1939 Packard 1705 Super Eight

Packard celebrated its 40th anniversary in 1939. Alvan Macauley, Packard's president for 33 years, passed the reigns to Max Gilman. It also marked the final year for the massive Packard Twelve. Sadly, the era of beautiful, long-wheelbase high-powered ultra-expensive custom cars was coming to an end, yet Packard continued to offer bare chassis to an ever-diminishing number of custom coachbuilders upon which custom bodies were fitted.

The number of catalog body styles went from 15 in 1938 to just six in 1939. The 127-inch Super Eight 1703 was available in four bodies while the 148-inch Super Eight 1705 was comprised of a Touring Limousine and a Touring Sedan, both with seating for eight passengers. The engine was an L-head straight eight-cylinder unit displacing 320 cubic inches and offering 130 horsepower. This would be the final year for this engine, as the 1940 Packard Super 8 would be powered by a 356 cubic-inch unit. The cylinder heads were now all cast iron. The transmission was a synchromesh three-speed unit with a column-mounted gearshift, just like the Junior Packards, and offered overdrive. Braking was controlled by hydraulic brakes with vacuum boosters. Compression ratios and rear axle ratios were revised.

A total of 3,962 examples of the combined 1703 and 1705 Super Eight 1939 models were built.

1939 was the final year for the Packard Twelve. Wheelbase sizes measured 134- and 139-inches and the 473.3 cubic-inch V-12 engine offered 175 horsepower. The Model 1707 Twelve was available in eight different body styles with prices that ranged from $4,375 to $6,730. The longer-wheelbase Model 1708 Twelve was offered in six body styles including two by Brunn and an All-Weather Town Car by Rollston. Prices ranged from $4,485 to $6,880.

In 1940, Packard's model lineup included the six-cylinder One-Ten, the eight-cylinder One-Twenty, the Super-8 One-Sixty, and the Custom Super-8 One-Eight. By this point in history, much of Packard's production efforts were focused on building the popular junior models. The Senior models remained an important ingredient in Packard's line, as they helped the company remain perched atop the luxury car segment.