1914 Packard Series 4-48 Runabout

'Ask the man who owns one.' That advertising slogan propelled Packard to fame and fortune. A customer had written to James Packard wanting sales literature. But, no literature existed so Packard told his secretary to tell the man whom to ask, and this spontaneous turn of phrase became a legend.

Before there were Packards there were the Packard brothers, owners of a successful electric lighting company in Ohio. James Ward Packard had treated himself to a new Winton. The car had problems and one day in 1898 James aired his complaints directly to Alexander Winton. Winton was a successful racer and auto magnate. He was also arrogant and supercilious, and no shrinking violet. Winton felt his cars were virtually perfect and he didn't take criticism well. He condescendingly advised Mr. Packard he should go build himself a better car if he could.

As they say, the rest is history. Packard's first single-cylinder car arrived in 1899. He launched the Ohio Automobile Co., later renamed it Packard Motor Cars, and relocated to Detroit. It was soon a prestigious luxury marque, competing with Peerless and Pierce-Arrow. A six-cylinder model debuted in 1911, designated Model 48 for its rated horsepower.

The fourth iteration, the 4-48, came along in 1914. It had a stout seven-main-bearing six-cylinder, an L-head configuration, and 82 horsepower.

From February through June of 1914, there were 441 units of the Packard 4-48 produced. Today, there are less than 10 that remain. The engine that powered the 4-48 was a six-cylinder unit that displaces 525 cubic inches and produced 82 horsepower. These cars were advertised as the 'Dominant Six.'

The engine was rather impressive, having an L-head design and seven main bearings. Braking was from seventeen-inch brake drums, which replaced the prior fifteen-inch units.

All 4-48 models, including the runabouts, rode on a 144-inch wheelbase and it is estimated that each car required over seventy man-hours to assemble each engine.

The Packard 1-48 for 1914 cost an astonishing 4,650 at a time when the average price of a new car was just $500.00 and the average yearly wage was $1300.

These cars boasted 37-inch tires over wood spoke wheels, electric head and side lamps, aluminum bodies, and the soon-to-be-standardized left-hand drive.

By Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2018