F are assigned to the Packard Motor Car Company as forerunners.

William D. Rockefeller was one of the first customers. As early as 1901, Packard drew attention to itself with the slogan Ask the man who owns one .

The company was quite successful with the following single cylinder models , most notably the F model . In 1903, a Model F, called the Old Pacific and largely corresponding to the production version, was only the second crossing of the American continent from San Francisco to New York City . A team of three led by works driver Tom Fetch covered a distance of over 4,000 miles (approx. 6,500 km) on unpaved roads in 62 days.

With the Model G a two-cylinder model appeared in 1902, but this was not pursued any further. Its engine consisted of two single cylinders, each with its own carburetor. Packard used the engine and drivetrain parts in its first commercial vehicles. Model G was only built four times, one copy has been preserved. In 1903 the last single-cylinder was built and the first four-cylinder appeared.

Compilation of the one and two cylinder models

model Construction year Cylinder / displacement Performance
N.ACC
wheelbase body units Price US $ Remarks
A. 1899 1/2337 cc 7-9 HP 1816 mm Roadster
2/4 pl.
5 1,200 H circuit
B. 1900 1/2337 cc 9 HP 1930 mm Roadster
2/4 pl.
49 1,200 accelerator
C. 1901 1/3012 cc 12 HP 1930 mm Roadster
2/4 pl.
81 1,500 Worm steering with steering wheel
1905 mm Surrey
6 pl.
E. 1901 1/3012 cc 12 HP 2134 mm Surrey
4 pl.
1 1,500 prototype
F. 1902 1/3012 cc 12 HP 2134 mm Roadster
2/4 pl.
179 2,250 Cooler front
Tonneau
5 pl.
2,500
F. 1903 1/3012 cc 12 HP 2235 mm Runabout
2/4 pl.
2,000 Storage space and cooler in front
Touring
5 pl.
2,300
M. 1902 1 14 HP 1 Prototype; Spray lubrication for crankshaft
G 1902 2/6030 cc 24 HP 2311 mm Surrey
4 pl.
4th
Tonneau
8 pl.

A rear-facing bench seat for two people cost US $ 50 surcharge for the A, B and C roadsters.

The very popular Oldsmobile Curved Dash Model R presented around 1901 with a similar concept and 4½ hp cost from US $ 650 thanks to series production.

Nothing is known about a model D. The designation was probably kept in reserve.

Packard Motor Car Company and Detroit

Advert for the Packard Dominant Six Series -48 (1912)

In 1903 there was a reorganization with the aim of raising additional funds. A group of investors led by Henry Bourne Joy and his brother-in-law Truman Handy Newberry got involved. WD Packard had previously withdrawn; Weiss and Hatcher also left the company, which was renamed Packard Motor Car Company on October 13, 1903 . Joy was installed as managing director on September 11, 1903. Previously, Russell Alger, Jr. elected as Vice President and Phillip H. McMillan as Chief Financial Officer. JW Packard was sustained as president and remained in office until 1909.

The French Charles Schmidt became the new chief engineer . The single- cylinder models were followed by the two-cylinder model G , which was temporarily offered in parallel with the F. A model M is mentioned several times. The vehicle was built in 1902 and tested until at least May 1903. There are no drawings or clear images. It is clear that the single cylinder had a spray lubrication of the crankshaft and with 14 bhp only 2 bhp more than the model F. Because JW Packard judged it as "not very promising" in mid-1903 and the factory already had four other models on the market or had been tested, M was ultimately deleted as superfluous. It is possible that some pre-production chassis ended up as light commercial vehicles.

1903-1904 the company created a new plant on East Grand Boulevard in Detroit . Architect Albert Kahn carried out the construction with a usable area of ​​9290 m² in reinforced concrete ; it is considered the first factory in the world to use this design.

After initial attempts in 1903, the production of commercial vehicles began the following year . By 1906, the factory had more than tripled to 30,193 m². The plant remained in operation without interruption, with numerous expansions, until the Detroit site was closed at the end of June 1956. After that, it increasingly fell into disrepair and is now often shown as an example of the decline of the Auto City Detroit, although it actually has nothing to do with its causes.

Four-cylinder

Packard Eighteen Touring Series NB (1910)

In the automotive sector, the four-cylinder models K , L , N and S (Model 24) followed shortly after each other , which finally completed the development of the luxury vehicle. Model K was the first Packard with a front engine and the only one with a "shovel nose" as was typical for Renault , CGV or Mors of this era. In addition, with a price starting at US $ 7,300 or 7,500 (depending on the source), it went far beyond the usual framework for an open top- of-the-range vehicle. Model L was the first Packard with the distinctive shape of the cooler , which would remain a trademark until 1957. Allegedly it was suggested by Schmidt, who was inspired by de Dion-Bouton . From the S model onwards, Packard used T-head engines for all subsequent four-cylinders (until 1912). With the successors model Thirty (U series, 1907–1912) and Eighteen (NA to NE series, 1909–1912), Packard established itself as a manufacturer of large, luxurious and high-quality cars.

Dominant Six

Packard Dominant Six 4-48 Runabout (1914)

The six-cylinder model Packard (Dominant) Six that followed was one of the most exclusive vehicles and helped shape the term “three big P”. This meant the then leading manufacturers in the USA Pierce-Arrow , Peerless and Packard. The Dominant Six was available as 38 HP and 48 HP, whereby the actual performance was significantly higher than indicated in the model name. In fact, there were two series with different wheelbases. The engines were designed differently. With the end of the Dominant Six, the brand's two-model policy temporarily ended.

At this time, JW Packard also withdrew from the company; he'd kept the company president for more formal reasons and hadn't even moved to Detroit. Henry B. Joy succeeded him.

Twin Six

1917 Packard Twin Six 2-25 Convertible Coupe from Holbrook

Under the new chief engineer Col. Jesse G. Vincent , Packard developed the Twin Six, introduced in May 1915, as the first production car with a V12 engine . Vincent also drew on experience he had gained while developing the Liberty aircraft engine for the Aviation Section of the US Signal Corps , the forerunner of the United States Air Force . Vincent was instrumental in this project alongside Henry M. Leland and Elbert J. Hall . He also established an aircraft engine department in the company. Boat engines followed later . The Twin Six had a displacement of 6,821 cm³ (424 in³) and an output of 88 hp (64.7 kW) at 2,600 rpm. By 1923, 30,941 Twin Sixs had been built in three series and a large number of variants.

In 1916 Alvan Macauley took over the office of company president and held it until 1939.

In Daytona Beach , Ralph DePalma set the world speed record over one mile at 149.875 mph (241.2 km / h) on February 12, 1919 with a special vehicle prepared by Vincent, the Packard 905 . The vehicle had a Packard V12 905 in³ (14,830 cm³) aircraft engine.

The fact that US President Warren G. Harding used a Packard Twin Six for his inauguration - the first time a president drove to the White House in a car - certainly contributed to the brand's reputation. US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt , like the kings of Norway and Yugoslavia, Tsar Nicholas II and the Chinese general and warlord Chang-Tso-Lin, were among the customers.

(Single) Six and (Single) Eight

1922 Packard Single Six 126 sports model, four seats
Packard Eight Model 343 Convertible Sedan by Murphy (1927)

In 1920 the Twin Six was given a lighter six-cylinder with seven bearings. The new Single Six should compete in the upper class with Cadillac or Lincoln . Only the Six later developed from it achieved satisfactory sales figures. The design principles of the Single Six influenced all later in-line engines of the company. In 1923 commercial vehicle production was given up. In calendar year 1927, 31,211 Packard were sold; Around 90% of these were Six Packard passenger car chassis, but they continued to be used as a base for ambulances and hearses . Until 1954 , there was a particularly close collaboration with Henney , a leading provider of such bodies.

As a replacement for the Twin Six, Packard introduced another, very successful model, the Single Eight , which established Packard's long tradition of large-volume and powerful in -line eight-cylinders operating at low speeds . The silky smooth running, nine-way side-controlled eight - cylinder in -line engine had a displacement of 5.8 liters . The vehicle had mechanical four-wheel brakes from the start and became the most popular luxury car in the United States in the 1920s. The name lasted only a year, after which the model was simply called Eight . In 1928 the series was split; the eight was built as a custom eight . A technically identical, but more simply equipped Standard Model 443 was placed alongside it. Even after the introduction of the new V12 in 1932, it remained in the range for several years.

JW Packard died on March 20, 1928 after a long illness. The company honored him in his own way: in October 1928, with the consent of his widow, a slightly modified version of the family crest was introduced as the new brand logo - one of the few in the automotive industry that had a real background and was not the product of a designer's imagination. Packard used it until production was discontinued in 1958. By now, Packard had built a reputation for building conservative cars that were popular with affluent customers and heads of state around the world. Above all, the great reliability of the cars was praised. At that time, Packard was producing about half of all luxury vehicles sold worldwide and was the undisputed dominance in this market segment in the USA .

1928 is the last year that Packard were fitted with drum-shaped headlights.

From July 9, 1928, Packard lowered the price of the Six by approximately US $ 300 in order to reduce inventory. Since 1926 there had been rumors about a merger of Packard with Nash , Hudson or Chrysler . Macauley was ultimately compelled to run a newspaper ad in which he clearly stated that the Packard Motor Car Company wanted to remain independent in the future. 1928 was a boom year for the entire US auto industry, with growth of around 30% over the previous year; In the luxury segment, however, the result was mixed. Lincoln lost 5.8%, Pierce-Arrow 1.7%, Peerless 20.6% and Cadillac compensated for its 1.4% decline with the LaSalle , which gained 68.7% in its second year - probably at a cost from Buick , which was down 15.7%. Packard gained 37.4% during this time.

"Custom Body by Packard"

Until then, Packard had relied on external design consultants. Traditionally, we have worked with the leading body construction companies. Every year the management selected a number of special bodies which were summarized in a special catalog. Variants by LeBaron (later Dietrich ), Rollston , Judkins and Holbrook were practically always represented.

What was designed in-house was the responsibility of chief body engineer Archer L. Knapp . From 1927 Packard began to build up its own department for special bodies. She was administratively subordinate to Raymond B. Birge , previously General Manager at LeBaron. Birge hired Werner Gubitz , also from LeBaron, as a designer . The purpose of the department was to move part of the lucrative custom body business to Packard. The Custom Body Department complemented the collaboration with the bodybuilders, but did not replace them. The quality of their bodies was on a par with that of the leading coachbuilders, but did not achieve their prestige.

New series names

In 1929 Packard changed its model naming system. This consisted of three digits, the first of which referred to the series of the model and the second allowed conclusions to be drawn about the wheelbase . In 1922, for example, there was the Single Six 126 and 133 (1st series, wheelbase approximately 126 and 133 inches, respectively). As soon as several series were running at the same time (which was the case again with the Single Eight from 1924), it became very confusing. In 1928, dealers also had Six 526 and 533 as well as Custom Eight 443 and Standard Eight Model 443 . From then on, all series of a model year received the same series designation, starting with the 6th series. So there is no eight of the 5th series.

Series names only lost their meaning when Packard switched to annual model changes in 1951. Up until the Second World War, improvements continued to flow into the products without a higher price being charged as a result.

6th series

1929 Packard Custom Eight 640 4-door Convertible Sedan, body made by Larkins, San Francisco

Construction time : August 1, 1928 to August 20, 1929

With the 6th series, Packard introduced further innovations. For the first time, the model range consisted exclusively of eight-cylinder models (until 1931; 8th series). The six-cylinder was replaced by a new Standard Eight (models 626 and 633) with a smaller version of the well-known Packard eight-cylinder. Standard Eight are the only models with cooling slots on the bonnet as standard ; larger models came with a number of flaps.

The prices were initially about US $ 200 above those of the Six of the previous year; a price cut in the middle of the year brought them to the same level and in some cases slightly below them.

The "big" Packard remained available; As the Custom Eight 640, it was the simpler version of the previous year with production bodies and prices that were up to US $ 700 below the level of the Eight Standard Model 443 from 1928. However, the wheelbase was shortened to 140.5 inches (3569 mm). The term custom ("on request") is misleading; Although chassis for special bodies were available, the series consisted of series versions. The new Eight Deluxe 645 , which was added one month after the introduction of the other models , was specially designed for special bodies. It was technically identical to the Custom Eight, but had a longer wheelbase of 145 inches (3696 mm).

The Speedster 626 played a special role . He shared the chassis with the short version of the Standard Eight. The engine, however, was a revised version of the custom eight engine. Axles and brakes have been adapted to the higher performance. At US $ 5,000, the Speedster was almost twice as much as a standard eight roadster. The power was 90 hp for the Standard Eight, 105 for the Custom Eight and 130 for the Speedster. Raymond Dietrich was brought in as design consultant for the series versions . Packard's 6th series are the brand's first models with rounded headlamp housings. Dietrich had also replaced the double belt line in the passenger area with a single one in the standard bodies . This was narrow in the hood area and widened from the A-pillar .

43,149 Standard Eight, 9,801 Custom Eight, 2,061 Deluxe Eight and 70 Speedster were built.

7th series

1930 Packard Standard Eight 733 Coupe

Construction period Standard Eight 726/733, Custom Eight 740, Deluxe Eight 745 : August 20, 1929 to August 13, 1930 Construction
period of the Speedster Eight 734 : January 1930 to August 13, 1930

In the first quarter of 1929 the automobile market exploded; the result was an increase of 49.9%. Sales developed even better for Packard; this became the most successful period in its history as the competition continued to struggle with declining numbers.

The success was based on the continuation of the proven concept. The Speedster Eight was placed on its own, longer chassis and expanded into its own model series (734); four body styles were available. The power increased to 145 hp (106 for the Custom Eight). The Boattail Speedster is one of the most famous classics today.

In the month the 7th series was launched, the stock market collapsed on " Black Thursday " (August 29, 1929) . The world economic crisis followed , which caused car sales of all manufacturers to collapse.

