1903 Packard Model F

The Packard Motor Car Company was founded in Warren, Ohio in 1899 and moved to Detroit, Michigan in October of 1903. The first Packard was the Model A, introduced in 1899, and five examples were built. The first production Packard automobile was the Model B, introduced in mid-1900, and powered by a four-cycle, one-cylinder engine with a 142.6 cubic-inch displacement and delivered 9 horsepower at 800 RPM. Forty-nine examples of the Model B were built by the end of the year.

The Model C followed in 1901 and was the first Packard with a steering wheel. Its 183.8 cubic-inch one-cylinder engine had 12 horsepower and was backed by a planetary twos-peed transmission. By the end of the year, Packard had built 81 examples. The Model F followed in 1902 and would remain part of the lineup through 1903. It used the engine of the Model C, but its body configuration changed dramatically, venturing away from the buggy-type style and embracing more modern designs. The Roadster had a base price of $2,250 and a rear tonneau added $250 to the price. This was the most expensive Packard model to date.

While the Model C had rested on a 76-inch wheelbase, the Model F's measured 84 inches. It rode on wooden artillery wheels, a hand and foot brake operating the rear wheels, and a chain drive with a spur differential. Standard equipment included two acetylene headlights and side oil lamps. The 183.8 CID engine was backed by a three-speed selective sliding gear transmission.

Ongoing refinements to the Model F included a four-inch longer wheelbase, a sloping Renault-style hood, and a lower price of $2,300 for the tonneau.

A Packard Model F, known as 'Old Pacific', was driven by Tom Fetch on a 3,600-mile Transcontinental Trip from San Francisco to New York during the summer of 1903. Fetch was accompanied by Marius Kraup who was editor of the original Automobile magazine. The trip took sixty-one days and was an incredible accomplishment considering the minimal dirt roads and paths that existed at the time.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2020