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1929 Packard 640 Custom Eight

Like many other American luxury car manufacturers, the stock market crash of 1929 did not immediately affect Packard and they continued to employ over 7,000 workers. During the 1928 model year, Packard production totaled an all-time record 49,698 cars with the vast majority (over 41,000 cars) being the less expensive six-cylinder cars. The more affordable Packard was more accessible to an increasingly affluent marketplace that was enjoying an unprecedented boom.

A new Standard Eight line was introduced in 1929 which replaced the earlier Twin Six models. These sixth-series Packards had long hoods, large oval-backed headlights (a one-year-only feature), and sweeping fenders. Five basic models were offered and given an automatic cylinder oiler (helped to prevent unnecessary wear caused by dry startups), parabolic headlamps and chromed brightwork, and a shock-absorbing loose trunnion suspension with new Houdaille shocks. Other mechanical improvements included the relocation of the coolant temperature gauge from the radiator filler cap (Moto-Meter) to an easy-to-read gauge on the dashboard. The driver and passenger received more interior room when the shift lever was moved from the top of the transmission casing to the bell housing.

The Sixth Series 640 Custom Eight rested on a 140.5-inch wheelbase platform and was offered in nine different body styles. The Model 640 and 645 'Deluxe Eight' had a chassis specifically designed for the elegant custom and semi-custom bodies of the time. Total production of the 640 Custom 8 reached 4,853 examples for the 1929 model year.

The 384 cubic-inch L-head inline eight-cylinder engine had seven main bearings and a rigid one-piece cylinder block casting. It was given a single carburetor which helped produced 105 horsepower. They had a three-speed manual transmission and four-wheel drum brakes.

The 1930s brought many changes to the automotive industry as it continued to wrestle with the effects of the Great Depression. Cadillac had been working on a sixteen-cylinder engine and its arrival in 1929 sparked what has become known as 'The Cylinder Wars' as companies scrambled to field a worthy competitor. Packard's response was a twelve-cylinder model whose introduction corresponded with a lower-priced model called the Light Eight. The Packard Twin Six (twelve) model succeeded in keeping the company at the forefront of the luxury car segment, but the Light Eight failed in gaining any momentum. The Light Eight was discontinued after a year, but the company would try (and succeed) with a lower-priced option in 1935. Its success convinced the company to move even further downmarket, introducing a six-cylinder model in 1937 (its first six-cylinder model since 1928). The Packard Twelve (twelve-cylinder) was discontinued after 1939 with fewer than 500 examples built that year. This left the Custom Super 8 as the company's top-of-the-line model. Six- and eight-cylinder models continued until World War II brought civilian automobile production to a temporary end. When peacetime resumed, the Packards model lineup included the Clipper equipped with either six or eight-cylinder power. By 1948, only the eight-cylinder option remained. Packard would continue to build automobiles until 1958 when it finally shuttered its doors forever.

by Dan Vaughan

Rumble Seat Coupe
Chassis number: 172986

As the 1920s came to a close, Packard was a very well-established and successful manufacturer. Their cars were well-engineered and properly built for the discerning and well-funded buyer. The Packards of the classic era almost always outsold their competitors, including Pierce-Arrow, Lincoln, and Cadillac.

Packard introduced their new Custom Eight 640 in 1929. It had a chassis that was specifically designed to carry custom and semi-custom bodies. Many had long hoods that concealed the 106 horsepower, nine-main bearing straight-eight engines.

This example is an original coupe body that is equipped with a rumble seat. It has been in the same ownership for over three decades. During that time it has seen little, yet gentle, use. During the course of its life, it has traveled only 35,878 miles. It has been treated to a professional and comprehensive restoration bringing it back to its original condition. The $100,000 frame-off job was completed in 1994.

The car is finished in a tri-tone blue livery with gold leaf coach lines. The interior is the correct gray wool fabric.

It has been awarded a first-in-class award at the Silverado Concours and at the Packard Club of America's 19th Annual meet. It won Best of Show at the North Lake Tahoe Antique and Collector Car Show. In 1994 it was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours and was awarded a second in class.

