1951 Packard Patrician 400

Packard introduced the Clipper model shortly before the onset of World War II. Although its longevity was brief pre-WWII, it allowed Packard to offer (what appeared to be) a new model when civilian automobile production resumed. Six and eight-cylinder versions were offered in the post-war era on wheelbase sizes of 120-, 127- and 148-inches, with body styles that included a club sedan, touring sedan, limousine, and a seven-passenger sedan. Prices in 1946 ranged from $1,680 to $4,500. Very few changes were made to the 1947 Packards, but 1948 brought about a new naming scheme for its models, consisting of the Standard Eight, Deluxe Eight, Super Eight, and Custom Eight.

1951 Packard
The 1951 Packards wore all-new model designations and received several significant styling and mechanical updates. The 'entry-level' Packard 200 (Series 2401) rested on a 122-inch wheelbase and was powered by an inline, L-head, 288 cubic-inch eight-cylinder engine that used five main bearings, a two-barrel carburetor, solid valve lifters, and delivered 135 horsepower at 3,600 RPM. Body styles included a sedan, a club sedan, and a business coupe with prices that ranged from $2,300 to $2,470. The 200 Deluxe version, offered on the sedan and club sedan, and adding approximately $147 to the base price, added turn indicators and chrome wheel rings.

While the Detroit 'Big Three' motor manufacturing corporations of Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors could afford to frequently re-tool their facilities, independent marques, such as Packard, were unable to sustain such transitions. Unable to satisfy the public's insatiable appetite for new designs, Packard lost ground to its chief rival, Cadillac, and by 1951 had slumped to 16th in the motor manufacturing league table. Although the 1951 Packard lineup was all-new, it still lacked a modern overhead-valve V-8 engine.

The styling for the 1951 Packard was courtesy of John Reinhart who endowed the Packard 200 with a 'toothless' grille, a low, single-fin hood mascot, a chrome strip across the door, and front fenders, a low hood, and high crown fenders.

The Packard 250, 300, and patrician 400 rested on a 127-inch wheelbase and had an overall length of 217.75 inches. The Packard 250 and 300 were equipped with a 327 cubic-inch inline-8 cylinder engine with five main bearings, a two-barrel carburetor, a 7.0;1 compression ratio, and delivered 150 horsepower at 3,600 RPM. The Patrician 400 also had a 327 CID inline-8 but with nine main bearings, a 7.8:1 compression ratio, and offering 155 horsepower at 3,600 RPM.

The Packard 250 Series was offered as a hardtop coupe priced at $3,235 and a convertible (Packard's only convertible for 1951) priced at $3,390. They had a grille with a toothy appearance, fender skirts, and a pelican mascot on its hood. The interiors were outfitted with colorful and luxurious upholstery.

The Packard 300 added additional chrome trim, brightwork, and standard features, and a wide array of interior trims allowed customization for the buyer. It was offered solely as a sedan priced at $3,035.

1951 Packard Patrician 400
This was the first year for the 400 Patrician name and it was among the last new Packard models to emerge before the company's ill-fated merger with Studebaker nearly four years later. Positioned as the luxury maker's flagship saloon, its sturdy box-section chassis was equipped with independent coil-sprung front suspension, a 'live' rear axle, and hydraulic drum brakes.

The Patrician 400 served as a replacement for the previous Custom Eight and wore the highest level of trim and chrome work of the Packard line, and was built to a higher standard than its humbler siblings. Distinguishable features included a grille with vertical 'teeth' and vertically ribbed, chrome gravel shields on the lower front area of the rear fender bulge. There were three 'jet louvers' on the middle of the rear fenders, a feature that some dealers added to some of the other models to heighten their allure. A chrome spear was placed on the front fenders and doors, and another chrome spear traversed from the rear of the car to the gravel shields. An ornament was placed on the tip of the hood.

The interiors of Packard's top-range model were the most luxurious and well-appointed in the lineup. It incorporated all of the features found on the lower series models, plus cloisonne wheel cover center medallions. The engine was backed by an Ultramatic Drive transmission, standard in the Patrician but optional in the other models.

Offered solely as a four-door sedan, the Patrician 400 was priced at $3,660 and 9,001 examples were built.

The Packard Patrician 400 was produced in 1951 and 1952. In 1953, it became the Patrician (dropping the 400) and continued to serve as Packard's highest trim level sedan, built atop the 127-inch chassis. The custom coachbuilder Henney also used the Patrician as the basis for custom creations, including the 8-passenger Packard Executive Sedans and Limousines resting on a 149-inch wheelbase.

Packard gave its senior line a final design update for 1955 and 1956, penned by Dick Teague. The final Packard built left the assembly line on June 25th of 1956.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2021