Many of them subsequently went bankrupt or gave up. Packard was also badly hit; the luxury market saw the largest decline. During this time, some of the timelessly most beautiful automobile bodies were created - and quite a few on Packard chassis. The factory designer was Werner Gubitz. Little was changed in the appearance; the 7th series differed visually from the 6th series mainly in terms of different headlights and the relocation of the position lights to the fenders . The technical improvements included a gearbox with 4 instead of 3 gears, double V-belts , thermostat-controlled fins in front of the radiator for all models and from the middle of the model year a vacuum pump .

The best bodybuilders in the USA, including LeBaron, Dietrich, Willoughby , Rollston, Brunn and Murphy , supplied special bodies .

The sales figures at the end of the 7th series were alarming: over a third less (28,270) Standard Eight and over 40% less (4,999) Custom Eight were sold. The 47 (117) more Speedster Eights sold were even less significant than the approximately 1,000 (3,007) Deluxe Eight.

8th series

1931 Packard Standard Eight 833 2/4 passenger coupe (style # 468). Options: bonnet with flaps instead of slots, additional headlights, step protection, whitewall tires, hood ornament "Goddess of Speed"
1931 Packard Individual Custom Eight 840 Convertible Sedan from Dietrich. This term is misleading; the vehicle is a Deluxe Eight with a body from the Individual Custom Eight catalog (No. 1881). The "Adonis" hood ornament was a factory accessory during series 6 to 8.

Construction period: Standard Eight 826 and 833: August 14, 1930 to June 22, 1931
Construction period: Deluxe Eight 840 and 845: September 1930 to June 22, 1931

The 8th series consisted of the series Standard Eight 826 and 833 as well as Deluxe Eight 840 and 845. More cosmetic was the elimination of the Custom Eight 840, which merged into the Deluxe Eight series. The Speedster was also deleted without replacement. In fact, Packard reduced its range from four to two series with two wheelbases each. Packard listed for the 8th series:

  • Standard Eight 826: 1
  • Standard Eight 833: 11 (+1 compared to the 7th series)
  • Deluxe Eight 840: 9 (-1 versus 7th series)
  • Deluxe Eight 845: 2

The Individual Custom Eight catalog was still available in a reduced form with nine instead of 13 versions. Seven came from in-house production. Only Dietrich was still represented as an external bodybuilder with the Convertible Sedan and Convertible Victoria. All these versions were new not only be ordered for the 840, but also for the 833. The cheapest (also because very popular) was Dietrich's Victoria Convertible to US $ 4,275 US $ 5,175, respectively, the most expensive, the all-weather Town Car Landaulet from US $ 5,175 and US $ 6,075 respectively. The entry-level Standard Eight 826 Sedan cost US $ 2,385.

The differences to the 7th series are minimal. There were larger wheel hub covers , a new hood lock, modified bumpers and a steering wheel with three instead of four spokes. The 840 now also received curved front fenders, as they were reserved for the 745 in the previous year.

Little was changed technically either. The engine of the Standard Eight received design elements inspired by the 734 Speedster, such as its valves and a revised and raised exhaust manifold, but without the cooling fins of the 734. The power increased to 100 hp for the Standard Eight and 120 hp for the Deluxe Eight.

A new electric fuel pump replaced the vacuum-controlled one from the previous year. The revised Bijur central chassis lubrication no longer worked with negative pressure and was now fully automatic; it no longer had to be operated once a day by hand. Vacuum was only required for the windshield wipers .

Packard had major problems selling its current models in the depressed economic environment while the 9th series was already running. On June 23, 1931, shortly after the introduction of the 9th series, discounts were granted on vehicles that were still on the dump. These discounts were significantly lower for Standard Eight than for Deluxe Eight. An 833 2/4 Passenger Coupé, for example, still cost US $ 2,175 instead of US $ 2,525 and its counterpart as 840 cost US $ 2,900 instead of US $ 3,545. The last vehicles were offered in September 1931 at even lower prices. The said 833 Coupé was now available for only US $ 1,885 and the dealer gave optional side spare wheels, if necessary with casing at no extra charge. It was almost an act of desperation that the factory launched a conversion kit with which dealers could visually bring their unsold vehicles closer to the 9th series. This particularly affected a slightly angled radiator grille. Of course, that affected sales of the 9th series.

The devastating sales figures didn't just hit Packard; the economic crisis broke through in the entire industry. With 12,105 copies of the Standard Eight, the bad result of the previous year was more than halved and with 3,345 copies of the Deluxe Eight compared to the 8,006 copies of the “big” Packard of the previous year, this series performed even worse.

9th series

1932 Packard Light Eight 900 Sedan. The color separation is not original; Fog lamps and "overriders" (triangular tubes on the bumper) are accessories.

Construction time Standard Eight 901/902, Eight Deluxe 903/904, Individual Custom Eight 904 June 23, 1931 to January 1, 1933
Construction time Light Eight 900, Twin Six 905/906, Individual Twelve 906 : January 9, 1932 to January 5, 1933

When the 9th series was available at dealers at the end of June 1931, no profound changes were found. The chassis were revised and received a cross beam for reinforcement. The performance had risen to 110 and 135 hp respectively. The cheapest model and the only one with a wheelbase of 129 1/2 "was the Standard Eight Sedan Model 901. All other Standard Eights had a wheelbase of 136 1/2" (Model 902). Light Eight and Standard Eight now also have flaps instead of cooling slots in the bonnet. New for the whole 9th series were the three-way adjustable hydraulic shock absorbers from the driver's seat .

The larger model was now called Eight Deluxe (903, 904), all chassis were a little longer (142 1/2 or 147 1/2 inches), the fender line a little more elegant and the vehicles received a little more than indicated "pointed cooler".

The big news was added on January 9, 1932 and rounded off the model range up and down. Ultimately, it was clear: Packard urgently needed a volume model. This is how the new Light Eight (900) was born. The chassis was derived from that of the former Standard Eight 726. It also received the X-traverse and another K-traverse at the front. The wheelbase grew from 127½ to 127¾ inches. There were only four, albeit new, bodies to choose from (5-seater Sedan and Coupé-Sedan and 2/4-seater Stationary Coupé and Roadster Coupé). The equipment was a bit simpler and the car was given its own, stylish front with a radiator grille that was pulled out from below. The price was very attractive. But that was precisely the problem with the Light Eight: As the following table shows, there was a large price difference between the two series with identical engines. There were far more body variants of the Standard Eight 902; but the most common ones were also covered by the Light Eight.

Packard Eight Deluxe Model 904 Sedan Sedan (1932) with a partition to the chauffeur that is invisible in the lowered position. The yellow color of the panes is due to the aging of the safety glass.
900 Light 8 901 standard 8 902 standard 8
wheelbase 127¾ in 129½ in 136½ in
Sedan 5 pl. US $ 1,750 US $ 2,485 US $ 2,775
Coupé 5 pl. US $ 1,795 - US $ 2,975
Coupé 2/4 pl. US $ 1,795 - US $ 2,675
Roadster 2/4 pl. US $ 1,795 - US $ 2,650
Remarks:
  • To compare the Light Eight Sedan, the 902 Club Sedan with a similarly large interior was used; the "normal" sedan was a seven-seater and cost US $ 2,885.
  • The five-seat 902 Coupé was used to compare the Light Eight Coupé-Sedan.

The Light Eight were up to 500 kg lighter than the Eight. This not only had a positive effect on fuel consumption, the performance was even more important. The Light Eight was undoubtedly an alternative to the Eight worth considering and the customer was not only asked about comparable competing products (for example from Buick or Chrysler ), but also whether the price difference to the Eight was justified. Compared to the 902, it was just under US $ 1,000 or the equivalent of a mid-range car and almost US $ 500 compared to the 901 Sedan. The Light Eight Roadster and 2/4 Coupé were also popular with sporty drivers because they were comparatively compact and fast.

The model at the upper end of the price spectrum only appeared because when the economic crisis hit, its development was too advanced to be stopped. The US certainly didn't need another twelve-cylinder. But that's exactly what Packard brought out. According to old tradition it was called Twin Six (905, 906).

Wheelbase inches Eight Deluxe Twin Six
142½ 903 905
147 - 906
147½ 904 906

The Twin Six received a side-controlled V12 with a displacement of 445.5 in³ (7300 cm³) and an output of 160 HP (117.86 kW) at 3200 rpm. The fork angle was 67 °, the cylinder bore 87 mm and the stroke 102 mm. A Stromberg downdraft carburetor EE3 was used to prepare the mixture.

Packard streamlined production by using an almost identical chassis for the large eight-cylinder and twin six , making the bodies interchangeable between the two series. Deluxe Eight 903 and Twin Six 905 were also models with factory bodies, as was a sedan and a sedan with a long wheelbase (147½ inches). Packard continued to supply Deluxe Eight and Twin Six with single bodies from their own catalog. They were limited to chassis from the 904 and 906 series with a 147 inch wheelbase. The latter was an adaptation to simplify the special bodies that were compatible between the Eight Deluxe and Twin Six (and had the same type numbers). Similar to what Cadillac did with its exclusive Fleetwood bodies , Packard also built most of the special bodies themselves. These were marked with a custom-built by Packard sign. Dietrich also contributed some bodies. All versions from the catalog mentioned were called Individual Custom Eight and Individual Custom Twelve .

Sales of Eight Deluxe and Individual Custom Eight fell to 1,657 and Eight to 7,669. For this, 6,785 copies of the Light Eight were sold. Only 548 Twin Six could be sold. The output was 110 bhp (82 kW) for the Light Eight and Eight, 135 bhp (101 kW) for the Eight Deluxe and 160 bhp (119 kW) for the Twin Six.

Because the Eight Deluxe and Twin Six now shared the chassis, the previous numbering system, which differed according to the wheelbase , no longer worked. Therefore, the first digit (from the 10th series: the first two) indicates the series as before and the last the model series resp. Model range and chassis. The 0 in between has no function.

The 9th series is usually assigned to the 1932 model year despite its long duration.

10th series

Packard Twelve Individual Custom Twelve Model 1005 Sport Phaeton by Dietrich (1933)

Construction period : January 6 to August 20, 1933

In 1932, Amos Northup had delivered a new design for Graham that received a lot of attention in the auto industry and was copied by many manufacturers. A key feature were long fenders with "aprons" pulled down to the sides. Packard also followed this trend. The battery and tool boxes embedded in the fender have been eliminated, and the tools are instead housed in the rear. The battery was now under the hood. The engine received a new three-point linkage. There was a new single-plate dry clutch and an automatic choke for the Twelve. Otherwise little changed technically.

The Light Eight disappeared without a sound; an excellent car at a more than competitive price, which is precisely why it hurt sales of its own Eight more than the competition.

The Eight, the successor to the Standard Eight in the 10th series, consequently appeared again with two wheelbases as model 1001 (short) and 1002 (long), whereby the four variants offered on the short wheelbase corresponded to those of the Light Eight and only differ from them distinguished by the facelift , better equipment and significantly higher prices. The Eight received a Stromberg - downdraft carburetor , the hypoid rear axle of the Light Eight used for Eight 1001 and 1002nd Spoked wheels were standard. The list of accessories for the Eight included disc or artillery wheels , side-mounted spare wheels , also optionally in a metal housing , an automatic clutch and a searchlight . The power increased to 120 bhp (89 kW).

The Super Eight replaced both DeLuxe Eight and Individual Custom Eight . There were only two wheelbases left; By eliminating the longest version, custom versions were only available for the Twelve. A heater in the front footwell, the heavy front bumpers of the Twelve, which contained weights on the outside to dampen vibrations, and the searchlight, which was only part of the basic equipment on open models, were available for an extra charge. Super Eight also brought more power with 145 bhp (108 kW).

The output increased to 120 bhp (89 kW) for the Eight and to 145 bhp (108 kW) for the Super Eight. Even so, at the height of the economic downturn, Packard was barely able to sell 3,009 Eight, 1,327 Super Eight and 547 Twelve. That was enough to show a small profit.

Packard Motor Car Company had a children's book printed, With Jack & Jill In Motor-Car-Land . It was probably the first time that it was explained in a child-friendly way how automobiles were built and how they work.

11th series

1934 Packard 1104 Super Eight Convertible Sedan

Construction time : August 21, 1933 to August 29, 1934

As an independent manufacturer, Packard was not in the fortunate position of being able to absorb losses from expensive brands with the volume of cheaper ones. So all models had to be profitable.

The 11th series received subtle technical and visual improvements. The performance remained unchanged. The radiator grille was now a little more inclined, the fenders became more massive by being pulled at the front to the height of the bumper and more strongly skimmed at the sides. The Standard Eight's bumpers were given a slit to make them appear two-piece. The deluxe bumpers with the counterweight were also available. The tank filler neck was accessible through the base of the left tail light. Instead of the criticized vent windows, fittings from General Motors were purchased. A radio was first available as an option.

The Eight was now available with three instead of two wheelbases:

  • Model 1100 3289 mm (129.5 in)
  • Model 1101 3461 mm (136.25 in)
  • Model 1102 3588 mm (141 in)

The headlight lenses in the Super Eight and Twelve received the same vertical "kink" that the radiator grille had.

Super Eight and Twelve also had three chassis each. The custom bodies from the Twelve catalog were again available for the Super Eight.

A small series of Speedsters was placed on a modified chassis of the Eight 1101. In order to be able to accommodate the rims of the Twelve with the larger bolt circle , its axles had to be used. LeBaron drew three highly elegant, sporty designs. The Runabout Speedster had a pointed tail, then there was a Sport Coupé with an aerodynamic rear and a tiny rear window and a longer Phaeton with two windshields. All had teardrop-shaped fenders. Both LeBaron and Packard Custom built a few of these exorbitantly expensive vehicles with prices starting at US $ 16,000 that competed directly with the Duesenberg J Roadster. Runabout and Roadster were the only twelve on the shortest chassis (1106).

The prices rose slightly. Packard sold 5,148 units of the Eight, 3,945 units of the Super Eight and 986 units of the Twelve (including only 4 Sport Coupés), but the 11th series was produced significantly longer than the 10.