Over the past 13 years, it has traveled a mere 500 miles. In 2007 It was offered for sale at the Bonhams Important Sale of Collectors' Motorcars and Automobilia at the Quail Lodge Resort & Golf Club. It was estimated to sell for $125,000 - $150,000. At the close of the auction, the lot had been left unsold.

by Dan Vaughan

Sedan

This Packard 640 Custom Super Eight is an excellent example of the 'Jazz Age' Roadster. It is equipped with a 348.8 cubic-inch, inline 8-cylinder engine developing 105 horsepower. The car rides on a 140.5-inch wheelbase. The sixth series of Packards were produced from August 1, 1928, to August 20, 1929. The list price was approximately $3,175. The shipping weight was 4,370 pounds.

The total production of 640 and 645 models was 11,862 cars. Other models include the lower-priced models 626 and 633. There was not a so-called Sport Phaeton catalogued series, but a few Dual Cowl versions were built. Wire wheels and windshield were extra cost items. Side mount covers and chrome tread covers were specially ordered for this Packard along with wire wheels.

This car was owned by the same person from 1970 until 2005 when it was sold to the current owners. It was then sent straight to Chicago for a three-year frame-off total restoration.

Dual Cowl Phaeton
Chassis number: 176137

The 'senior' Custom Eight models were offered by Packard in no fewer than nine body styles. The list included Tourers, Roadsters, Convertible Coupes, and Limousines. Coachbuilders such as Rollston, LeBaron, and Dietrich applied their craft to this mighty platform.

By mid-1928, with the introduction of the Sixth Series, Packard offered only eight-cylinder engines. The eight-cylinder, L-head powerplant was available in two sizes, a 319 cubic-inch unit that produces 90 horsepower and the 385 cubic-inch unit that offered 105 bhp. The Standard Eight series were fitted with the smaller eight-cylinder engine and built atop a wheelbase that measured 126.5 inches. An optional 133.5-inch size was available. The Custom and Deluxe Eight models rode on a 140.5-inch and 145.5-inch wheelbase respectively.

This 1929 Packard Custom Eight Dual Cowl Phaeton Model 640 has been given a full restoration. It has a tan body, brown fenders and body trim, a red leather interior, and a beige canvas top. It is equipped with a pair of Trippe driving lights, dual side-mount spares, and spotlights.

In 2008, this Model 640 DC Phaeton was offered for sale at the 'Sports & Classics of Monterey' presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $120,000 - $165,000 and offered with a reserve. Those estimates were proven accurate as the lot was sold for $132,000 including the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster

Packard sold 47,855 cars in 1929 with prices ranging from $2,435 to over $6,000. By this point in history, Packard was one of the oldest car companies in America, with the first Packard built in 1899. The enterprise that began life as the Ohio Automobile Company in Warren, Ohio became the Packard Motor Car Company in 1902 and moved to Detroit the following year.

The company entered the Classic era with a new straight eight engine replacing its early V12. This milestone engine used a unique crankshaft design and firing order that balanced the reciprocating forces and eliminated vibration. It was lighter than the V12, providing more power, and better fuel economy and the inline configuration was compatible with the 'long hood' design themes that could be characteristic of the Classic era.

The Model 640 rode on a 140-inch wheelbase chassis and was powered by a 385 cubic-inch straight eight-cylinder engine offering 106 horsepower. It was priced at $3,175 and 9,801 were produced.

This Packard Runabout was sold new by the Earl C. Anthony dealership in California on April 13th of 1929. It was destroyed in a building fire in 1981. A three-year restoration was completed in January 2010.

Rumble Seat Coupe
Chassis number: 173884

The Packard 640 Custom Eight and 645 DeLuxe Eight shared a 385 CID inline eight-cylinder engine producing 105 BHP - Packard's most powerful motorcar with the exception of the 626 Speedster. Packard offered a wide array of body styles, accommodating a variety of tastes and purposes.

This car was originally purchased by Mel Hershey of Hershey, Pennsylvania. In the early 1960s, Maxime Choiniere, from Quebec, bought the Packard from Mr. Hershey. Choiniere was well renowned throughout the Northeast for his restorations and the establishment of a museum in Granby, Quebec.

