1936 Packard One Twenty Convertible Coupe

Packard produced an impressive 80,978 cars during the calendar year 1936 thanks to the new medium-priced 'Junior' 120 series first introduced in 1935. The 120 model sold so well that it helped boost Packard sales to an all-time high. So successful, Packard was prompted to offer a six-cylinder model dubbed simply 'Six' in 1937, calling it the One-Ten starting in 1940. The two so-called 'Junior' models quickly became best-sellers for Packard as they accounted for over 92 percent of production by 1940. The 282 cubic-inch straight eight produced 120 horsepower and the car rode on a 120-inch wheelbase along with the 120 model name - a fact not lost on Packard's advertising writers.

This car was originally purchased in Chicago by Howard Bert who owned the car for 56 years. The current caretaker is the third owner of this Brighton Blue 120.

The Packard One Twenty was introduced in 1934 as a mid-market model, with its name referencing its 120-inch wheelbase. Attractively priced to stimulate sales, the One Twenty shared the same build quality and luxury appointments as its larger and more expensive sibling, albeit with a smaller footprint and engine. Despite selling for less than other Packard models, the One Twenty was given several innovative features not yet available in the larger Senior models, including hydraulic brakes and independent front suspension.

Delivery of Packard's Fourteenth Series cars began in August 1935, and by this point, the One Twenty came equipped with a newly enlarged version of the company's classic straight-eight engine, displacing 282 cubic inches and developing 120 horsepower. The sale of over 55,000 examples of the One Twenty during the 1936 model year greatly dwarfed the combined sales of all other Packard models.

Despite its popularity and success, the One Twenty was renamed the Eight for the 1938 model year.

This One Twenty Convertible Coupe was delivered new on January 29, 1936 by Packard Evanston in Illinois. The car's first known owner was Howard Bert, who purchased it on October 19, 1937, from Packard Motor Car Company of Chicago for $468. Fifty-eight years later, on November 20, 1992, the estate of Mr. Bert sold the Packard to Charles Matthews of Waukegan, Illinois. While in his care, it is believed that the car was given a complete frame-off restoration, which included changing the color to the model-year-correct Brighton Blue. The interior is upholstered in tan leather and has a soft tan top. The car's current owner installed the banjo steering wheel.

The current caretaker purchased the Packard in 2011. It was shown at the Antique Automobile Club of America meet in Hershey, Pennsylvania, in 2011, where it won the Junior National First Prize. In 2014, at the same meet, the car was awarded with a Senior National First Prize, and then the Grand National First Prize in 2019 at the AACA meet in Auburn, Indiana. It won Best in Class at the 2022 St. Michaels Concours d'Elegance in Chester, Maryland.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2024