1933 Packard 1004 Super Eight

Packard was unquestionably one of the finest American car manufacturers of the pre-war era. The Eight, introduced in 1924, was the first Packard to employ four-wheel brakes. Its side-valve straight-eight engine displaced 5.9 liters and delivered 85 horsepower. Ten body styles were initially offered on two-wheelbase lengths. The engine grew to 6.3 liters in 1927 and a smaller 5.2-liter Standard Eight was introduced in 1929, with the larger engine powering the Custom and DeLuxe Eights. For 1933, it became known as the 'Super Eight,' by which time all Packards used synchromesh transmissions.

While the Great Depression was detrimental to the market, it did little to dampen the artistic inspiration that flourished throughout the industry. Arguably, some of the finest-styled automobiles ever produced were built during the 1930 through 1937 era. The Packard models were consistently at the pinnacle of the luxury car segment, renowned for their performance, durability, style, grace, and elegance.

Packard's Tenth Series lineup of 1933 included the Eight, the Super Eight, and the Twelve. The Eight was available on a 127.5-inch (Series 1001) and 136-inch (Series 1002) platforms. Its L-head straight-eight engine displaced 319.2 cubic inches with nine main bearings, solid valve lifters, revised manifolding, a smaller flywheel, an automatic choke, a dual downdraft Stromberg carburetor, and delivered 120 horsepower at 3,200 RPM. The Bendix-BK vacuum booster brakes of the previous year's Twin Six were now standard, along with wire wheels, and an angleset hypoid differential. Prices ranged from $2,150 to $3,100.

The top-of-the-line model was the Twelve, equipped with a 445.5 cubic-inch twelve with four main bearings, a cast-iron monobloc, and 160 horsepower at 3,200 RPM. The Series 1005 used a 142-inch wheelbase while the Series 1006 had a 147-inch platform. New X-braced frames and three-point engine mountings enhanced Packard's already renowned smoothness and near-silence. The brakes were driver-adjustable and power-assisted, the engine received dual-coil ignition and automatic chokes, and the former two-plate clutch was replaced by a single dry-plate unit. Prices ranged from $3,790 to $7,000, available with both factory-built and custom coachwork. Among the list of coachbuilders were Dietrich and LeBaron.

Between the Eight and the Twelve was the Packard Super Eight, available on a 142-inch wheelbase (Series 1003) and a 142-inch (Series 1004) wheelbase. The 384.8 cubic-inch straight-eight engine had nine main bearings, a Stromberg carburetor, a standard 6.0:1 compression ratio, and delivered 145 horsepower at 3,200 RPM. The engineering refinements applied to the Eight were incorporated into the Super Eight. The three-speed selective synchromesh transmission had a single-plate clutch and an angleset hypoid differential. Mechanical brakes on all wheels provided the stopping power. Prices ranged from $2,750 to $3,600.

The five-passenger sedan was priced at $2,750 and the coupe was listed for $2,780. A five-passenger coupe was $2,980 and a coupe roadster version was $2,870. The phaeton was $2,890 and the Sport Phaeton was $3,150. The most expensive body style was the seven-passenger formal sedan with seating for seven, listed for $3,600. The seven-passenger limousine was $3,280, and the seven-passenger tourer was $2,890. The convertible victoria was $3,440 and the convertible sedan was $3,590. A seven-passenger sedan was nearly $3,100 and the club sedan was $2,975.

Only the five-passenger sedan was offered on the shorter 135-inch wheelbase of the Series 1003. The remainder rested on the larger 142-inch (Series 1004) platform.

The most popular Packard model for 1933 was the Eight with 1,881 examples of the Series 1001 and 1,099 of the Series 1002. The most exclusive and expensive model, the Packard Twelve, had just 520 examples built. Of the Super Eight, the larger Series 1004 proved more popular than the Series 1003, with 788 units built compared to 512 of the Series 1003.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2021