After Choiniere's demise in 1993, the entire collection was auctioned and the present owner acquired the car. It was restored by Richard Grenon over a five-year period. The car was completely dismantled and rebuilt from the underlying hardwood structure out.

This Packard was awarded First Junior status at the 2012 AACA Eastern Fall Meet in Hershey. It is a well-equipped example with Packard-emblem Trippe lights, dual side-mounted spares with mirrors, a rare disappearing tonneau windscreen for the rumble seat, a luggage rack, a covered trunk, and tools. The car is finished in black with red accents and leather upholstery.

Roadster

This 1929 Packard 640 Custom Eight Roadster with Sporty Coachwork rides on a 140-inch wheelbase. When new, the car sold for $4,585 and was one of the more expensive of its type in 1929. In 2008, it earned a CCCA 1st Place.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster
Chassis number: 167405

This 1929 Packard 640 Custom Eight Roadster was the least expensive body style on the 640 model lineup, yet they are some of the most highly prized configurations today as they were one of the last of the true open cars. The early history of this car is well known. It was originally purchased by Mr. Pratt of Island Paper Industries of Lowville, New York. Original features fitted to this car include the unusually finned aluminum brake drums and a set of Woodlite headlights.

In the late 1970s, the car was given a comprehensive restoration in its original colors. The current owner purchased the car in 2006 and it has been in his private collection ever since. The engine is a 385 cubic-inch, nine-main-bearing side-valve eight-cylinder engine capable of producing 105 horsepower. There is a three-speed transmission and four-wheel mechanical brakes.

In 2009, this Model 640 Roadster was offered for sale at the Vintage Motor Cars of Hershey presented by RM Auctions where it was expected to sell for $95,000 - $125,000. As bidding came to a close, the lot had been sold for the sum of $91,300, including the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Dual Cowl Phaeton

This Packard 640 Custom Super Eight Sport Phaeton was introduced in 1929 and offered in nine body styles and was one of 9,810 (some sources say 9,801) cars manufactured this production year. The car has a 385 cubic-inch, 8-cylinder engine, a 140-inch wheelbase, an overall length of 204 inches, and weighs 4,370 lbs. The original list price with options was $3,475.

This example was originally ordered by a member of the Portuguese Royal Family, was manufactured in September 1928, and was painted a two-tone gray. The Family's estate and assets, including this Packard, were seized and nationalized after a change in regimes. The Packard was driven only sparingly from 1930-1980 when an American Naval Officer purchased the car at auction, took the legal title, but was not allowed to take the car out of the country. He restored and re-painted the car red, white, and blue to disguise its appearance and shipped it to the United States.

The car went through a three-year restoration, which was completed in 2010. The car's mileage is accurate with only 18,350 miles on the odometer.

Roadster

Packard's Sixth Series was introduced on August 1st of 1928. With no six-cylinder as part of the lineup, straight-eights became standard across all model lines for 1929. Three series comprised the Packard lineup, the Standard Eight, Custom Eight, and the Deluxe Eight, with the Model 640 a part of the Custom Eight line. Custom Eights rode atop a 140.5-inch wheelbase and were powered by Packard's big eight, a 384.8 cubic-inch unit producing 105 horsepower. Hard to believe at more than $3,175 before options, the Series 640 roadster was middle-of-the-road for Packard.

All models lost the Moto Meter atop the radiator, with the temperature now measured by a gauge on the dash, parabolic headlamps were used in lieu of the former drum type, and chrome plating replaced nickel on all brightwork. Prior to the stock market crash in 1929, Packard was the undisputed luxury leader with better than a 50-percent share of the market in formal cars.

The Runabout was Packard's least expensive Custom Eight, although, with prices exceeding $3,000, it was by no means affordable to the average American.

This 1929 Packard 640 Custom Eight Runabout is an excellent example of the 'Jazz Age' Roadster. It is finished in black with orange artillery wood spoke wheels and a beige folding top piped in saddle leather which matches the interior leather on the doors and seats. The colors are typical of the era and the restoration is authentic. The June 1929 American Motorist magazine featured a black and orange roadster in an ad titled 'Packard men are carefully chosen.' The radiator features an optional basket-weave stoneguard and is accented by the distinctive Adonis radiator mascot. The windshield is hinged to be able to access fresh air. Other notable extra features include dual spotlights, a wood rail rear-mounted trunk rack, and dual side-mounted spares with tire-mounted rearview mirrors. There is a golf club access door housing a set of period clubs. Gold pinstriping is found on the orange wheels and belt moldings.

