1940 Packard One-Twenty

The Eighteenth Series Packards were introduced on August 8th of 1939, well ahead of other manufacturers' introductory dates. Its models were divided into Junior and Senior models, and although the priority had been on the Senior models, the emphasis was now on the Junior models. The senior cars had built the company's reputation, but it was the junior cars, particularly the One Twenty, that saved the company.

The twelve-cylinder Packard had been discontinued in 1939, and the eight-cylinder line replaced the twelve as Packard's top offering. In many ways, 1940 and 1941 were the final years for the senior cars, and following World War II, Packard sold its tooling off to the Russians, leaving them with only the mid-priced Clipper to offer customers during the postwar boom.

Sales had increasingly come from the lower end of the price spectrum beginning in the mid-1930, from the One-Ten and One-Twenty models, delivering legendary Packard quality for the price of a DeSoto, Hudson, Oldsmobile, Buick, or Mercury. They were smooth, sophisticated, and offered the refinement of the senior cars and despite being Packard's lowest-priced eight-cylinder line, the One-Twenty was by no means a base model.

The Packard One Twenty was introduced in 1935 and its 120-inch wheelbase platform was the inspiration for its name. Its 256.16 cubic-inch engine initially produced 110 horsepower, increasing to 120 bhp the following year and further reinforcing its name. The increase in power was the result of an increase in stroke to 4.5 inches and displacement increasing to 282 CID. Sales of the 1935 One Twenty were nearly 25,000 units, doubling the following year to over 55,000 units. The success and popularity of the One Twenty inspired the creation of the Packard Six model for 1937, the company's first six-cylinder car since 1927. The Packard Six was equipped with a 237 CID inline-6 offering 100 horsepower and installed in a 115-inch wheelbase chassis. Sales during its inaugural year were 30,050 units and sales of the One Twenty were 50,100 units, far exceeding the Senior Packard sales for 1937 of just over 7,000 units.

The engine in the Packard six grew to 245 cubic inches in 1938, however, power remained at 100 bhp but low-end torque increased. To add consistency to the line, the Packard One Twenty became the Packard Eight for 1938 and its wheelbase grew to 127 inches for the Series 1601 series and 148 inches for the 1602 Series. The compression ratio increased to 6.6:1, and a 7.05:1 aluminum option was available. In its second year of production, the Packard Six outpaced the Packard Eight, with 30,050 sales of the Six and 22,624 of the Eight.

For 1939, Packard reverted back to the One Twenty name and both the Six and the One Twenty received Econo-Drive, No-Rol, and Handishift as standard equipment. Handishift was a column-mounted gearshift lever and Econo-Drive was a new overdrive option. The No-Rol feature aided in starting and holding the car on steep inclines.

1940 Packard One-Twenty
By 1940, the engine powering the One-Twenty displaced 282 cubic inches, used a 6.4:1 compression ratio, had five main bearings, pressure-lubricated valve lifters, a cast-iron block, and delivered 120 bhp at 3,600 RPM. The wheelbase measured 127 inches, the longer wheelbase was discontinued, and the three-speed selective synchromesh transmission was standard, along with hydraulic brakes on all four wheels.

Previous One Twenty models were devoid of the hyphen, but the 1940 model now had a hyphen. The previous Packard Six was now called the Packard One-Ten.

Styling updates included a tall radiator grille flanked on either side by two vertical side grilles, sealed beam headlights resting directly on the fenders, and parking lights positioned on the fender crowns. The side hood louvers now had a step design and the longer hood better accommodated mounting optional spare tires.

Body styles included a business coupe priced at $1,040, a club coupe at $1,110, a four-door club sedan at $1,240, and a convertible coupe at $1,275. The two-door touring sedan was $1,135, the four-door touring sedan at $1,170, the eight-passenger wagon at $1,400, and the convertible sedan at $1,570.

Howard 'Dutch' Darrin had been customizing the One-Twenty in California since 1938. Following his days spent in Paris working at Hibbard and Darrin, Darrin moved to Hollywood, where he quickly established himself as the purveyor of custom coachwork to movie stars. He was embraced by the Hollywood establishment and his well-cultivated French accent was a perfect fit. His shop was named 'Darrin of Paris,' and his first client was Dick Powell, for whom he fashioned a two-passenger Ford roadster in 1937. This was soon followed by a two-seat convertible victoria roadster on a 1937 Packard One twenty platform for the actor Chester Morris. Darrin then sold Packard the idea of building a five-passenger version and including it as part of its lineup. Although Packard's initial response was a 'no,' Darrin continued to build, beginning with a standard Packard Eight Business Coupe. The signature styling feature of the custom coachwork was the cut-down curves of the doors, known as the 'Darrin Dip.' The overall concept was elegant but downright racy with its rakish appearance, long hoods, veed windshield, and aerodynamic features.

Darrin had the car parked outside the Packard Proving Grounds at the time of the annual dealer's meeting, putting it in full view of the dealers. The dealers were so impressed with the design, that they pressured Packard to add it to the catalogue. For 1940, Packard added the 'Darrin' as part of its catalogue. The three body styles with the Darrin touches were the Sport sedan, Convertible Sedan, and the Convertible Victoria. It is estimated that were more than 100 examples were built through 1942 when production was halted due to America's involvement in World War II.

Nearly every aspect of the Darrin-designed Packard was customized, except for the headlight pods, by the Central Manufacturing Company of Connersville, Indiana, one of the last remnants of the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg empire. By the close of the model year, however, production of the 1941 Darrins was moved to the Sayers & Scoville plant in Cincinnati, Ohio, as the Central Manufacturing Company signed contracts with both Willys and Ford to build Jeep bodies.

The Packards Darrins were extensively advertised and received plenty of coverage by the press but sales never reached the levels of both Packard and Darrin. Most of the Packard Darrins were built on the senior One Eighty chassis, with a limited number built on the One Twenty chassis.

1940 Packard One-Ten production was 62,300 units and One-Twenty production was 28,138 units.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2021