1937 Packard 115-C Six

Packard vehicles had a reputation for exclusivity, power, durability, styling, silence, and elegance. The 1920s had been prosperous years for the company which helped them weather the difficult years of the Great Depression. The 1930s were difficult due to the poor economy and the escalating cylinder wars that demanded a nearly unachievable level of mechanical prowess. Packard's response to both these assaults appeared in 1932, with the Light Eight and the re-introduction of the Twin Six (Twelve). The Light Eight was a lower-priced model intended to welcome a new group of clientele to the company. The twelve-cylinder Packard became the top-of-the-line model, offering power and exclusivity expected by the most affluent buyer. The Light Eight failed at its task due to not moving far enough down market (in other words, still too expensive) and lasted a single year. The Twelve excelled at its job, carrying the legendary Packard banner to new heights within the industry.

Packard made a second attempt at moving down-market with the introduction of the One Twenty model in 1935. With prices significantly lower than the rest of the Packard line, the One Twenty successfully entered the medium-priced market and was very popular with nearly 25,000 examples sold during its inaugural year. This greatly exceeded the combined production of the rest of the 1935 Packard models which was less than 7,000 units.

The new Packard Six of 1937, internally known as the 115-C (for its wheelbase size), was the company's first six-cylinder car since 1927. The 115-C was positioned as a low-priced vehicle that could serve as a companion to the company's very successful eight-cylinder One Twenty. The six-cylinder engine in the 115-C was essential from the One Twenty but with two fewer cylinders. Both the six- and the eight-cylinder engines had a similar bore and stroke sizes, resulting in similar displacements. The six had 237 cubic inches of displacement and the eight had 282 CID.

The L-head straight-six had a cast-iron block, mechanical valve lifters, a Chandler-Grove carburetor, 6.3:1 standard compression, and produced 100 horsepower. There was a three-speed selective synchromesh gearbox with a single disc clutch and floor shift controls. Hydraulic drum brakes could be found at all four corners. The wheelbase measured 115 inches and body styles included a coupe (Business, Convertible, and Sport Coupe), Sedan (Club Sedan, 5-passenger sedan, and touring sedan), and a station wagon. Pricing ranged from around $800 to $1300 depending on the body style and was just $100 more than the models of Chevrolet, Ford, and Plymouth. The wagon was introduced midway through the model year and with a base price of $1,295, it was an outlier, as all other 1937 six-cylinder wagons throughout the industry started at under $1,000.

Initial production of the wooden bodywork of the wagons was handled by Cleveland coachbuilder Baker-Raulang and it is believed that approximately 60 examples of the wagon were built in its inaugural year, with only a few examples outfitted with the Baker-Raulang bodies. The rest of the exterior coachwork was handled by Packard including the grille and 'Goddess of Speed' hood ornament worn by Packards of all shapes and sizes.

The Packard 115-C was designed to make the exclusive marque a little less exclusive, wearing hand-made bodies that were not usually part of the six-cylinder value proposition. With attractive styling, a powerful engine, Packard craftsmanship, and affordable prices, the six-cylinder Packard was popular with the buying community, and 30,050 examples were sold. The popularity of the One Twenty continued to be strong with 50,100 examples sold. Among the Senior Packard lines, the Super Eight had 5,793 sales and the Twelve had 1,300 sales.

From the Packard Six to the Packard Twelve, the 1937 line offered something in nearly every price class.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2009