Known as the Sixth Series, this Packard is fitted with a 384.8 cubic-inch, in-line 8-cylinder engine developing 105 horsepower. The car rides on a 140.5-inch wheelbase, weighs approximately 4,245 pounds, and sold new for $3,175. There is a three-speed manual transmission.

This car is a CCCA Premier Classic National Sr.1st Prize winner. The current owner acquired the car in March 2002 after having received restoration work in 1999.

Roadster

This 1929 Packard 640 Custom Eight Roadster was the least expensive body style on the 640 lineup, yet they are some of the most highly prized configurations of today. It is powered by a 349 cubic-inch eight-cylinder engine. This example was restored in 1992.

Roadster
Chassis number: 168397
Engine number: 168376

This 640 Custom Eight Roadster became part of the Richard C. Paine Jr. collection around 1990. It was purchased by the current Private European Museum owner in 2007. It is finished in dark green with black fenders, and there is a vermillion accent on the doors' décor panels along with vermillion wire wheels. There is a windshield post-mounted spotlight, a pair of optional side-mounted spare wheels, wide whitewall tires, a single Pilot-Ray driving light, a radiator stone-guard, a rumble seat, and a rear-mounted luggage rack.

The interior and rumble seat are upholstered in brown leather; the top is tan cloth.

by Dan Vaughan

Dual Cowl Phaeton
Chassis number: 176349

This 1929 Packard 640 Phaeton Custom Eight, chassis number 176349, was delivered to the Boston Motor Car Company on September 11th of 1929, making it a very early 1929 model. The Great Depression was just beginning and only 9,766 examples of the Custom Eight were built in Detroit.

It is powered by a 384 cubic inch super straight eight producing around 106 horsepower. The vehicle weighs 4370 lbs. This particular body style originally sold for $3,175 when the base price of a standard family car sold for between $600 and $800.

This particular example spent many years as an estate car in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and was once owned by Patrick G. Young. It came from the factory finished in battleship gray with a red undercarriage and riding on disc wheels. The current owners had the car restored in 1998.

Tourer
Engine number: 172900

This 1929 Packard Custom Eight 640 Touring is a barn-find example. It was delivered new on October 24th, 1929 (the first day of the 1929 Stock Market Crash) by the selling dealer, Plemmons Motor Co., to its first owner Mr. Frank Barnard. As the Great Depression deepened, the Packard became too expensive to run, so it was put into storage at his home in Norfolk, CT. For most of its life, the car remained in the family and in storage. Recently, it has been removed from the barn and new tires have been installed. It has a 384 cubic-inch L-head engine, three-speed manual transmission, and four-wheel drum brakes.

by Dan Vaughan

Opera Coupe
Engine number: 169785

The Sixth Series Packard 640 Custom Eights had long hoods, sweeping fenders, and one-year-only large oval-backed headlights. Power was from a 385 cubic-inch, seven-main-bearing, straight eight engine with a one-piece cylinder block casting.

This particular example has been given a restoration. It wears an opera coupe body style that has more interior room than the traditional coupe body style, with a full and well-appointed back seat. The driver's seat is flanked by a small folding seat which allows easy ingress to the back seat. The exterior is finished in dark maroon and black with black fenders. There are solid wheels with the correct pinstriping and wide whitewall tires. Options include dual side mounts and a Packard trunk rack.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster
Chassis number: 170979
Engine number: 171117

Packard offered the Custom Eight in two different wheelbase lengths, the 140.5-inch Custom Eight 640 and the 145.5-inch DeLuxe Eight 645. Various body styles were offered by Packard and although the company was intent on consolidating coachwork in its own factory, a line of 'Individual Custom Line' was available with sixteen bodies from LeBaron, Rollston, and Dietrich. To further its endeavors of bringing the coachbuilding process in-house, Packard added four stories in 1929 to the building that housed body construction.