12th series

Packard Eight Model 1200 5-passenger Sedan (Style # 803), Packard's cheapest senior model (1935)
Packard Twelve Convertible Sedan Model 1208 (1935)

Construction period Eight, Super Eight, Twelve : August 30, 1934 to August 9, 1935

With the One Twenty , a revolutionary model for the brand appeared in January 1935. The 12th series was introduced at the end of August. It consisted of the usual series Eight, Super Eight and Twelve. The Eight was now also available with three instead of two wheelbases, the shortest of the Twelve was omitted.

Despite the ongoing economic crisis, Packard made numerous technical improvements. As usual, the visual modernization was cautious. The bodies were rounded a little more and the radiator grills were again a little more inclined. The headlights were given torpedo-shaped housings that were usually painted in the same color as the car; A chrome strip was provided on the side, which appeared in contemporary illustrations but was left out shortly after the start of series production. The Twelve, on the other hand, had a corresponding decorative part on top of the case. The bonnet was also given chrome trim on the flank for the first time and the rear fenders became more massive. All doors were hinged at the back . Side-mounted spare wheels with optional cladding were still available and standard on some large models. In all other versions, the spare wheel was carried in a compartment in the rear. While most four-door models did not yet have an integrated trunk , this was provided in the various Club Sedans . As a result, he increasingly prevailed; Packard (like other manufacturers) used the addition "Touring" for these models to distinguish them from sedans and sedans without trunk. "Touring Sedan" remained an established term for the four-door model until 1956. The tank filler neck has been relocated to the carrier of the left tail light. Inside, the handbrake lever was moved under the dashboard .

All engines have been upgraded with aluminum cylinder heads and an increase in compression (for the eight-cylinder to 6.5: 1) and accordingly more power: 130 bhp for the Eight and 150 bhp for the Super Eight. The eight-cylinder was made entirely of gray cast iron and had nine bearings. The twelve-cylinder was also given an increase in displacement through more stroke (now 108 instead of 102 mm). Now it made 175 hp (128.8 zW) at still 3200 rpm from 473.7 in³ (7757 cm³). A higher compression was available on request, which increased the power to 180 hp. The V12 engine was built in this form until production was discontinued in 1939.

All chassis received reinforced cross beams. The rod-shaped front crossbeam was replaced by a more massive one. The Twelve also received a new three-point engine suspension with rubber mounts for even smoother running. In contrast, the front rigid axle was retained. Wooden spoke artillery wheels were only available for the Eight on request ; the standard equipment consisted of disc wheels ; Wire spoke wheels were alternatively available for all models. The wheelbases became shorter:

  • Eight Model 1200: 3226 mm (127 inches); only sedan
  • Eight Model 1201: 3404 mm (134 inches)
  • Eight Model 1202: 3531 mm (139 inches)
  • Super Eight Model 1203: 3353 mm (132 inches); only sedan
  • Super Eight Model 1204: 3531 mm (139 inches)
  • Super Eight Model 1205: 3588 mm (144 inches)
  • Twelve model 1207: 3531 mm (139 inches)
  • Twelve model 1208: 3658 mm (144 inches)

Lateral spare wheels (only in pairs; surcharge for Twelve US $ 65), casings, heating, radio, antenna, search light and bumper guards , chrome-plated bars that were supposed to protect the grille and were attached to the bumper were subject to a surcharge in all series ; in turn, they were often perceived as decorative parts. For the Eight, a watch was available on request, which was part of the basic equipment in Super Eight and Twelve. The Super Eight could be ordered with the stabilizer bumpers of the Twelve for an extra charge.

Packard offered used vehicles with a full manufacturer's warranty at 40 to 50% of the original retail price, stating that "someone else [has already] paid the factory profit, seller's commission and first year depreciation".

In the 12th series, 5,300 copies of the Eight, 1,539 of the Super Eight and 856 of the Twelve were made.

One-twenty and modern production methods

Packard One-Twenty Business Coupe (1939)

Construction time : January 5, 1935 to February 7, 1942

The One-Twenty , presented in 1935, is one of the most important models of the brand, which saved the company from collapse in the times of crisis in the 1930s and permanently changed the future in terms of production and marketing . Although the quality continues to be impeccable, it was tailored to a price segment well below the previous offers. To manufacture it, Packard began with large-scale manufacturing principles. Production specialists were recruited for this purpose, above all from General Motors. This is how executives came to the long-established company who focused on series production and pushed back the importance of the large models that were expensive to produce.

The traditional distinction (since the Single Six ") between" Senior "(Twelve, Super Eight) and" Junior "models (Eight) was expanded by one facet with the One-Twenty. This is probably why the One-Twenty was not initially included in the usual numbering system.

The One-Twenty was the first Packard with an independent front suspension, called "Safe-T-Flex". The new, side-controlled in-line eight-cylinder was smaller, but delivered 110 bhp with great smoothness and, thanks to its lower overall weight, was more sporty to drive than the larger models. Radio, one or two side-mounted spare wheels and cladding for the rear fenders were optionally available.

The One-Twenty was advertised as "the first Packard under $ 1,000"; a statement that only applied to the two-seater business coupe at US $ 980; all other versions were slightly above. The most expensive model in the range was the Touring Sedan (Packard's traditional name for a sedan with an integrated trunk) at US $ 1,095. The cheapest Eight (model 1200, only available as a four-door sedan) was US $ 2,385.

Although introduced almost three months after the “regular” 12th series, the success of the One-Twenty was overwhelming: 25,175 units were built.

14th series

Construction time : August 10, 1935 to September 2, 1936

15th series

Construction time : September 3, 1936 to September 9, 1937

16th series

Construction period Twelve : September 10, 1937 to September 19, 1938
Construction period Six, Eight, Super Eight : September 20, 1937 to September 19, 1938

17th series

Packard Twelve (17th series) by US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1939)

Construction period : September 20, 1938 to August 7, 1939
One-Twenty construction period : September 20, 1938 to January 17, 1940

The 17th series brought the final year of production for the Twelve and the other traditionally built "Senior" models. In fact, they were now technically obsolete. Independent front suspensions (such as the One-Ten and One-Twenty) had never been received and they were built in the same premises as the great classics of the past, while the more dynamic, attractive "junior" models rolled off the production line next to the modern factory cost a fraction, enjoyed a great reception and were unmistakably Packard in terms of quality and appearance. The only external difference between the senior models and their predecessors in the 16th series is the alternating chrome-plated and painted fins in the radiator grille.

President Alvan Macauley has retired after 23 successful years. His successor Max Gilman was less fortunate; After a scandal in his personal environment, he had to give up his armchair for George T. Christopher after only one year .

18th series

Packard One-Twenty Coupe, 18th series. 1801–1398 Business Coupe, 1801–1395 Club Coupe or 1801–1395DE Deluxe Club Coupe (1940) come into question

Construction time : August 8, 1939 to September 15, 1940
One-Twenty construction time : January 18, 1940 to September 15, 1940

Macauley had approved and initiated the generation change in production that had now been completed. The Packard Motor Car Company had thus completed the greatest upheaval in its history. The separate production of the senior models was abandoned because it had become disproportionately expensive in terms of the number of pieces as well as the time and space required. At the same time, the Twelve was discontinued.

Gilman continued the initiated and sometimes drastic measures. Many production specialists now took on responsibility in key positions, which had been poached with the introduction of the One-Twenty, especially at General Motors, and whose production methods were now to be introduced at Packard.

The One-Ten and One-Twenty models had shown that a very high level of quality could also be maintained with assembly line production. Analogous to GM or Chrysler, a "modular system" was created that comprised four series. The new senior models were therefore only longer, better equipped variants of the One-Twenty with the engine of the Super Eight from the previous year.

Almost even more drastic was that Packard not only closed the traditional body department, but also completely outsourced the production body shop . In the future, the Briggs Manufacturing Company , which had a plant in Detroit, supplied all production bodies. This decision contributed to the demise of the brand years later. However, individual superstructures were still possible and some special designs from LeBaron, Rollston and Darrin continued to find their way into the Packard catalog.

Darrin-Packards

Packard One-Twenty Darrin Convertible Victoria Model 1801-700 (940)
Packard Clipper Darrin Convertible Victoria (1942, Recreation)

The best known were undoubtedly the Packard Darrins , developed by designer and coachbuilder Howard A. Darrin (1897–1982). He was a colorful personality and a talented designer. He had lived in France for several years , where he and Thomas L. Hibbard (1898–1982) ran the respected bodywork company Hibbard & Darrin (1923–1929 in Paris ; 1929–1931 in New York). After they had to close in the wake of the economic crisis, they separated. Hibbard became chief designer for Cadillac under Harley Earl ; Darrin stayed in France and organized Fernandez & Darrin in Boulogne sur Seine with the Argentinian banker J. Fernandez , who already owned a body shop . Special bodies of high quality were produced here until 1937. Darrin then went to California and designed a sporty, elegant convertible Victoria on the chassis of the Packard One-Twenty, which became known as Packard-Darrin and was bought by individual Hollywood greats such as Clark Gable . In 1939 the model was added to the Packard Custom catalog and expanded to include a variant on the chassis of the One-Eighty. There was also a Darrin Sport Sedan and a Convertible Sedan , also on the most expensive chassis. They remained in the program until 1942, although Darrin had already given up production in 1939. These vehicles were manufactured, in even better quality, by Rollston in New York City or Bohman & Schwartz in Pasadena, California . Darrin, who claimed all his life that he designed the Packard Clipper and was never paid for it, also built a Convertible Victoria on this model in 1942, which was followed by two or three more after the war. None survived, but there is a replica of a vehicle that Clark Gable ordered.

19th series

Packard Super Eight One-Sixty Convertible Sedan Model 1903 (1941)

Construction time : September 16, 1940 to August 24, 1941

The optical adjustments were minimal; the headlights were now integrated into the front fenders, the rear windows in one piece instead of two and the optional side-mounted spare wheels were - inconveniently - placed deeper in the fender. A technical innovation was Aero-Drive , Packard's name for an optional overdrive . The semi-automatic clutch was now called Electro-Matic .

Clipper

Packard Clipper Super Touring Sedan Model 2103–1672 (1946) or 2103–2172 (1947).

Clipper construction period : April 1, 1941 to August 24, 1941

The only novelty of the model year was postponed during the model year. The Clipper , named after a fast cargo sailor of the 19th century, was conceived as a new model on the threshold of the upper class, placed between the One-Twenty and the Super Eight One-Sixty. Its design attracted considerable attention. For the first time a Packard had a fender line that was dissolved in the front doors ("fade-away"). The manufacturer, known for its more conservative lines, advertised with the reference to "the first car whose roof a normal-sized man could see". The trunk was integrated harmoniously into the design and the clipper no longer had any running boards . It had been developed internally under Werner Gubitz; The designer Howard A. Darrin maintained throughout his life that he designed the car at very short notice, but was neither paid nor appreciated for it. An enormously large and complex stamped part, which comprised the roof, the upper part of the engine bulkhead, the frame of the windshield and the rear part with the recess for the trunk, was particularly demanding in terms of production technology.

Technically, the Clipper largely corresponded to the One-Twenty with an identical wheelbase (127 inches or 3226 mm). The chassis was derived from the former and also the engine, brought from 120 bhp (89.5 kW) to 125 bhp (93.2 kW) by means of a higher compression, otherwise largely corresponded to this. This performance-enhanced variant was also available for the One Twenty. The Clipper was given the model number 1951-1401 and was only offered as a four-door touring sedan in the year of introduction .

In the calendar year 1941, 16,600 clippers were built. It was Packard's most successful model.

20th series

Packard Six (115) Convertible Coupé Model 2000 (1942)

Construction time : August 25, 1941 to February 7, 1942

The 20th series consisted of the series Six (110), Eight (120), Super Eight One-Sixty and Custom Super Eight One-Eighty. With this series, the traditional car manufacturing was finally replaced by modern production methods. The clipper design was now offered in all series; Six (110) and Eight (120) consisted almost entirely of models in this design; In addition, the Club Sedan was now also available as a two-door version with a rounded hatchback . The traditional bodies have been brought closer to the clipper design at the front; Instead of the vertically inserted radiator openings, which had flanked the radiator grille in the previous year, flat, horizontal ones now appeared.

Six (110) and Eight (120) were each available in the equipment variants Special and Custom . The Clipper versions shared the chassis with a wheelbase of 3048 mm (120 inches). The Six's power increased to 105 bhp thanks to a new Carter carburetor. Only the Convertible Coupé and the taxi version of the Six with a long wheelbase were based on the “traditional” design. A slight facelift tried to emphasize the family resemblance to the Clipper. Station Wagon and Convertible Sedan were canceled. During the model year, prices were increased.

Super Eight One-Sixty and Custom Super Eight One-Eighty only differed in terms of equipment. There were three wheelbases. On the shortest with 3226 mm (127 inches) the Super Eight Cabriolet, the aforementioned Eight (120) convertible and the Victoria Convertible by Darrin, as well as two clipper versions of the Custom Super Eight One-Eighty. The next larger with 3505 mm (138 inches) consisted of the Super Eight 160 versions Clipper Sedan and Club Sedan as well as a “traditional” Sedan, which was offered around US $ 300 cheaper than the corresponding Clipper. No corresponding clipper was provided for the Custom Super Eight One-Eighty. There were two conventional sedans, the Touring Sedan analogous to the One-Sixty and a “Formal Sedan” with a covered third side window and leather cover for the roof. A Rollson All-Weather Cabriolet , a four-door convertible sedan , was available for US $ 5,000 . Finally, the third chassis had a wheelbase of 3,759 mm (148 inches). It was reserved for closed, 5- to 7-seater factory superstructures - sedans and limousines, both as one-sixty and one-eight - and the last special superstructures from Packard in the tradition of the Individual Custom Eight . There was an elegant version of sedan and limousine from LeBaron and an all-weather town car from Rollston.

Packard (20th series) Super Eight One-Sixty sedan (1942)

As a result of the USA entering the war, the 1942 model year was greatly shortened. 27,961 vehicles were built in the 20th series; the lion's share (20,524 pieces) was split between the junior models Six and Eight. Only 6,058 vehicles were built in the 1942 calendar year, many of them with matt black paint instead of chrome. Production officially ended on February 7th, and Packard's last car, a Clipper Eight Touring Sedan, was assembled on February 9th.

