The Packard Eight was the car that replaced the Twin Six at the top of Packard’s range in 1924 and held that position for more than a decade. It was built until 1936, came back for a single year in 1938, and made Packard the best-selling luxury brand in the United States between 1924 and 1930.
Packard Eight at a glance
| Maker | Packard Motor Car Company, Detroit |
|---|---|
| Production | 1924–1936 and 1938 |
| First version | Single Eight, wheelbases 136 in and 143 in |
| Versions from 1928 | Standard Eight and Custom Eight |
| From 1929 | De Luxe Eight added above them |
| Bodies | roadster, convertible, phaeton, coupé, sedan, landau, town car, limousine |
| Price 1930 | US$2,425 to US$5,350 depending on series |
| Power | 90 hp in 1930, 110 hp in 1932, 120 hp in 1933 |
| 1938 engine | 282.1 cu in (4.6 L), 120 hp at 3,800 rpm |
| Suspension | Ride Control, dash-adjustable hydraulic shock absorbers |
| Transmission | four-speed synchromesh, optional at no extra cost |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Packard Eight.
History of the Packard Eight
The Single Eight
Packard’s first eight-cylinder car arrived in 1924 as the Single Eight, named in the same way as the junior Single Six and offered on wheelbases of 136 in (3,500 mm) and 143 in (3,600 mm). It took the top market position from the Packard Twin Six, introduced in 1916, and was designated the senior Packard from the start.
Standard, Custom and De Luxe
From 1928 Packard split the line into the Standard Eight and the more opulent Custom Eight; in 1929 it added the De Luxe Eight, and in 1930 the Speedster. The cars shared one engine family, a straight-eight advertised as floating on rubber mounts, which made 90 hp in the low-compression aluminium-head Speedster of 1930 and was raised to 110 hp in 1932 and 120 hp in 1933. Wheelbases varied with the series, from 127.5 in for the 1930 Standard Eight to 145.5 in for the 1930 De Luxe Eight, and the bodies ran from a two-door roadster to a town car and a limousine.
The Speedster Eight 734
The most exciting version was the 1930 Speedster Eight, model 734. It was based on a heavily modified Standard Eight (733) chassis with narrower, lower coachwork, and its engine came from the 740 Custom Eight but with revised valves and manifolds, a Detroit Lubricator dual updraft carburettor, a vacuum booster pump and a ribbed exhaust manifold. Output rose from 106 to 145 hp at 3,400 rpm with no change in bore or stroke, still 3½ x 5 in. Prices started at US$5,200 for the boattail, runabout and phaeton Speedsters and reached US$6,000 for the Victoria and Sedan; the cars had four speeds instead of three and a choice of rear axle ratios at no extra cost, and their parking lights sat on the fenders rather than the body. Only 113 were built.
What made it sell
The five-passenger sedan was Packard’s best seller for years, and the line made Packard the best-selling luxury make in America from 1924 to 1930, selling almost twice as many cars abroad as any rival priced above US$2,000. The recipe was quiet engineering rather than flash: Ride Control hydraulic shock absorbers adjustable from the dashboard, automatic chassis lubrication, shatterproof glass, an optional four-speed synchromesh gearbox at no extra cost, and a very rare swivel accelerator pedal. In 1930 the range cost from US$2,425 for a Standard Eight to US$5,350 for a long-wheelbase car, and the Custom bodies were built at fewer than ten a day.
1938 and the return
The eight-cylinder Packard was discontinued after 1936 and brought back for one model year, 1938, using the One-Twenty’s 282.1 cu in engine with 120 hp at 3,800 rpm, a wheelbase 7 in longer than in 1937 and a wider body. After the war the name returned once more, on the 1946–1950 Packards, which were joined in 1948 by the wood-panelled Packard Station Sedan.
Design and features
- Straight-eight power: from 90 hp in 1930 to 120 hp in 1933 and 1938.
- Ride Control: shock absorbers adjustable from the dashboard.
- Free four-speed: synchromesh gearbox at no extra cost.
- Speedster Eight 734: 145 hp and 113 cars built for 1930.
Packard Eight versions
- Single Eight (1924): the original car on 136 in and 143 in wheelbases.
- Standard Eight (1928–): the shorter-wheelbase series.
- Custom Eight (1928–) and De Luxe Eight (1929–): the richer versions.
- Speedster Eight 734 (1930): the 145 hp performance model.
- 1938 Eight: the one-year return with the One-Twenty engine.
- 1946–1950 Eight: the post-war car and its Station Sedan woodie.
The Eight was sold alongside the Standard Eight, the Custom Eight and the De Luxe Eight, and after the war its place was taken by the One Eighty. More Packards are in the Packard collection.
Sources
- Packard Eight, English Wikipedia: history, engines, wheelbases, prices, Speedster, 1938 model