The 385 cubic-inch inline 8-cylinder engine employed a single Packard carburetor and developed 105 horsepower at 3,200 RPM. It was backed by a three-speed manual transmission and stopping power was by four-wheel drum brakes.

This particular 1929 Packard 640 Custom Eight Roadster from the Byers Collection is finished in a cream body color with black fenders and a Brewster Green accent on the doors' décor panels that matches the Brewster Green wire wheels. This roadster has a pair of optional side-mounted spare wheels, wide whitewall tires, a windshield post-mounted spotlight, Trippe Speedlight driving lights, a radiator stone guard, a rumble seat, and a rear-mounted luggage rack. The interior and rumble seat are upholstered in matching green leather. The top is tan cloth.

This Packard received a restoration some time ago. It entered the Robert L. Byers collection a little over a decade ago.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe

This Packard was sold new on August 29, 1929, at Gene Meader Inc. in San Antonio, Texas. The history is unknown until 1971, when it was restored as a driver in Metairie, Louisiana. In 1976, it was purchased from Earl Gauteau and moved to his garage in Moss Point, Mississippi. The current owners purchased the Packard from him and moved it to Ivor, Virginia, then to Kingsport, Tennessee, then to Greer, South Carolina, then to Corpus Christi, Texas, and eventually back to Kingsport, where the car currently is garaged. The colors are original, and the 1971 paint job was original type lacquer paint. In 2000, the original fuel pump, a firewall vacuum pump system, was bypassed with a modern under-frame mounted electric gear pump. With modern fuels, the car can now go up the steep hills in Tennessee. The cooling system, including the distribution system, has been replaced to make it road worthy.

Phaeton by LeBaron
Chassis number: 169749

This 640 was delivered new with factory Phaeton coachwork. Documents show that in 1932, the car was restyled, reportedly by LeBaron, with many style features that predicted future designs by that firm, most notably the pontoon style fenders, which became a hallmark of the 1934 Packard Le Baron Ruanbout the Phaeton styles. Another unique feature of this car is a highly styled split windshield. The car was discovered in 1981 in a woodshed in Port Orchard, Washington, where it had been stored for decades; it was a literal barn find. After passing through several owners and being the subject of a long-term, ground-up restoration it finally came to the present owners, who completed the car as it is presented today. It is a fascinating example of a valuable luxury automobile that was treated to an in-period styling refresh, a not-uncommon practice during the challenging years of the Great Depression.

Roadster
Chassis number: 178112
Engine number: 178175C

The Runabout style was a two-passenger open design with close-coupled bodywork and a relatively low windshield. This particular Packard 640 Custom Eight Roadster has a three-tone color scheme with prominent beltline molding and elaborate striping. It was sold new on June 7, 1929, by the Parker-Harris Company of Memphis, Tennessee. A recent restoration was completed with its bright, tawny orange and white paint scheme with brown leather upholstery and tan canvas top. It has accumulated 725 miles since the work was completed.

This Packard was shown in Antique Automobile Club of America competition in 1986, where it achieved its Senior First Prize for owner Harry T. Douglas of Connecticut. Since its acquisition by the Gateway Automobile Museum from an owner in Pennsylvania in the summer of 2003, it has received cosmetic care.

This Packard has a Packard-badged trunk, dual spotlights, senior Trippe lights, a radiator stone guard, Spartan horn, disc wheels, side-mounted spares secured by Oak tire locks and with chrome metal covers and mirrors, cast aluminum toe boards, and marbled horn button and gearshift knob.

by Dan Vaughan

Packard was founded by two brothers, James Ward and William Dowd Packard in the city of Warren Ohio. They strongly believed that they could build a better automobile than the current models on display. They also had ideas on how to improve the designs of current automobiles. By 1899, both brothers were building and designing vehicles in their native Warren, Ohio. The company was originally called the Ohio Automobile Company and quickly began introducing various innovations in its designs that included the modern steering wheel, and the first production 12-cylinder engine.