No "Stalin Connection"

The Russian ZIS-110 (1942–1958) is based on the Packard Custom Eight 180 of the 20th series

It is rumored again and again, but ultimately wrong, that at the request of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt , Packard is said to have supplied press molds for Super Eight 160 / Custom Super 180 sedans of the 20th series of the allied Soviet Union and that they derived the state sedan ZIS-110 from it have.

True, it is known that Joseph Stalin was a follower of the Packard brand. The ZIS-110 is only based on these Packard models. Years later, the same was done with the ZIL-111 / GAZ-13 Chaika .

Packard in World War II

By building engines and trucks (the latter was discontinued in 1923), Packard was early on in the armaments sector. On December 7, 1941, Japanese planes bombed Pearl Harbor . The United States then entered World War II on December 8 , 1942, and on February 9, 1942, the US government halted civil automobile production for over three years. After that, nothing at Packard was the same as it had been before.

On behalf of the US government, Packard manufactured a further developed version of the British V12 aircraft engine Rolls-Royce Merlin under license from 1941 to 1947 . This Packard Merlin V-1650 (not to be confused with the Packard aircraft engine of the same name from the 1920s ( Liberty L-12A )) was primarily geared towards efficient production. Due to their good quality, they have proven themselves excellently in both British and US aircraft. Packard built approximately 55,000 of these Packard-Merlin engines. The best known so equipped machines were the fighters North American P-51 Mustang and Vickers Supermarine Spitfire and de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito , a versatile, twin-engine aircraft, which among other things as reconnaissance , fighter-bombers , light bomber and night fighter was used.

Packard V-1650-7 aircraft engine; Further development of the Rolls-Royce-Merlin manufactured under license, in this version 1315 bhp

Packard had designed a V12 engine for use in US Patrol Torpedo boats ( PT boats) and British motor torpedo boats (MTB) even before the USA entered the war and in cooperation with the government . The engine was the further development of the 3A-2500 aircraft engine ("A" for "Aircraft") from the 1920s. It was built from 1942 to 1945 in three stages of development, 3M-2500, 4M-2500 and 5M-2500 ("M" for "Marine"). The technical features included the compressor , charge air cooler and dual ignition . In the last version it achieved 1850 bhp. Most of the PT boats used in World War II were equipped with three 4M-2500s. These engines with a displacement of 2,490 cubic inches (equivalent to 40.8 liters) initially made 1200 bhp ( brake horsepower , equivalent to 895 kW) and were brought up to 1500 bhp (1150 kW), which gives a fully loaded boat speeds of around 48  knots ( almost 90 km / h) - at the price of immense fuel consumption and therefore limited range. Around 12,000 such engines were built.

From 1948 to 1952, Packard was involved in the development of the J-47 jet engine for combat aircraft.

Some company cars for the US Army and Navy as well as a military version of the Henney ambulance were made from existing material. US commanders in chief Eisenhower and MacArthur temporarily drove Packard staff cars . The latter received his custom Super Clipper limousine in camouflage ("olive-drab") as a gift from the Packard employees. Packard, like most US automakers, kept itself in the public mind with patriotic newspaper advertisements that pointed to the quality of Packard engines and their importance in victory.

According to Packard, it manufactured armaments worth US $ 1 billion. In 1943, Packard had the highest workforce in its history, with 36,000 employees.

Post war production

Packard Clipper Custom Touring Sedan Model 2106-1622 (21st series, 1947)

After the war, Packard resumed production with only slightly modified models from the Clipper series. However, the management increasingly focused production on the (upper) middle class - and thus handed Cadillac the US market for luxury cars practically on a silver platter. At first it worked out and Packard produced large quantities. The taxi market, previously served mainly by Checker and DeSoto , has been given greater consideration. However, when the war-related pent-up demand for automobiles was satisfied and normality returned from the early 1950s, Packard was one of the losers: the luxury market had practically been given up; brutal cutthroat competition prevailed in the middle class . The tendency was intensified by a somewhat unsuccessful restyling in 1948 and an increasingly aging clientele. Instead of a hardtop , Packard launched the Eight Station Sedan in 1949, a "Woodie" station wagon that hardly sold.

24th series

Packard 200 Touring Sedan Model 2401-2492 (1951) in Ash Green . The figure is from a younger senior model.
Packard 250 Convertible Model 2401-2469 (1951) in Corona Cream . The trim on the rear fender was not found on the early production models.

Construction period 200, 200 Deluxe, 300, Patrician 400 : August 21, 1950 to September 30, 1951
Construction period 250 : March 16, 1951 to September 30, 1951

When management rehashed the same design for 1951, there was a revolt among executives. Eventually President George T. Christopher had to vacate his chair. He was succeeded by Hugh Ferry , who, however, did not feel up to the task and was looking for his own successor at an early stage.

Meanwhile, new and more modern vehicles appeared. The design by chief designer John Reinhart was contemporary and looked fresh in a conservative way. After the presentation of the 24th series, Reinhart left Packard and went to Ford, where he played a key role in the design of the Continental Mark II . Packard's 24th series received both a new chassis and a completely new design. The fenders and bonnet were now about the same height. The glass surface became larger; however, the high-set target line made later modernization difficult. The windshield was now one-piece, the rear window significantly enlarged.

As a result of the high investments in the new series, a V8 engine that was under development was postponed. The in-line eight-cylinder engine largely corresponded to the previous year's version and was now referred to as the Thunderbolt . It continued to be offered in two sizes, namely 4718 cm³ (288 ci) and 135 bhp (100.7 kW) and 5359 cm³ (327 ci) and 150 bhp (111.9 kW); with the automatic version, the 327 received a slightly higher compression and 155 bhp (115.6 kW).

Technical and financial restrictions still prevented a full selection of body variants. So there was now no station wagon at all. As a replacement for this, the manufacturer warmed up a design that had long since been extinct across the industry: the business coupé. This was a particularly simple Club Sedan that had a rubber mat instead of the back seat; There was no partition to the trunk.

The distinction between "Junior" and "Senior" models was retained despite the great similarities. The traditional names Eight , Super Eight and Custom Eight were given up.

The senior models initially only included the sedans 300 and the top model Patrician 400 . The smaller series were 200 , 200 Deluxe and 250 . The latter consisted of the only cabriolet, simply called a convertible , and the brand's first hardtop coupé. Packard made the mistake, however, of only offering these two versions on the short chassis; the competition either had a corresponding variant in both series or at least in the more expensive one. The mistake was noticed shortly after the performance, but it was difficult to fix. Up until 1954, people were forced to waste unnecessary time and money in order to at least visually match the 250 series to the big Packard models and thus position them better in the luxury class. That was the reason why this "short" series with 3099 mm (122 inch) wheelbase had a chrome trim that was based on the respective "large" Packard 300 . A trick that was quickly implemented was to take over the radiator grille and figure from the senior models. In addition, they received the same "bottle opener" decorative elements on the flank that the Patrician 400 wore. However, these four had these decorative elements, the 250 models only three. In terms of price, they were slightly below the Patrician 400.

series model wheelbase No. body units List price US $
2401-2490 200 3099 mm 2492 Touring Sedan 4-door 24,310 2,417
2495 Club Sedan 2-door 2,366
2498 Business Coupé 2-door 2,523
2401-2460 200 deluxe 2462 Touring Sedan 4-door 47.053 2,616
2465 Club Sedan 2-door 2,563
Sports Coupé / Mayfair 2467 Hardtop 2-door 4,640 3,166
Convertible 2469 Cabriolet 2-door 3,320
2402-2470 300 3226 mm 2472 Touring Sedan 4-door 15,309 3,034
2406-2450 Patrician 400 2452 Touring Sedan 4-door 9.001 3,586
Derham Custom Formal 2452 Touring Sedan 4-door inquiry

The Derham Custom Formal was a variant of the Patrician 400. The renowned coachbuilder Derham in Rosemont (Pennsylvania) built a particularly luxurious interior with or without a partition and attached a leather cover to the roof. The privacy in the rear was emphasized by blind covers for the vent windows in the rear doors and a smaller, oval rear window. The vehicle was only built to order.

Technical and financial constraints had still ruled out a full range of body styles. After 1951, there was no longer any station wagon. Packard also made the mistake of offering the coupé and convertible only on the short chassis; the competition either had a corresponding variant in both series or at least in the more expensive one. Until 1954, Packard was forced to waste unnecessary resources in terms of money and time in order to at least visually match the 250 series to the big Packard models and to make them more salable in the upper class. That is the reason why the "short" Packard 250 , Mayfair , Pacific and the corresponding convertibles had a chrome trim that was modeled on the respective "long" Packard 300 / Cavalier .

The fact that the cheaper types 200 and 200 Deluxe also visually differed increasingly from the more expensive models caused the anger of the authorized dealers, who repeatedly opposed this measure. It was easier for them to sell the volume model they lived on as “little Packard”. The fact that this harmed the expensive models in their segment and undermined the prestige of the brand name was secondary for them.

26th series

Packard Mayfair hardtop (model 2631–2677) in Topeka Tan with roof in Matador Maroon Metallic (1953).

Construction period : November 21, 1952 to January 14, 1954
Caribbean construction period: January 1953 to January 14, 1954

The 26th series was built longer than usual. James J. Nance ensured that the model numbers were replaced by names in order to increase the identification with the product. So the small series was now called "Clipper". The Mayfair replaced the 250 hardtop and the Cavalier replaced the 300 . The slight facelift was the first of the new chief designer Richard A. Teague, who put a lot of effort into replacing the cooler that the press described as "homemade". His solution was easy to implement, but efficient. She brought a broad chrome rod that replaced the flat oval in the radiator grille. On the clipper the surface was smooth, on all other models it was ribbed. The rear windows were larger and the taillights were arranged vertically.

The wheelbase of 127 and 122 inches (3226 and 3099 mm respectively) has been retained: All Clipper are built on the shorter one, as are all two-door senior models (Convertible, Mayfair, Caribbean). Nance's efforts to return to the luxury class are also reflected in the return of the large, elongated sedans. There were two of them: 2626–2650 Corporate Sedan and 2626–2651 Executive Sedan . Both were derived from the Cavalier; the main difference was the retractable partition on the corporate limousine . The name Executive Sedan refers exclusively to this model without a partition and has nothing to do with the Executive model from 1956. The renovation was done by Henney. At 3785 mm (149 inches), the wheelbase was one inch (2.54 cm) more than that of the large pre-war representation cars.

Caribbean

Packard Caribbean Sports Convertible Model 2631–2678 in Matador Maroon Metallic .

Teague presented its luxury convertible Caribbean (model 2631–2678) only in January 1953 and caused a considerable stir. It was Packard's for once timely response to GM's lineup of "Dreamcars" for 1953, consisting of the Cadillac Eldorado , Buick Skylark and Oldsmobile Fiesta . The design for it was based on the Pan American show car from 1951 to 1952. Packard had been asked for this from outside. Henney's chief designer Richard Arbib had designed it and Henney would have liked to build it. Instead, unpainted convertibles were sent to Mitchell-Bentley in Ionia, Michigan , where extensive adjustments were made to the sheet metal trim. The conversion included a lower body, which also required a new interior, a wide, non-functional air scoop on the bonnet (without hood ornament) so that the engine could still fit with 180 bhp. Instead of decorative strips on the flank, an elegant chrome band adorned the vehicle around the open, circular wheel arches and on the sill , a Continental kit (free on the rear of the spare wheel in a casing) and chrome-spoke wheels from Kelsey-Hayes . With a list price of US $ 5,200, the Caribbean was one of the most expensive convertibles on the US market. Production was limited to 750 units.

Senior models

Packard Cavalier Touring Sedan Model 2602-2672 in Carolina Cream (1953)

In addition to the aforementioned Caribbean, the Patrician (2606–2652), now without the addition of "400" and still only available as a Touring Sedan, was the top model. Derham Custom Formal Sedan (2606–2653), which can only be delivered to order, was derived from this. It was particularly luxurious and could be ordered to the chauffeur with a partition.

2602 was the name for the simpler senior models. These were Cavalier Touring Sedan (2602–2672), the only one with the longer wheelbase of 3226 mm, and the three two-door Mayfair Hardtop (2631–2677), Convertible (2631–2679) and Caribbean (2631–2678). The Mayfair was the successor to the 250 and, together with the Convertible, was finally assigned to the senior series, so they were visually similar to the Cavalier - as well as the shorter wheelbase and the Clipper fenders. The new rear panoramic window from Patrician, Cavalier and Mayfair was in three parts. Outwardly, the only difference between Patrician and Cavalier was a chrome plate in front of the rear fender, which was missing on the Cavalier.

Henney offered two versions with a long wheelbase, the Henney Corporate Sedan (2626–2650) and the Henney Executive Sedan (2626–2651). The chrome decoration was closer to the Cavalier; the interior was roughly the same as that of the Clipper Custom.

Junior models

Packard Clipper Deluxe Touring Sedan Model 2662 (1953)
The Henney-Packard Junior Ambulance Model 2601 was based on the Clipper Special (1953)

The Clipper was available as a Special (2601) or Deluxe (2611). There was a new Sportster (2601-2697), a version that should appeal to younger customers. It was only available in the cheaper Special range. Nevertheless, it received the side decorations of the Mayfair (without "bottle opener" decor), a wide chrome band on the side of the roof and a color-contrasting roof to create the illusion of a hardtop without a B-pillar.

The hood ornament was new and resembled a jet plane. Special have decorative rods on the front and back on the flank; the front one is shaped like a spear, typical of the brand. The rear one is attached lower. On the Deluxe, these bars are connected by an additional chrome element, similar to those on the Mayfair and Convertible. It also has small chrome tail fins and decorative rings on the wheels. Technically, the two differ in the Thunderbolt 288 with 4719 cm³ (288 in³) and 150 PS respectively. the Thunderbolt 327 5359 cm³ (327 in³), which made 160 hp in this configuration.

There were also chassis for ambulances and hearses and Henney presented its well-known junior and senior ranges.

