1934 Packard 1101 Eight

The Great Depression was a devastating time and it dwindled the number of elite clientele capable of buying the luxurious and exclusive Packard automobile. Packard offered a profusion of models, body styles, and optional accessories, which helped them finish the year with 42.7% of the luxury car market. Lincoln and Cadillac were in worse shape but still in business, unlike Peerless, and Marmon who succumbed to the Recession and called it quits in 1933. Pierce-Arrow was also near its end.

Packard's production amounted to only 8,000 cars that were spread out over five different chassis and three different engines. While working for Murray Corporation subsidiary Dietrich, Inc. in the late twenties, Raymond Dietrich had created the basic lines of Packard's cataloged and custom bodies. They were conservatively elegant and sporty and outfitted with luxury, performance, and inherent quality. Ed Macauley was appointed as Packard's styling director in 1932 by his father Alvan Macauley, Packard's President. Alexis de Sakhnoffsky joined Packard as a part-time consultant through the early thirties, contributing to the design and flow of the vehicles. The designs were implemented by Werner Gubitz.

A few Packard bodies continued to receive coachwork from independent coachbuilders, however, the economy and extensive catalog of Packard designs meant most Packard coachwork was done in its own facilities. The Packard designs included their traditional buttressed grille shell, which since 1932 was vee-shaped with vertical blinds. There were veed headlight lenses and dart-shaped shoulder molding created by Hibbard & Darrin. The new fender contours curved down nearly to the front bumper and were heavier than previous ones. Other changes were seen on the door handles, radiator caps, running boards, finer upholstery, and a fuel filler that was integrated into the left taillamp. Mechanical improvements included a new oil cooler and an oil filter.

The 1934 model Packards were the final models with traditional open fenders. Placing emphasis on ride control and silencing, the chassis was fitted with adjustable Ride Control suspension and Bijur automatic lubrication.

The Eleventh Series Packard Eight was offered with no less than thirteen standard bodies. The most popular body style was closed sedans.

The 1100 Series rested on a 129.5-inch wheelbase platform and was offered as a five-passenger sedan. The 1102 was 141.25 inches and available as a 7-passenger sedan or sedan limousine. The 1101 rested on a 136.25-inch wheelbase and had ten available body styles. Power was from a 319.2 cubic-inch L-head straight-eight engine fitted with a Stromberg carburetor and offered 120 horsepower. The engine was mated to a three-speed selective synchromesh gearbox with a single plate clutch. Mechanical brakes were located on all wheels.

The Eleventh Series cars were introduced on August 21st of 1933, but they were considered 1934 cars and would remain in production through the following August when the twelfth series cars of 1935 were introduced. The model lineup consisted of the Eight, Super Eight, and Twelve. This gave customers a total of 41 different combinations of wheelbases, body styles, and engines, along with 17 'catalog custom' bodies by coachbuilder LeBaron and Dietrich.

A wealthy client had once asked Mr. Packard about the reliability of his automobiles, and his response was, 'ask the man who owns one,' a phrase that would follow the brand for many years to come. The Packard Company was proud of their product and encouraged prospective buyers to ask for their hometown Packard dealers 'Who's Who' book. The lists included local residents who purchased Packards and allowed prospective buyers to contact them for a candid assessment.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2018