1936 Packard Model 120 pictures and wallpaper

1936 Packard Model 120 news, pictures, and information

Club Sedan
Chassis Num: 2874116

This 1936 Packard Model 120 Club sedan and Trailer was offered for sale at the 2006 RM Auction in Monterey, CA where it was offered without reserve and estimated to sell between $100,000-$150,000. This car was found in a barn located in Vermont and it was need of serious repair. The Midwest Street Rods in Bolingbrook show was given four years to convert this Packard into a modern interpretation of the vehicle. It was to retain its look and personality of its era but outfitted with modern mechanical amenities. The exterior is finished in a Spies Hacker base and multiple clear coats. A photo-realistic arrowhead can be found on the driver sides and a modern arrowhead on the passenger side. The Packard crest is located on the rear of the car.

Under the long and graceful hood is a 454 cubic-inch V8 Chevrolet engine with a fuel injection system. It is matted to a model 700 R4 automatic gearbox which makes it easy to move the vehicle and the accompanied Airstream trailer.

There are power windows and the doors allow for keyless remote entry. There is a Kenwood AM/FM/CD stereo hidden in a compartment in the six-way power seats. The speakers are hidden in the interior body panels behind the wool broadcloth.

This is a classic vehicle with modern amenities. At the RM Auction the vehicle found a new owner, selling for $132,000. The new owner got a bargain, as the recreation of this vehicle is estimated to cost $250,000.

Custom Convertible Victoira by LeBaron
Coachwork: LeBaron
Chassis Num: X55750
Engine Num: X55750

The history of the Packard marque dates back to 1903, when it was founded in Warren, Ohio by James Ward Packard. It would soon become one of America's premier luxury cars, a title it would retain for decades. Their automobiles were constructed from the best materials by skilled workmen. They had high endurance and performance, reliability and longevity, pleasing styling, and simple operation.

To help weather the effects of the Great Depression, Packard introduced the 120 that was half as expensive as the 900 Series. The name '120' was derived from its 120-inch wheelbase. Mounted under the bonnet was an eight-cylinder engine that displaced 282 cubic-inches and mated to a three-speed manual gearbox. In keeping with the pedigree of the marque, the 120 was given the Packard radiator outline, red hexagon hubcap centers, and Packard badges.

In 1936 it was honored by being the official pace car of the Indianapolis 500. The car was driven by the race car driver, Tommy Milton.

This 1936 Packard 120 Custom Convertible Victoria with coachwork by LeBaron is one of only two examples that were built on special order by a Chicago-area tobacco tycoon. He kept the convertible and gave the coupe to his wife.

The early years of this cars history is unknown. In the early 1990s, this convertible victoria was found in a barn in the Midwest and purchased by an auction house. It was later purchased by actor Edward Hermann, who commissioned a complete restoration. The History Channel did an hour-long special on the detailed restoration and history of this Packard 120.

Since the restoration the car has been driven less than 1,000 miles. In 2007 it was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction where it was estimated to sell for $125,000 - $150,000. Bidding failed to reach those estimates, but the reserve was lifted and the lot sold for $110,000 including buyer's premium.

The Packard One-Twenty was produced from 1935 through 1937 and again from 1939 through 1941. The One-Twenty signified Packard's move into the mid-priced eight cylinder market; a highly competitive segment that was filled with many marques with numerous offerings, options and price ranges. The move had been made due to financial reasons and the need to stay competitive; the Great Depression was taking its tool on the entire automotive industry but mostly on the high priced manufactures. The lower cost marques also had a tough time but a few were still able to move a considerable amounts of products and wade out this terrible time in history.

The One-Twenty was quickly designed, created, and made ready for sale. First offered in 1935, it could be purchased in numerous body styles that included coupes, convertibles, and two- and four-door configurations. Under the hood lurked an L-Head eight cylinder engine capable of producing 110 horsepower. The price range was competitive, with prices ranging from the mid $900's to the low-$1000's. This combination of mid-cost and adorned with the Packard nameplate proved to be the right combination and in its first year nearly 25,000 examples were created. The rest of the Packard model lines only accumulated to around 7000 examples being sold.

For 1936 Packard increased the displacement of the engine and horsepower rose to 120 and gave the One-Twenty a top speed of 85 mph. A convertible four-door sedan was added to the line-up with a $1395 price tag, making it the most expensive One-Twenty body style. Sales continued to be strong and more than doubled over the prior year. This would be the best sales year for the Packard One-Twenty.

Packard introduced the Six in 1937. The reasoning was again economics and the constant struggle to stay in business by offering a quality product at a reasonable price. The Packard Six meant that the One-Twenty was to move higher up the market, being offered with more amenities and options. Two of these options were the 'C' and 'CD' trim levels. A wood-bodied station wagon and Touring Sedan were added to the line-up. A limousine body style, sitting atop a 138 inch wheelbase was also available for the first time, setting the buyer back a hefty $2000. There were 50,100 examples of all One-Twenty body styles producing during this year.

To conform to Packard's standard naming conventions, the One-Twenty was known as the Packard Eight for 1938. A year later, it was back to being called the One-Twenty. There were still a slew of body styles to choose from, able to satisfy all of their customer's desires and needs. The price range was competitive, costing from around $1100 to $1856. Though the product and the price were good, sales were slow with only 17,647 units being produced. The recession was taking its toll. Packard had even introduced many new mechanical improvements such as placing the shifter on the column rather than on the floor. For the following years, sales began to rise again, now amassing to 28,138 examples being produced. The name One-Twenty was now hyphenated.

For 1941 Packard offered the One-Twenty in eight body styles. The styling had been modified from the prior years, with the headlamps now residing in and on the fenders.

The One-Ten and One-Twenty were both dropped in 1942 and their names were merged with the Packard Six and Packard Eight lines. The One-Twenty had in production for seven years and 175,027 examples were produced.

Vehicle Spotlight

1936 Packard models
Packard Model 120B
Packard Model 1401 Eight
Packard Model 1402 Eight
Packard Model 1404 Super Eight
Packard Model 1407 Twelve
Packard Model 1408 Dietrich
Packard Twelve
Packard Twelve LeBaron

Packard: 1931-1940

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