Model overview 26th series

series model wheelbase No. body units List price US $
2601-2690 Clipper 3099 mm 2692 Touring Sedan 4-door 23,126 2,588
2695 Club Sedan 2-door 6,730 2,534
2697 Sportster 2-door 3,671 2,795
2601-2660 200 deluxe 2662 Touring Sedan 4-door 26,037 2,735
2665 Club Sedan 2-door 4,678 2,681
2631-2660 Mayfair 2667 Hardtop 2-door 5,150 3,166
Convertible 2679 Cabriolet 2-door 1,518 3,476
Caribbean 2678 Cabriolet 2-door 750 3,476
2402-2470 300 3226 mm 2472 Touring Sedan 4-door 15,309 3,034
2606-2650 Patrician 400 2652 Touring Sedan 4-door 7,456 3,735
Derham Custom 2653 Formal sedan 4-door 9 6,526
2626-2650 Henney lwb 3785 mm 2651 Executive Sedan 4-door 100 4,650
2650 Corporate sedan 4-door 50 4,720
2601 Henney Junior 3099 mm 2-door ambulance
2-door hearse
Clipper Commercial Clipper Commercial
2633 Henney Sr. 3962 mm 4-door ambulance
3-door hearse
Packard Commercial Packard Commercial

Power steering

The most important innovation of the year concerned the power steering developed in-house . Unlike the system from GM ( Saginaw ) already on the market , the Packard power steering was not attached to the steering column , but to the chassis. The force did not act directly on the steering linkage (which could lead to damage to the steering if the steering wheel was turned while stationary), but intervened in the steering geometry. This version later became generally accepted. In addition, the Packard steering was constant; With the Saginaw version, a "resistance" had to be overcome because the system only worked after a certain pressure.

production

There was a choice of 14 colors and twelve color combinations for all model series (except for the Caribbean), with the alternative color only including the roof. The Caribbean was only available in four colors: Topeka Tan, Polaris Blue, Galahad Green and Matador Red .

In the 25th series, 89,730 units of Packard and Packard Clipper were built.

Studebaker-Packard (1954–1962)

Time and various unfortunate circumstances continued to work against the new team, but they also allowed themselves to make mistakes. One such was the persistent underestimation of the importance of V8 engines and station wagons .

fusion

The presidents of Packard and Nash , Nance and George W. Mason , wanted to secure the long-term survival of the larger remaining independent manufacturers through a merger. This would have led to the second largest manufacturer in the world. Mason organized the merger of Hudson and Nash, and Nance launched the Studebaker-Packard Corporation . After Mason's death in October 1954, his successor Romney took a different course. Therefore, the second step was not taken. American Motors could live with that and focused on the booming compact car market, in which the Nash Rambler became the undisputed leader. For Packard, this outcome was almost catastrophic. The merger only made sense in the original context. There were hardly any synergies with Studebaker, but above all, the merger had only carried out a superficial examination of the financial situation instead of a thorough examination.

Gallery: Hudson, Nash, Studebaker and Packard 1954

The merger was financed by Packard, so it was actually the takeover of a giant by a small one. That cost Packard's financial reserves. Based on the negotiations, Nance was able to assume that Studebaker's huge plants in South Bend and Canada would come into profit with an annual production of 168,000 vehicles. Nance dared to do this, even though the company had only built 82,000 vehicles in the year of the takeover. In fact , Studebaker's breakeven point was over 286,000 vehicles, which was far beyond what was possible. When this became clear in autumn 1955, the only thing left to do was to reorganize the group to the point where it became interesting for a takeover by a third investor.

Packard's breakeven point was 80,000 units; only just under 31,000 were built in the miserable 1954 model year.

The “sales war” that Ford began during the year to steal GM’s first place among vehicle suppliers hurt the small manufacturers far more than the big ones; they had to calculate more tightly with higher unit costs. Packard was of course also affected.

In the meantime, Packard had to accept the loss of large arms contracts. Another hit was the 1952 sale of Briggs Manufacturing Company , the supplier of the production bodies. The plants used for Packard were taken over by Chrysler for their own needs. After all, Packard was allowed to continue its body production until the end of the 1954 model year. Packard was forced to invest valuable financial resources in its own body shop at the worst possible time. The newly acquired factory on Detroit's Conner Avenue had to be rebuilt in record time during the plant holidays between model years for the 1955 model year. However, it quickly turned out to be too small. This also delayed the series production of the fully developed V8 engine planned for 1954.

54th series

Clipper Super Panama hardtop model 5411-5467 (1954)
The Mayfair became the Packard Pacific Model 5431-5477 (1954 only)

Construction period : January 15, 1954 to January 16, 1955

Packard brought the designation of its series in line with the corresponding model year; so there are no 27th to 53rd series.

For cost reasons, there was only a minimal facelift for 1954. At the front, small "horns" adorned the headlight surrounds of the large models, at the rear there were new tail lights and a new chrome trim on the sides. Pacific replaced the model name Mayfair as the name for the hardtop . The Clipper series was expanded from two to three equipment lines (Special, Deluxe and Super), the Super series now received a hardtop called Panama . This and the Pacific received new one-part instead of three-part rear windows. The last version of the large in-line engine produced 212 SAE-PS (170 DIN-PS) and was no longer only used in the Patrician, but now also in the Caribbean and Pacific , the successor to the "Mayfair". This ultra-quiet engine with 356 in³ (5.9 liters) and nine bearing crankshafts was the most powerful in-line engine after the Second World War and on paper did more than the V8 of arch-rival Cadillac (205 SAE-PS or 164 DIN-PS). In addition, Packard continued to offer simpler engines with 327 in³ (5360 cm³) and 288 in³ (4720 cm³). The latter was reserved for the new base model, the Clipper Special. Clipper Deluxe , Super and Cavalier received the 327-in³ engine; the latter as a higher compressed version. The Ultramatic automatic transmission was improved and was now called Gear Start Ultramatic .

In that year, the collaboration with the Henney Motor Company ended both in the construction of hearses and ambulances as well as in extended limousines ( executive sedan and corporate limousine ), which were only included in the program again in 1953. The trigger was the financial situation at Packard and the decision to use torsion bars for suspension, which resulted in the abandonment of extended chassis. Henney also built the prototype of a very large station wagon on a Packard utility vehicle chassis that should have been marketed as the Henney Super Station Wagon . This project failed for the same reasons.

An increasingly old-fashioned image, rumors about the tense financial situation and above all an only slightly retouched, four-year design in connection with the missing V8 engine accumulated to a catastrophic result: Only 30,965 vehicles were produced - in an extended model year! The breakeven point , however, was 80,000 Packard and Clipper cars. In addition, the unplanned conversion of the body shop and the preparation of the 1955 models had caused financial resources to decline. But it got even worse. In November 1954 it emerged that Packard had assumed wrong numbers in the merger negotiations with the Studebaker Corporation : To get into profitability, South Bend had to sell 286,000 instead of 168,000 vehicles. That was completely illusory; In the 1954 model year, Studebaker produced just 82,000 cars and commercial vehicles. The Studebaker-Packard Corporation had its back to the wall when it was founded.

series model Engine
in³ / cm³
Power
bhp / kW
wheelbase No. body units List price US $
5400 Clipper Special 288/4718 150 / 111.85 3099 mm 5482 Touring Sedan 4-door 970 2,594
5485 Club Sedan 2-door 912 2,544
Henney Junior 3962 mm 5433 Jr. Ambulance
Jr. Hearse
Jr. Comm. chassis
120
5401 Clipper Deluxe 327/5359 165 / 123.04 3099 mm 5492 Touring Sedan 4-door 7,610 2,692
5495 Club Sedan 2-door 1,470 2,645
5497 Sportster 2-door 1,336 2,830
5411 Clipper great 5462 Touring Sedan 4-door 6,270 2,815
5465 Club Sedan 2-door 887 2,765
5467 Panama hardtop 2-door 3,618 3.125
5402 Cavalier 185 / 137.95 3226 mm 5472 Touring Sedan 4-door 2,580 3,344
5431 Pacific 359/5883 212 / 158.09 3099 mm 5477 Hardtop 2-door 1,189 3,827
Convertible 5479 Cabriolet 2-door 863 3,935
Caribbean 5478 Cabriolet 2-door 400 6,100
5406 Patrician 400 3226 mm 5452 Touring Sedan 4-door 2,760 3,890
Derham 5453 Formal sedan 4-door
5450 Corporate limousine 3795 mm 5450 lwb sedan 8-seater 35 7,250
Executive sedan 5451 lwb Sedan 8 seats 65 8,900
5413 Henney Sr. 3962 mm 5413 Sr. Ambulance
Sr. Hearse
Sr. Comm. chassis
206 *

* Note: The combination "5413, Henney Senior" contains a prototype with an unknown wheelbase.

55th series

Packard Four Hundred Hardtop Model 5587 (1955) with optional Kelsey-Hayes spoked wheels

Construction time : January 17, 1955 to November 2, 1955

Mainly due to the merger with Studebaker, the renovation of the new body shop on Conner Avenue and growing problems with the banks, the start of production for the 1955 model year was delayed. Nevertheless, Packard was extremely innovative in several respects.

design

Packard Clipper Custom Touring Sedan Model 5562 (1955); later version with curved front decorative rod.
Pontiac Star Chief Catalina Hardtop (1955) with almost identical color separation as the Packard Clipper
The trunk lid with chrome trim was carried over from the previous year, here on a Patrician Touring Sedan model 5582
Packard Caribbean Convertible Model 5588 with standard three-tone paintwork
The new dashboard, here in a Caribbean model 5588.

The separation between the "Packard" and "Packard Clipper" series remained - for the time being. For the first time, Packard used a new logo, which consisted of a circle and a flat "V" over it.

Admittedly, there was not enough time and funds for completely new bodies. Instead, there was a far-reaching facelift. This was so cleverly done that hardly anyone noticed that the body structure from 1951 had been used again - an indication of both the quality of the original design by John Reinhart and the facelift by Teague. Front panoramic windows were new for all models. The large series received a slightly more pronounced "collar" with a chrome surround around the headlights and, for the first time in the US auto industry, front indicators with integrated position lights. The massive radiator grille consisted of a grid of chrome bars, backed by a perforated sheet made of colorless anodized aluminum . On the flank, wide decorative elements made of longitudinally grooved aluminum led to the center of the car where they ended in a chrome pedestal. This contained a position light which also illuminated the floor in front of the (front) door. The decorative elements were bordered by chrome bars at the top and bottom; the lower one was continued behind the lamp to the stern. The triangular tail lights, introduced at the last moment, were also visible from the side and, as was common at the time, also functioned as brake and indicator lights. Instead of the strongly stylized hood ornament, the Caribbean received double air inlet dummies on the bonnet and instead of the aluminum decorative panels on the side, double decorative strips over the entire flank. Immediately in front of the stern, the upper bar was pulled up to the apex of the tail fins. There was an electric antenna each. On all models, the exhaust system was led through openings in the rear bumper. On models with a simple exhaust, a simple pipe was attached as a dummy under the car floor on the passenger side.

The Clipper received the same radiator grille as the large series, but without a lateral extension with integrated indicators. The grille itself consisted of closely spaced, horizontal chrome bars. The headlights received painted bezels. Teague achieved the greatest possible differentiation from the large models by placing a curved line across the rear of the body. A straight chrome rod initially led from the front to the center of the body. It turned out that Pontiac got a very similar color separation in 1955, whereupon this decorative rod was modified after a short production time so that it led in a curve to the sill . At the same time, a new area was created that offered an alternative color. This skilful trick not only created a visual differentiation from the competition, but also an even clearer one from the big Packard.

The customer had a choice of 18 color shades and combinations. There were also 23 interior trim variants (four of them in real leather). The Caribbean was available in four three-tone paint schemes and, accordingly, three-tone interiors. Other color combinations required approval from the design department. Single-color vehicles were also available (standard for the Clipper Deluxe).

V8 engine

Packard finally presented its own V8 engine in 1955. The engine, developed since 1949 and completed in 1954, replaced all in-line engines. This step was long overdue; In 1954, Packard, along with Pontiac , was the last US manufacturer to produce eight-cylinder in-line engines at all, and the lack of a V8 had recently had a significant impact on sales.

The Packard V8 was carefully developed as usual. The modern OHV engine was a successful construction and designed as a short-stroke . It was available in two displacement sizes and in six performance variants. The most powerful version, the 352 in³ (5801 cm³) reserved for the Caribbean, delivered 295 bhp (220 kW) straight away and was the second most powerful car engine after the Chrysler 300 with 300 bhp (223.7 kW) presented in the same year World. The extra power compared to the version in the Patrician and Four Hundred (260 bhp / 193.88 kW) was achieved through a higher compression and an impressive double quadruple carburetor system Rochester 4GC . The engine in the Clipper Custom made 240 bhp (179 kW).

A patrician with the 352-in³-V8 won the Mobil Oil Economy Run in its class.

For Clipper Deluxe and Super there was a smaller version of the V8 with 320 in³ (5244 cm³) and an output of 225 bhp (167.78 kW). Packard was able to sell a variant of this smaller engine including the new automatic transmission to American Motors, where it was used for the top versions of the Nash Ambassador and Hudson Hornet . This version was throttled to 208 bhp (155.1 kW).

Twin Ultramatic

Packard's two-speed Ultramatic automatic transmission, introduced in 1950, was to remain the only one that was ever brought to series production by a smaller US automaker. It is all the more astonishing that improvements were incorporated practically every year. In 1955 the gearbox was revised to cope with the performance of the new, significantly more powerful engines. The result was called Twin Ultramatic . It was still operated via a selector lever on the steering column; the selected speed step was displayed on the quadrant with the positions PN- ♦ D ♦ -LR. A new feature was a lock-up clutch , which the driver could use to transmit power with or without a torque converter . This is specified by selecting the position to the left or right of "D"; on the left the transmission controls the converter as usual, on the right not. The kickdown function is available in both areas below a speed of 60 mph (approx. 95 km / h) . The design of the Twin Ultramatic is comparable to the "comfort" resp. "Sport" gradation of modern automatic transmissions.

