Packard 180 Darrin, 1942 180 Darrin | Conceptcarz.com - Pictures, Pricing, Information, Wallpaper, History

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Convertible
Coachwork: Darrin

Howard 'Dutch' Darrin was a flamboyant designer, based in Hollywood. In 1939, after having successfully sold a handful of custom Darrin Packard's to celebrities such as Clark Gable, he proposed marketing his custom convertible as a glamour leader for the Packard brand.

Unfortunately production never achieved the numbers Darrin or Packard had hoped for. They were originally offered on the 120 and 180 chassis. Bodies were initially built by the Auburn Central Company, former manufacturer of Auburn cars. However, by 1941 they had a huge contract to build Jeep bodies for the military and couldn't built the low-volume Darrin bodies. Picking up the contract was Sayer and Scoville, of Cincinnati, a builder of professional cars and limousines. By 1942, they had become Hess and Eisenhardt and had instituted some small design changes to the cars.

The ultra-exclusive 1942 Darrin was based on a One-Eighty series, Model 2006 Special, 127-inch wheelbase chassis. It was powered by the 356 cubic-inch Packard Super 8 engine, rated at 160 horsepower. The 1942 Darrin weighed 3,920 lbs and listed for $4,595. The 1942 model was the last Darrin built before all civilian car production was halted for the duration. This particular car was number 9 of only 15 built for 1942. These were the last of the Packard Darrins.

The Packard One Eighty was first introduced in 1940 and was Packard's new top-of-the-line vehicle. It served as a replacement for the company's V12 powered vehicle. The Packard 180 was given a eight-cylinder 356 cubic-inch engine that produced an astonishing 160 horsepower. Packard proudly claimed that it was the most powerful eight cylinder engine on the market.

Though most of the other series, the 110, 120, 160, and 180, were similar in body styling in 1940, the 180 was segregated by its exquisite interior detailing, and lush carpets and fabrics. Options included a heater/defroster, air conditioning, radio, fender skirts, backup lights and more.

Styling changed only slightly during its production lifespan, lasting until 1942 when World War II brought an end to civilian automobile production. Famous coachbuilders, such as Darrin and LeBaron were given the opportunity to build their interpretation of the automobile on this accommodating chassis. These were constructed in limited numbers and built to suite the individual customers needs, desires, and specifications.

1942 Packard 180 Darrin
Year	1942
Make	Packard
Model	180 Darrin
Body Style	Convertible
Engine Location	Front
Drive Type	Rear Wheel
Production Years for Series	1940 - 1942
Coach Work	Darrin
Price	$4,595.00
Weight	3920 lbs \| 1778.1 kg
Combined MPG	0.00

Engine
Engine Configuration	I
Cylinders	8
Aspiration/Induction	Normal
Displacement	356.00 CU IN. \| 5834.8 cc. \| 5.8 L.
Valves	16 valves. 2 valves per cylinder.
Valvetrain	SV
Horsepower	165.00 BHP (121.4 KW)
HP to Weight Ratio	23.8 LB / HP (Vehicles with similar ratio)
HP / Liter	28.4 BHP / Liter
Fuel Type	Gasoline - Petrol
	Vehicles with similar horsepower and weight

Standard Transmission
Gears	3
Transmission	Manual

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1942 Packard 180 Darrin