1935 Packard 1201 Eight

The Packard Motor Company produced many of America's ultimate luxury cars from its inception in 1899 through its end of production in the 1950s. Their slogan was 'Ask The Man Who Owns One,' which would become one of motoring's most famous ad lines and a statement on the exclusivity of the brand. Over the years, changes came slowly to Packard as the conservative styling it was known for, coupled with advanced engineering, didn't require yearly model changes. This changed during the Great Depression years, as the company had to make significant changes to remain in business. Although the elite clientele remained loyal during the hardships of the 1930s, Packard found increased sales at lower price points.

The Twelfth Series, which corresponded with 1935, started with the low-price 120 cars, also called Junior cars. The 1200, 1201, and 1202 cars were the Standard Eight models with the shortest wheelbases of the Senior Packard line. In between the medium-priced One Twenty and luxurious Super Eight was the so-called 'standard' Eight, which had a nearly identical range of body styles to its larger sibling, but on a shorter wheelbase and with a 320 cubic-inch engine offering 130 horsepower. Although the Eight and Super Eight were nearly identical, the Eight outsold the Super Eight by a factor of three to one.

The 1935 Packard Eight consisted of the 1200, 1201, and 1201. The 1200 had a 127-inch wheelbase, the 1201 had a 134-inch platform, and the 1202 had a larger 139-inch wheelbase. The 320 cubic-inch engine was backed by a selective synchromesh three-speed transmission and braking was handled by mechanical brakes on four wheels. Options included dual side-mounts, side-mount covers, radio, heater, clock, radio antenna, disc and wooden wheels, spotlight, and bumper guards. Standard equipment included aluminum cylinder heads, a 6.5:1 engine compression ratio, and an eight-cylinder engine.

The 1201 had ten standard body styles and included a LeBaron Cabriolet. The 1200 had a single five-passenger sedan body style and the 1202 was available in seven body styles. A total of 4,781 examples of the Twelfth Series, Eight were built.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2020