Twin Ultramatic was the only power transmission available for all senior models. Clipper were equipped as standard with a manual three-speed gearbox with unsynchronized first gear and steering wheel shift. The customer had the choice of ordering an overdrive to the top gear for an extra charge (US $ 110) or ordering the car with a twin ultramatic for an extra charge of US $ 199 .

Twin Ultramatic was a very complex transmission that, when used and maintained correctly, worked reliably and comfortably. It later got a bad reputation because it couldn't handle poor maintenance as well as competing products.

Torsion Level Ride

Depending on the model, Packard and most of the Packard clipper models were fitted with an idiosyncratic torsion bar spring suspension , called Torsion Level Ride , as standard or as an option . The system is based on patents owned by the engineer William D. Allison . Instead of the previously used front coil and rear leaf springs , two longitudinally arranged torsion bars connect the front and rear wheels on their side. Two additional rods act on the struts on which the rear axle is suspended. An electric motor is controlled via relays with a slight time delay. This regulates the tension on the additional bars and thus intervenes in the suspension of the vehicle. Even more: the relays also react to the weight distribution in the car. If the rear of the vehicle has been lowered due to the load in the trunk, the electric motor compensates for it after a few seconds and the car stands there, only a few millimeters lower. Together with the Citroën DS series introduced in the same year (model years 1956–1975), Packard was the first manufacturer of a passenger car with standard level control ; the Packard market launch took place in January 1955, that of the Citroën in October. However, the systems are not comparable due to their completely different working methods. Torsion Level Ride also did not have a height adjustment as with the DS ; however, the system also makes it easier to change a wheel here.

Testers agreed that Packard and Clipper with Torsion Level Ride each had the best driving and comfort characteristics in their market segment (American upper class and upper middle class).

At around the same time, Chrysler introduced TorsionAire, a significantly simpler system only for the front axle, which was also used until the 1970s.

Better sales

Packard was getting on track; In the 1955 model year, 55,247 vehicles were built despite the delayed market launch. That was still inadequate but a considerable step forward compared to the previous year with almost 31,000 units.

The far-reaching change in operations left surprisingly few quality problems. Most of the complaints concerned the engine's oil consumption and rattling valves when cold, as well as leaky trunk.

Model overview 55th series

series model Engine
in³ / cm³
Power
bhp / kW
Wheelbase
inches / mm
No. body units List price US $
5540 Clipper Deluxe 320/5244 225 / 167.8 122/3099 mm 5522 Touring Sedan 4-door 8,039 2,586
Clipper great 5542 Touring Sedan 4-door 7,979 2,685
5547 Panama Hardtop 2-door
Coupé 2-door
7,016 2,775
5560 Clipper Custom 352/5801 240/190 5562 Touring Sedan 4-door 8,708 2,925
5567 Constellation Hardtop 2-door
Coupé 2-door
6,672 3,075
5580 Patrician 260 / 193.9 127/3226 mm 5582 Touring Sedan 4-door 9,127 3,827
Four Hundred 5587 Hardtop 2-door 7.206 3,930
5590 Caribbean 275/220 5588 Cabriolet 2-door 500 5,932

56th series

At 310 bhp, the Caribbean was the second most powerful production car in the world (after the Chrysler 300-B). Model 5688-5699. 237 convertibles and 263 hardtops were built.
The facelift for Patrician and Four Hundred included, among other things, a metal band extended to the rear, one of which is missing in the middle of the car. The vehicle has optional Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels.
Clipper was the new middle class brand of the Studebaker-Packard group. Fig .: Clipper Super Touring Sedan model 5642.

Packard, Clipper construction period: November 3, 1955 to June 25, 1956
Clipper Custom construction period: November 3, 1955 to March 14, 1956
Packard Executive construction period: March 15, 1956 to June 25, 1956

The model year started with great expectations and many worries. The 55th series was well received and the conversion of the Clipper range into an independent Clipper brand has now been completed. The Detroit operation was now called the Packard-Clipper Division, Studebaker-Packard Corporation . This also gave the Studebaker-Packard Group a mid-range brand, which stimulated a market segment that was dominated by Oldsmobile , Mercury and Dodge . Packard never made “cheap” cars. The entry-level model Clipper Deluxe already had a price tag that raised it to the region of a Jaguar Mk I or Mercedes 220 in Europe . Anyone who could even afford a Packard Caribbean was in a price range in which a Rolls-Royce or a Bentley was also available.

After the fireworks of innovations in the previous year, the brand limited itself in 1956 to a light but efficient facelift and targeted technical improvements. With the Caribbean hardtop model 5697, an additional variant of the top model was available from dealers. The convertible was given the new model designation 5699. A limited-slip differential was offered for the first time in a production car . In the Caribbean it was part of the basic equipment, otherwise it cost extra.

technology

Torsion Level Ride and the automatic transmission have been slightly redesigned. In the "displacement race" of the manufacturers, you were back at the front. All Packard received a 374 in³ (6129 cm³) version of the ohv V8 engine. Thanks to fine-tuning and higher compression, it achieved 290 bhp (216.25 kW) in the Patrician and Four Hundred and 310 bhp (231.2 kW) in the Caribbean, which kept its carburetor battery from the previous year in a slightly modified form. The "320" was omitted; instead, all clippers now got the 5.8 liter "352" with higher compression and more power. The basic engine (in Clipper Deluxe and Super) delivered 240 bhp (179 kW), in the Clipper Custom it was 275 bhp (205 kW).

For a short time Packard was able to sell a version of the "352" V8 throttled to 225 bhp (167.8 kW) to AMC. A small number of the 275 hp version went to sister brand Studebaker, where it only powered the Golden Hawk in 1956.

design

With the Predictor show car , designer Teague showed the direction in which the group wanted to go. It never came to that.

Nance planned to use the old body structure one last time in 1956. From 1957, the group's product planning provided for new chassis and bodies developed together with Studebaker, which were to lead to completely new models. There was also a prototype for this with the Packard Predictor.

All models got a modified front section with a slightly modified radiator grille and new bumpers. Their horns were further apart at the front, which made the car appear even wider. In addition, the air inlet in the bumper also received a grille and in front of it some chrome "teeth". The metal band of the Patrician and Four Hundred was extended to the stern, which made them look a little closer to the Caribbean. Only now did a new trunk lid, which made the rear appear bulky, replace the design with its typical bulge that was introduced in 1951. The new "Circle Vee" logo was also used here. In its center sat the trunk lock, which was covered by the traditional Packard coat of arms. Packards received new front fenders, the tips of which protruded over the headlights and covered them; Clipper got bigger, rectangular turn signals, new rear lights and a new flank design. In the Deluxe it consisted of two discontinuous decorative rods and in the Super and Custom it consisted of a color stripe that broadened from the middle of the car.

Packard quickly realized that the competition was increasingly turning to gold accents. Very early in the model year, the perforated plates in the radiator and bumper that were initially silver anodized, as in the previous year, were replaced by gold anodized ones in the series. It is unclear whether the Packard logos were also gold-plated from this point in time or whether this was the case from the beginning of the model year.

"Gadgets"

The electric push button selector was one of the brand's last innovations, here in an Executive (blue dials and gold cover)

As in the previous year, Packard and Clipper were among the most innovative vehicles of their time. Not all achievements lasted. Electrically controlled gear selection for the automatic transmission had become fashionable, but it did not gain acceptance throughout the industry because it represented an unnecessarily complex solution for little more comfort and also caused problems for both manufacturers and customers. The seating device of the Caribbean would have been more successful. This consisted of seat and back shells in which the cushions were inserted and fastened with a leather strap. The upholstery had a leather cover on one side and a bouclé cover on the other . The real benefit, however, was the easier cleaning of a dirty upholstery. Unfortunately, the system in the Caribbean suffered from teething problems that initially delayed the delivery of the vehicles. Owners also report that the backrests tilt slightly forward when braking.

More serious was the fact that the rear axles purchased from Dana-Spicer were faulty. The first recall campaign in the brand's history took place - and at a very inopportune time. The supplier noticed too late that the replacement axles were also causing problems, so that the axle had to be replaced twice on some 56 Packard and Clipper.

A middle class model at the end

Packard Executive Hardtop Model 5677 (1956): This series was the last that the traditional manufacturer presented in Detroit.

It is a great opportunity to discuss why Packard replaced an established series with a new one during the current model year. The process is most likely to be explained by the continuing resistance of the authorized dealers to the new branding policy. They found it easier to sell a "small" Packard to their customers than a Clipper. Nance had to react for the sake of sales and because a large number of unsatisfied dealerships gave back their franchises. So it happened that the Packard Executive replaced the previous Clipper Custom on March 15, 1956. Technically, both were identical; this was typical badge engineering . The Executive was the only Packard on the short 122-inch chassis. It was given a Packard front and Packard logos wherever the Clipper steering wheel had previously been emblazoned. The stripe on the flank wasn't curved like the Clipper's. But it was also attached higher than on the other Packard models and there were no metal applications, as on the larger models. The rear and the interior were identical to that of the clipper with the exception of logos and fonts. Inside, the only difference in the textile upholstery of the dashboard was gold threads (as in all Packard) instead of silver (as in the Clipper). The Executive kept the Clipper's instruments and switches. In terms of price, the Executive was about US $ 200 more than the Clipper Custom, but it also had more basic equipment.

Initially, Torsion Level Ride was formally an option before this suspension became part of the basic equipment. There are no known executives with conventional suspension.

End of production in Detroit

The last original Packard was released in 1956, then the Detroit factory closed. The insolvency of the Studebaker-Packard group became apparent from the beginning of 1955, when it became clear that Studebaker was far worse off than assumed. Nance tried to keep the group intact as possible to find a partner for another merger or takeover .

It initially helped that 1955 turned out to be the best year for the auto industry after the Second World War. This boom was in large part due to attractive new models. This in turn meant that purchases that were missing in the next sales season were brought forward. As a result, dealers already had stocks of unsold vehicles in January 1956. Smaller manufacturers like Packard and Studebaker - but also Hudson, Nash, Kaiser or Willys - suffered from this particularly.

Banks and insurance companies had set up a line of credit of US $ 40 million for Packard . When this was exhausted, they refused - completely unexpectedly for the Packard management - an extension. US $ 55 million was due with an additional financial requirement of US $ 50 million for the planned 57 models.

Nance was left with no alternative but to accept the only offer that was available in June 1956. The conditions for obtaining funds to avert bankruptcy were tough. The Curtiss-Wright Corporation demanded, among other things, that all military production facilities and supply contracts be transferred to them and that production in Detroit be completely dissolved. After the contracts were signed, Nance resigned.

Packard models based on Studebaker ("Packardbaker")

Packard Clipper Town Sedan 1957 (Model 57L-Y8)
Packard Sedan 1958 (model 58L-Y8). Model names were omitted.

From 1957 onwards, Packard vehicles were only produced in the Studebaker factory in South Bend (Indiana) . Packardbaker is the nickname given to the 1957 and 1958 Packard models . The word comes from the critics of the attempt by Studebaker-Packard to continue the Packard brand with models that were derived from the Studebaker President .

When the 1957 models were presented to dealers in the summer of 1956, they received angry comments and some gave up brand representation because the quality and equipment of these vehicles were not considered to be competitive.

1957: Packard Clipper

In 1957 the only model was named Packard Clipper and offered as a 4-door sedan "Town Sedan" (57L-Y8) and a five-door station wagon "Country Sedan" (57L-P8). The chassis, mechanics and body structure came entirely from Studebaker. The fact that the 1957 Studebaker models only differed slightly from those of the previous year and the Clipper only minimally differed from the Studebaker was also of little help. The front was reminiscent of the Clipper from 1956, the flanks of Patrician and 400. Hubcaps and tail lights came directly from the 1956 Clipper, the hood ornament and chrome ornaments on the rear from the 55 and the lettering from the 56 Packard. The shape and design of the dashboard was similar to that of the '56 Clipper. With double radio antennas at the rear on the rear fenders, they fell back on another styling attribute from Packard.

The only engine available was the 289 in³ (4737 cm³) V8. The clipper was equipped with a McCullough centrifugal compressor as standard . This was also Studebaker's top engine that year. With 275 SAE-PS (220 DIN-PS) this engine had the nominal output of the Clipper Custom / Packard Executive from 1956. Because the new Clipper was smaller and much lighter, it could offer even better performance. Packard's latest technical innovation was available as an option, the “Twin Traction” limited-slip differential.

1958: Packard and Packard Hawk

The 1958 Packard rear fender depicts one of the controversial changes to the Studebaker President's bodywork that gave the brand the nickname Packardbaker . The tail light was adopted from the Clipper in 1956.

In 1958, a hardtop coupé (58L-J8) was added to the redesigned sedan (58L-Y8) and estate (57L-P8) vehicle; other model names were omitted and the cars were simply called "Packard". There was also the Packard Hawk derived from the Studebaker Golden Hawk . Only the latter was equipped with the compressor motor; all the rest had the 289-in³ V8 without a compressor. As in the previous year, all models were only available with automatic transmissions.

These last Packard suffered not least from a failed re-styling for this model year. Born out of necessity, they made for a premiere: for the first time, fiberglass parts were used as design elements for normal series models. This affected the radiator grille, the widened "gondola" on the side of the fender for double headlights, and above all the attached tail fins, under which there were still 56 clipper taillights. The instrument panels were adopted in a modified form from the previous year. The technology for such bodies was known since the introduction of Woodill Wildfire , Kaiser Darrin or Chevrolet Corvette in 1952/1953.

Studebaker Golden Hawk (1958)
Packard Hawk Model 58L-K9 (1958)

The new Packard Hawk also received a facelift with fiberglass parts. Because he kept his individual lamps, the side "gondolas" were omitted. Instead, it received an independent scoop with a fake air inlet on the bonnet and a dummy spare wheel set into the trunk lid, similar to some Imperial models. The dashboard largely corresponded to that of the Studebaker Golden Hawk, which the vehicle technically corresponded to. This is not without irony, since a Packard 352 V8 with 275 HP was still used in the Studebaker top model in 1956.

