1911 Packard Model Thirty

James Ward Packard purchased his first automobile in 1898. The car had been produced by a Cleveland-based company headed by Alexander Winton. The car proved to be a disaster causing Packard to voice his opinions about the vehicle. Winton responded by stating something to the effect of 'if you don't like it build your own'. Packard responded by creating his own company and quickly proving his abilities to build a car that was far superior mechanically and in design.

This Packard Model 30 Phaeton had a factory price of $5,550, a rather high price at the time considering that the Model T sold for around $500 up through the 1920s. With a 432 cubic-inch inline-4 cylinder engine, it was capable of producing a respectable 30 horsepower. A dry plate clutch was one of the more major mechanical improvements over the prior year's design which had used an expanding ring type. Of the 2225 vehicles produced by Packard in 1911, 1865 were the Model 30.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2007