The design of the vehicles popularly quickly and appropriately referred to as "Packardbaker" was one of the reasons why the Packard models of 1957 and 1958 sold poorly and production ended in 1958. Others were the unsuitable dimensions for a luxury vehicle, the obvious difference to the luxury that Packard had stood for and which was reflected in unsuitable body versions and the obvious relationship with the volume models from Studebaker. This was hardly due to a lack of talent of the still first-class Studebaker design team, but rather to Curtiss-Wright's lack of interest in continuing the brand. Ultimately, the slashed funds are also the reason for the introduction of plastic body parts: They resorted to them because the costs for pressing tools were far too high in view of the expected quantities.

Another reason for failure was the reluctance of potential customers to buy a car of a brand that was widely expected to stop production. This was not a problem for the group, the capacity gained was used for the compact Lark , which was newly introduced in 1959 and was very successful for a number of years.

The Packard brand was discontinued by the Board of Directors of the Studebaker-Packard Corporation on July 22, 1962 because, according to a press spokesman, "no longer contains magic".

Packard passenger car models

Model year series Models
1899 Model a
1900 Model B.
1901 Model C , Model E
1902 Model F , Model M , Model G
1903 Model F , Model K
1904 Model L
1905 Model N
1906 Model S (also model 24)
1907 Model 30 (also Model U)
1908 Model 30 (also UA)
1909 Model 18 (also NA), Model 30 (also UA, UB)
1910 Model 18 (also NB), Model 30 (also UC, UCS)
1911 Model 18 (also NC), Model 30 (also UD, UDS)
1912 Model 18 (also NE), Model 30 (also UE), (Dominant) Six Series 1-48 (12-48)
1913 (Dominant) Six Series 1-38 (1338), 2-48 (1348)
1914 (Dominant) Six Series 1-38 (1338), 2-38 (1438), 3-48 (1448), 4-48 (-)
1915 (Dominant) Six Series 2-38 (1538), 3-38 (1438), 4-48 (-), 5-48 (1448)
1916 1st series Twin Six series 1-25 and 1-35
1917 2nd series Twin Six series 2-25 and 2-35
1918 3rd series Twin Six series 3-25 and 3-35
1919 3rd series Twin Six series 3-25 and 3-35
1920 3rd series Twin Six Series 3-35
1921 1. Single Six
3. Twin Six
Single Six Series 116, Twin Six Series 3-35
1922 1. Single Six
3. Twin Six
Single Six Series 116 (until Feb.), 126 and 133, Twin Six Series 3-35
1923 1. Single Six
3. Twin Six
Single Six Series 126 and 133, Twin Six Series 3-35
1924 2. Six

1. Single eight

Six series 226 and 233, single eight series 136 and 143
1925 3. Six
2. Eight
Six series 326 and 333, Eight series 236 and 243
1926 3. Six
2. Eight
Six series 326 and 333, Eight series 236 and 243
1927 4. Six
3. Eight
Six Series 426 and 433, Eight Series 336 and 343
1928 5. Six
4. Eight
Six Series 526 and 533, Standard Model 443 , Custom Eight 443
1929 6th series Standard Eight 626 & 633 , Custom Eight 640 , DeLuxe Eight 645 , Speedster Eight 626
1930 7th series Standard Eight 726 & 733 , Custom Eight 740 , DeLuxe Eight 745 , Speedster Eight 734
1931 8th series Standard Eight 826 & 833 , Individual Custom Eight 840 , DeLuxe Eight 840 & 845
1932 9th series Light Eight 900 , Standard Eight 901 & 902 , Eight DeLuxe 903, 904, 904 Individual Custom , Twin Six 905, 906, 906 Individual Custom
1933 10th series Eight 1001 and 1002 , Super Eight 1003 and 1004 , Twelve 1005 and 1006, Custom Twelve 1006
1934 11th series Eight 1100, 1101 & 1102 , Super Eight 1103, 1104 & 1105 Custom , Twelve 1106, 1107 and 1108
1935 12th series One-Twenty 120-A , Eight 1200, 1201 and 1202 , Super Eight 1203, 1204 and 1205 , Twelve 1207 and 1208
1936 14th series One-Twenty 120-B , Eight 1400, 1401 and 1402 , Super Eight 1403, 1404 and 1405 , Twelve 1407 and 1408
1937 15th series One-Fifteen / Six 115-C , One-Twenty 120-C, 120-CD and 138-CD , Super Eight 1500, 1501 and 1502 , Twelve 1507 and 1508
1938 16th series Six 1600 , Eight 1601, 1602 & 1603, Eight Deluxe 1601-D , Super Eight 1603, 1604 & 1605 , Twelve 1607, 1607-8 & 1608
1939 17th series Six 1700 , Eight 1701 & 1602 , Super Eight 1703 & 1705 , Twelve 1707 & 1708
1940 18th series One-Ten 1800 , One-Twenty 1801 , Super Eight One-Sixty 1803, 1804 & 1805 , Custom Super Eight One-Eighty 1806 1807 & 1808
1941 19th series One-ten '. 1900 , One-Twenty 1901 , Super Eight One-Sixty 1903, 1904 & 1905 , Custom Super Eight One-Eighty 1906 1907 & 1908 , Clipper 1941
1942 20th series Clipper Six Special 2000 & Clipper Six Custom 2010 , Six Convertible 2020 & Taxi 2030 , Clipper Eight Special 2001, Clipper Eight Deluxe 2011 , Eight Convertible 2021 , Clipper Super Eight One-Sixty 2003 & 2004, Clipper Eight Deluxe 2011 , Super Eight One- Sixty 2003, 2023 & 2005 , Clipper Custom Super Eight One-Eighty 2006 , Custom Super Eight One-Eighty 2006 (Darrin), 2007 & 2008
1943 no automobile manufacturing
1944 no automobile manufacturing
1945 no automobile manufacturing
1946 21st series Clipper Six 2100, Six Taxi 2130, Clipper Eight & Clipper Deluxe Eight 2101, Clipper Super 2103, Clipper Custom Super 2106 & 2126
1947 21st series Clipper Six 2100, Six Taxi 2130, Clipper Eight & Clipper Deluxe Eight 2101, Clipper Super 2103, Clipper Custom Super 2106 & 2126
1948-1949 22nd series Six and Six Taxi 2240 (export only), Eight 2201, Eight Station Sedan 2201–2293, | Eight Deluxe 2211, Super Eight 2202, 2232 & 2222 (LWB), Custom Eight 2206, 2233 & 2226 (LWB)
1949-1950 23rd series Standard Eight , DeLuxe Eight , Super Eight , Custom Eight , Station Sedan
1950 23rd series Standard Eight , DeLuxe Eight , Super Eight , Custom Eight , Station Sedan
1951 24th series 200 , 250 Convertible and Hardtop , 300 , Patrician 400
1952 25th series 200 , 250 Convertible and Hardtop , 300 , Patrician 400
1953 26th series Clipper Special , Clipper DeLuxe , Cavalier , Mayfair , Convertible , Caribbean , Patrician
1954 54th series Clipper Special , DeLuxe Clipper , Super Clipper , Cavalier , Pacific , Convertible , Caribbean , Patrician
1955 55th series Clipper DeLuxe , Clipper Super , Clipper Custom , Caribbean , Patrician , 400
1956 56th series Clipper DeLuxe , Clipper Super , Clipper Custom , Caribbean , Patrician , 400 , Executive
1957 Clipper
1958 Packard , Hawk

Show and concept vehicles (selection)

One of five Packard Panther Daytona show cars built from 1951–1952 and one of two that were visually redesigned in 1954; also the only one with a hard top.

Variants and components

Packard Safe-T-Flex independent suspension on the One-Twenty (1935)
  • Aero-Drive , proper name for the optional overdrive from 1941
  • Bijur , central chassis lubrication at the push of a button for the most important lubrication points, approx. 1926–1935 on upscale models
  • Constellation , model name for the 2-door hardtop of the Clipper Custom series, models 5567 and 5667 (1955–1956)
  • Easamatic , Packard name for servo brakes Bendix system (1952–1956)
  • Econo-Drive , name for the optional overdrive from 1939 ( Econodrive from 1946); reduced the engine speed by 20 to 28%
  • Electromatic , proper name for the vacuum-electric clutch developed by Packard for semi-automatic shifting (without clutching by the driver). Option from 1939, designation 1941–1949. Discontinued with the introduction of the automatic transmission.
  • Fuelizer , a carburetor with an integrated device to improve the combustion of poor quality gasoline; applied approx. 1920–1924
  • Hypalon , a synthetic, rubber-like material developed by DuPont . It was only used at Packard for the 1956 Caribbean hardtop. Hypalon was in production through April 2010.
  • Panama , model name for the 2-door hardtop of the Clipper Super range, 1954–1955, unofficially also 1956
  • Pilot Ray , trade name for an auxiliary headlight that rotates with the steering. The lamps, which are not only popular with Packard, could be used individually or in pairs and were usually placed in front of the radiator grille. They were connected to the steering via a linkage.
  • Safe-T-Flex , Packard's name for its own independent front suspension , introduced with the One-Twenty in 1935.
  • Speedster In 1926 a runabout called the Speedster appeared on a modified chassis of the Standard Eight 626 with a tuned engine. A Speedster Eight series (734) was part of the 7th series and from 1933–1934 LeBaron built some Twelve Boattail Speedsters with an adapted eight chassis and a short eight (1001 and 1101) chassis. A four-seat Speedster Phaeton is even rarer.
  • Thunderbolt , Packard's name for a series of eight-cylinder in-line engines
  • Touch Button Selector , Packard's electrically controlled push-button operation for the automatic transmission (1956).
  • Twin Traction , Packard's optional rear axle with limited -slip differential system Dana-Spicer (1956–1958)
  • Torsion Level Ride , Packard's suspension system with two main and two auxiliary torsion bars and a relay-controlled electric motor (license Allison ; 1955–1956)
  • Ultramatic , Packard's self-developed automatic transmission (1949–1954); 1954 also Gear Start Ultramatic ; 1955-1956 Twin Ultramatic
  • Weather conditioner ; of Henney first offered developed and Packard 1940 in a production car air conditioning

Packard Canada

From 1931 to 1939 One-Ten / Six and One-Twenty / Eight were also assembled in Windsor, Ontario .

Plant facilities

East Grand Boulevard

From the time of the move to Detroit to the abandonment of the site and the cessation of production in Detroit, the headquarters of the Packard Motor Company and its successor, the Studebaker-Packard Corporation, were on East Grand Boulevard. Henry B. Joy purchased the property for Packard on May 19, 1903. At that time it was a cow pasture measuring 66.4 acres (26.56 ha). For this he paid $ 19,434. In addition, there was an adjacent strip of land with which the connection to the Michigan Central Railroad was secured.

Shortly after the inauguration, the first extension was built. Albert Kahn was again the architect . This building No. 10 is considered to be the world's first reinforced concrete factory. With this, Kahn revolutionized the construction of factories and production plants.

commercial vehicles

Packard truck series E (1919)

The idea that Packard could also manufacture commercial vehicles goes back to 1902 when Packard had a Model F bodyworked as a van for its own use . In the same year, an unknown (but small) number of chassis of the single-cylinder model M was completed which, after technical delays, were no longer the likely successor to the model F. Joy had suggested using these chassis for commercial vehicles. That this was implemented has not been proven but is likely.

Model TA

The first type planned exclusively as a commercial vehicle was the TA model. The power was transmitted to an auxiliary axle by means of a cardan shaft . Up to this point these were components from Model G , the auxiliary axle was its rear axle . From there the power was passed on to the rear axle with two chains. In 1905 Packard sold 40 of these vehicles.

TC and A series

After a break, the successor model TC appeared at the end of 1908. It had the engine in front, a four-cylinder with 24 HP, and was designed for a payload of 3 tons. The chassis made of steel-reinforced hardwood was replaced by a pressed steel frame. The model was continuously developed and led to the TD from 1911. Derived from this were the 3-ton ATD and ATN from 1912 with four-cylinder engines of 25.6 and 32.4 HP. Model 2A for a 2 ton payload also appeared in 1911, powered by the smaller of the two engines. Sales rose from 411 in 1910 to 774 and 1,159 in the two following years.

In 1911, a Packard truck covered the largely pathless route from San Francisco to New York City in 46 days. This was the first crossing of the continent with a truck on its own axis. It had only been achieved for the first time eight years earlier with a Winton passenger car.

In 1912 the 5-ton model 5A followed with a 40-HP four-cylinder. From 1913 the further developed 3-ton truck was called Model 3A.

Series D

US military Packard Model D truck during the Mexican Revolution, circa 1916

In 1915, a new generation with a cardan shaft and worm gear in the rear axle instead of a chain drive was announced; but only for the lighter types. This series D comprised seven different types with a payload of 1, 1½, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 tons. It is not certain whether the latter two, 5-D and 6-D, were actually built.

Series E

Packard Model E dumper. The chain drive indicates a heavy model between 1916 and 1920.

With the E series, the successor model appeared in 1916 in the same payload categories including 5 and 6 ton trucks. Visually similar, it was completely new except for the structural parts of the wooden body and the wooden spoke wheels. The new four-cylinder engines had blocks from one piece. A vehicle lowering system and a motor-driven winch were available for an additional charge .

Packard trucks were used in the US Army's legendary advance against Pancho Villa , Mexico. The company sold large numbers of these trucks to the war forces of the Entente during World War I and to the US government. In 1917–1918 alone, the US Army took over 4856 5-ton trucks from Packard.

From 1920 the heavy versions of the E series were also delivered with a cardan drive.

Orderly exit

At the beginning of the 1920s, the commercial vehicle market began to change dramatically: The government's war-related large orders failed to materialize; the army scrapped huge amounts of well-maintained trucks, which were preferred by potential new car customers, and the market was accordingly fierce.

Packard initially tried to occupy the niche market for trolleybuses with a cooperation with the JG Brill Company . The city of Detroit used some Packard-Brill buses in regular service around 1920 and the city of Toronto ( Canada ) also ordered some units in 1922.

In 1923, however, the company announced that it was withdrawing from this division. Industry leaders Mack and White were able to boast fleet discounts that small vendors like Packard could not possibly keep up with. Of the US manufacturers of luxury vehicles, which at that time also offered heavy trucks, only Pierce-Arrow remained (until 1935, with White manufacturing from 1932). Peerless gave up truck construction in 1919, followed by Locomobile in 1922 and Packard in 1923. White went the other way and ceased passenger car production in 1919.

Packard commercial vehicles were still built on car chassis. However, these were so expensive that only a few series bodybuilders turned to them. There was a limited market for smaller fire fighting vehicles based on the Thirty, Dominant Six, Twin Six and later Eight.

Tried to revive the brand

Vehicles are no longer manufactured under the Packard brand. In 2003, a prototype named “Packard” was shown at the Pebble Beach “Concours d'Elegance” to test public interest. However, series production did not materialize.

Trivia

Packard automobiles have played a more or less prominent role in dozens of cinema and TV films and TV series. Representative are:

  • In the Simpsons episode 198 The Trouble with Trillions , Mr. Burns gets into a Packard taxi in Cuba and says, not knowing that the brand hasn't existed for a long time: Ah, the new packard we've been hearing so much about.
  • In Casablanca by Michael Curtiz (1942) with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman , Police Chief Capitaine Renault's ( Claude Rains ) official car is a big Packard Touring, probably an eight from around 1926.
  • In Dead Sleep tight by Howard Hawks (1946) with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, the police pulls General Sternwood's Packard limousine (ca.1939) out of a harbor basin . Scene and car correspond to the novel by Raymond Chandler .
  • In the film The Godfather (1973) by Francis Ford Coppola with Marlon Brando and Al Pacino several Packard appear: A custom Super Eight sedan from Le Baron from 1941 (19th series, 1908), a Packard-Henney hearse from 1949 (22nd series). Series, probably Super Eight) and a sedan or executive sedan on a long wheelbase from 1954, also built by Henney.
  • In the feature film Chinatown (1974) by Roman Polański , a Packard Twelve Convertible Victoria model 1607 can be seen in several shots (also in the final sequence), which in the film belongs to the leading actress Faye Dunaway as Evelyn Mulwray . The car was built in 1938, but the film is set in 1937.
  • In the film Das Reich der Sonne (1987) by Steven Spielberg based on a book by James Graham Ballard , the main actor's family is driven in a Packard Super Eight chauffeur-driven limousine from 1938.
  • A Packard 633 Standard Eight Phaeton was used in the 1929 movie Hard to Get by director William Beaudine , an early talkie. It turned out that the car was running too quietly for the sound recording devices of the time. Beaudine had the sound doubled - with an electric fan and a piece of cardboard.

Picture gallery

Remarks

  1. ^ NACC = North American Chamber of Commerce
  2. according to Kimes / Packard, p. 301: Until August 1931.
  3. according to Kimes / Packard, p. 301: Until August 1931.
  4. 2003 partly clipper styling

literature

  • Beverly R. Kimes (Ed.): Packard, a history of the motor car and the company. General edition. Automobile Quarterly, 1978, ISBN 0-915038-11-0 . (English)
  • Dennis Adler: Packard. Motorbooks Classics, 2004, ISBN 0-7603-1928-6 . (English)
  • George H. Dammann, James A. Wren: Packard. Motorbooks International (Crestline series), Osceola WI, ISBN 0-7603-0104-2 . (English)
  • Otto A. Schroeder: Packard: Ask The Man Who Owned One. Post-Era Books, 1974, ISBN 0-911160-63-9 . (English)
  • Robert E. Turnquist: The Packard Story (The Car and the Company). Barnes, 1979, ISBN 0-498-06242-2 . (English)
  • Julie M. Window, Roy D. Query: Packard: The Pride. Automobile Quarterly Publications, ISBN 0-9711468-2-9 . (English)
  • Brian Earnest, Sharon Bartsch: Just Packards: Magnificent Machines & Timeless Classics. Krause Publications, 2010, ISBN 978-1-4402-1427-1 . (English)
  • Richard M. Langworth: Illustrated Packard Buyers Guide: All Packard Cars and Commercial Vehicles, 1899 to 1958. Motorbooks International, 1992, ISBN 0-87938-427-1 . (English)
  • Evan P. Ide: Images of America - Packard Motor Car Company. Arcadia Publishing, 2003, ISBN 0-7385-1208-7 . (English)
  • Hugo Pfau: The Coachbuilt Packard. Dalton-Watson, London / Motorbooks International Minneapolis 1973, ISBN 0-901564-10-9 . (English)
  • Mark A. Patrick (Ed.): Packard Motor Cars 1935-1942 Photo Archive. Iconographix Osceola WI, 1996, ISBN 1-882256-44-1 . (English)
  • Mark A. Patrick (Ed.): Packard Motor Cars 1946-1958 Photo Archive. Iconographix Osceola WI 1996, ISBN 1-882256-45-X (English)
  • RM Clarke: Packard Gold Portfolio 1946-1958. Motorbooks International, ISBN 1-870642-19-8 . (English)
  • Nathaniel D. Dawes: The Packard: 1942–1962. AS Barnes & Co., Cranbury NJ 1975, ISBN 0-498-01353-7 . (English)
  • James A. Ward: The Fall of the Packard Motor Car Company. University Press, 1995, ISBN 0-8047-2457-1 . (English)
  • Focus on the 1951 to 1954 models ; Packard People: John M. Reinhart In: The Packard Cormorant. Packard Automobile Club organ; Winter 2008, 129, Vol.LIV, Library of Congress card No 76-16204. (English)
  • A True Leviathan - the Two-Cylinder Packards. In: The Packard Cormorant. Packard Automobile Club organ; Spring 2008, No. 130, Vol.LV, Library of Congress card No 76-16204. (English)
  • The saga of 'Old Pacific'. In: The Packard Cormorant. Packard Automobile Club organ; Fall 2008, No. 132, Vol.LV, Library of Congress card No 76-16204. (English)
  • Old Pacific. by Dorothy Sloan Anthony. In: The News Counselor. Club Organ of the Packard Club International; Winter 2002. (English)
  • Richard M. Langworth: Triumph and Tragedy: The Last Real Packards. In: Collectible Automobile. September 1984 edition, ISSN  0742-812X , pp. 6-25. (English)
  • Robert B. Marvin: The Packard Identification Guide Volume One. 2nd Edition. R-Mac Publications, 1990. (English)
  • Packard 1956. In: Automobil Revue. Bern, Switzerland, Oct. 26, 1955.
  • About the Allison suspension. In: Automobile Revue. Bern, Switzerland, Oct. 26, 1955. (English)
  • Beverly Rae Kimes (Editor), Henry Austin Clark Jr.: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805–1942. 2nd Edition. Krause Publications, Iola WI 1985, ISBN 0-87341-111-0 . (English)
  • Beverly Rae Kimes (Editor), Henry Austin Clark Jr.: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805–1942. 3. Edition. Krause Publications, Iola WI 1996, ISBN 0-87341-428-4 . (English)
  • John Gunnell (Ed.): Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946–1975. 4th, revised edition. Krause Publications, Iola WI 2002, ISBN 0-87349-461-X . (English, CD-Rom / PDF)
  • GN Georgano (Ed.): Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars, 1885 to the Present. 2nd Edition. Dutton Press, New York 1973, ISBN 0-525-08351-0 . (English)
  • GN Georgano (Ed.), G. Marshall Naul: Complete Encyclopedia of Commercial Vehicles ; MBI Motor Books International, Osceola WI 1979, ISBN 0-87341-024-6 . (English)
  • Beverly Rae Kimes: Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels: The Dawn of the Automobile in America. Published by SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Permissions, Warrendale PA 2005, ISBN 0-7680-1431-X . (English)
  • Brooks T. Brierley: Auburn, Reo, Franklin and Pierce-Arrow versus Cadillac, Chrysler, Lincoln and Packard. 1st edition. Garrett & Stringer, Coconut Grove, Florida 1991, ISBN 0-9615791-1-0 . (English)
  • Consumer's Guide (Ed.): Encyclopedia of American Cars from 1930. Publications International, 1993, ISBN 0-7853-0175-5 . (English)
  • Piet Olyslager: American Cars of the 1930s. The Olyslager Auto Library, 1971, ISBN 0-7232-1266-X .
  • Piet Olyslager: American Cars of the 1940s. The Olyslager Auto Library, 1972, ISBN 0-7232-1465-4 .
  • Piet Olyslager: American Cars of the 1950s. The Olyslager Auto Library, 1973, ISBN 0-7232-1707-6 .
  • Tad Burness: American Car Spotter's Guide, 1920-39. Motorbooks International, 1975, ISBN 0-87938-026-8 .
  • Tad Burness: American Car Spotter's Guide, 1940-65. Motorbooks International, ISBN 0-87938-057-8 .
  • Louis Weber (ed.); Mike McCarville: Cars of the '40 s . Consumer Guide, special issue from Classic Car Quarterly. Nov. 1981, WPS 37629. (English)
  • Chris Halla: Dreamboats & Milestones: Cars of the '50 s . 1st edition. Tab Books, Blue Ridge Summit PA 1981, ISBN 0-8306-2065-6 .
  • The Automobile of 1904. Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly, Americana Review, Scotia NY 1904. (English)
  • G. Marshall Naul (Ed.): R. Parry Zavitz: The Specification Book For US Cars 1930-1969. Motorbooks International, 1980, ISBN 0-87938-068-3 . (English)
  • Jerry Heasley: The Production Figure Book For US Cars. Motorbooks International, 1977, ISBN 0-87938-042-X . (English)

Web links

Commons : Packard  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. a b Kimes: Packard. 1978, pp. 25-49.
  2. a b Kimes: Packard. 1978, p. 32.
  3. a b Kimes: Packard. 1978, p. 70.
  4. Kimes: Packard. 1978, p. 22.
  5. Roger Gloor: Forgotten Cars - 300 lost brands. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2014, p. 207.
  6. Packard Cormorant. No. 132, focus on "Transcontinental Run", autumn 2008.
  7. ^ The News Counselor. Winter 2002, pp. 2, 4, 5.
  8. Kimes: Packard. 1978, pp. 774-775.
  9. Kimes: Packard. 1978, p. 77.
  10. Kimes: Packard. 1978, pp. 72-75.
  11. Kimes: Packard. 1978, p. 71.
  12. David Lillywhite, Halwart Schrader: Encyclopedia of Classic Cars. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2005, p. 364.
  13. ^ Ferdinand Hedinger, Hans-Heinrich von Fersen, Michael Sedgwick: Classic cars 1919-1939. Hallwag, Bern / Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-8228-8944-X , p. 282ff.
  14. a b c d Ferdinand Hedinger, Hans-Heinrich von Fersen, Michael Sedgwick: Classic cars 1919–1939. Hallwag, Bern / Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-8228-8944-X , p. 282.
  15. Kimes: Packard. 1978, p. 401.
  16. David Lillywhite, Halwart Schrader: Encyclopedia of Classic Cars. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2005, p. 365.
  17. Kimes: Packard. 1978, p. 283.
  18. a b c Kimes: Packard. 1978, p. 281.
  19. Kimes: Packard. 1978, p. 282.
  20. a b c Kimes: Packard. 1978, p. 402.
  21. ^ Marvin: Packard ID Guide
  22. ^ Dawes: Packard: The Postwar Years. 1975, p. 47.
  23. a b Kimes: Packard. 1978, p. 286.
  24. packardclub.org: Encyclopedia / 1930 .
  25. a b c d e f Kimes: Packard. 1978, p. 307.
  26. a b Kimes: Packard. 1978, p. 309.
  27. packardclub.org: Encyclopedia / 1931 .
  28. Kimes: Packard. 1978, pp. 784-785.
  29. a b c packardclub.org: Encyclopedia / 1932 .
  30. a b packardinfo.com: Packard Model Information / 1933.
  31. a b packardclub.org: Encyclopedia / 1933 .
  32. packardclub.org: With Jack & Jill In Motor-Car-Land.
  33. packardinfo.com: Packard Model Information / 1934.
  34. conceptcarz.com: Packard 1106 Twelve Speedster
  35. packardclub.org: Encyclopedia / 1934 .
  36. a b packardclub.org: Encyclopedia / 1935 .
  37. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n packardinfo.com: Packard Model Information / 1935.
  38. Packard Information: 1941 Packard Clipper
  39. a b Kimes / Clark: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942. 1996, p. 1103.
  40. a b packardclub.org/Encyclopedia/1943-1945.
  41. Packard sales prospectus (1946) at oldcarbrochures.com
  42. ^ A b Detroit Free Press Online: History of the Packard Plant
  43. ^ Dawes: Packard: The postwar Years. 1975, p. 32.
  44. Kimes: Packard. 1978, pp. 565-566.
  45. a b packardclub.org: Packard Model Information / 1,953th
  46. a b c packardinfo.com: Packard Model Information / 1953.
  47. ^ Gunnell: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975. 2002, pp. 632-634.
  48. Kimes: Packard. 1978, pp. 567-568.
  49. ^ Gunnell: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975. 2002, p. 634.
  50. ^ A b Ward: Fall of the Packard Motor Car Company. 1995, pp. 167-168.
  51. a b packardinfo.com: Packard Model Information / 1954 Model Year
  52. coachbuilt.com: Henney Motor Co.
  53. 1955 Packard Clipper Owner's Manual. Pp. 20-21.
  54. packardinfo.com: Packard Model Information / 1955 Model Year
  55. ^ Dawes: Packard: The postwar Years. 1975, p. 156.
  56. Kimes: Packard. 1978, blurb.
  57. Packard sales prospectus Super Eight 1939
  58. ^ A b Dawes: Packard: The postwar Years. 1975, p. 38.
  59. DuPont Elastomers, homepage
  60. a b c d e Georgano / Naul: Complete Encyclopedia of Commercial Vehicles. 1979, p. 480.
  61. ^ HP of the Packard Motor Car Company in Arizona
  62. Kimes: Packard. 1978, p. 269.
  63. .imcdb.org: Packard 1607 Twelve Convertible Victoria in Chinatown, Movie, 1974
  64. Kimes: Packard. 1978, p. 293.