While Henry Ford was producing vehicles that sold for $440, the Packard's instead concentrated on more upscale cars that started at $2,600. Their automobile developed a following and reputation not only in the U.S. but also abroad. The Packard's built vehicles that were consistently considered the elite in luxury automobiles. The company was commonly referred to as being one of the three 'P's' of American Motor Royalty; along with Pierce-Arrow of Buffalo, NY, Peerless of Cleveland, Ohio. On October 2, 1902, the Ohio Automobile Company became Packard Motor Car Company. The automobile operation soon moved to Detroit. Production was quickly placed ahead of General Motors Cadillac automobiles.

By 1925, Packard was considered the indisputable leader in the field of prestige automobiles. The exclusive Senior Eights were the Packard models that signified a prestige that went back to 1923. It was these models that were so successful through 1929 that the profit that they generated was almost enough to weather the Great Depression, and later finance the development of the 1935 One Twenty.

It was the Junior automobiles that supported the Seniors to World War II and beyond.

The Eight was the premier model, with only one notch below belonging to the much sought-after Six, between 1923 and 1928. The lines were once again upgraded in 1928.

With a muscular, yet silky 385 CID power plant, a new Custom Deluxe Eight was added at the top. At the same time, the Six was replaced by the Standard Eight and was named so like the Custom Deluxe through 1932. As the most inexpensive model in the line, the Standard still came with the same quality, and assurance of excellence as the other models in the line, it just happened to be sold at the cost of $4,100, and the equivalent of 10 Model A Fords.

Introduced on August 1, 1928, the Packard Model 645 also fell under the designation of the Custom Eight line, or the Deluxe Eight series on September 8, 1928. Around 2,061 units of the Packard 645 were produced, and were easily identified by the Round-Back Headlamps that replaced the earlier drum-type. These models also came with a larger eight-cylinder engine and a temperature gauge on the dash. The horsepower was at an increased 109, with the addition of the bore, L-head, in-line eight, and cast en bloc. Mechanical brakes were placed on all wheels, and the 645 came with 3-speed transmission.

The coachwork was done by Dietrich, and the design is consistently considered both desirable and beautiful. Offered in an astounding 21 body styles, the 8-cylinder was designated the 645 for 1929.

In one model year, an amazing 43,130 Standards were sold, plus another 11,930 Custom/Deluxe and Speedster models. High demands and waiting lists began the 1929 model year, but unfortunately due to the economic crisis, the sales tailed off to approximately 35,000 units for the year. The depression of the 1930's hurt Packard, and by 1934 their production dropped from more than 50,000 in 1928 to below 7,000 units per year. As the depth of the Depression intensified, there was a curious delayed reaction for Packard, as they still managed to sell approximately 18,000 units as late as 1931. For 1933-34, the Standard Eight became the Eight, and the Custom/Deluxe series became the Super Eight. Meanwhile, fine car sales along with the rest of the Industry continued to plunge, reaching the horrifying bottom of 7,040 units in 1934.

by Jessican Donaldson

The Packard Motor Company relied on making luxurious cars that were highly refined, fitted with luxurious coachwork, and powered by proven engineering. This belief had placed them among the elite in the auto industry during the early 1900s. As the world entered the Great Depression, the Packard Company was one of the few that managed to survive. In fact, they outsold all of their competitors combined. They had entered the Depression in excellent financial health and they emerged with strong financial footing. But the post-Depression era had them worried, as the number of potential buyers had dwindled as fortunes were lost. Production had dropped nearly half each year when compared with the previous, from 1929 to 1933. In response to the decline, Packard continued to make improvements each year.

In 1932, Packard introduced their Ninth Series. It featured many improvements that helped segregate it from other automakers in the industry. Improvements included a revised steering geometry which made steering smooth and easy. Braking was equally as easy thanks to the new driver-adjustable power-assisted braking system. The shifting action and clutch were improved making driving a very enjoyable activity. The driver's workload was eased even further with the spark advance and automatic choke.

By making these changes they attracted a growing segment of buyers and drivers - women.

The 1933 Packard's were called the Tenth Series cars as the company still refused to adopt the convention of the model year system which called for new cars to be introduced in September or October to coincide with the auto show schedules. The following year, they reluctantly joined with other manufacturers which resulted in a short run for the tenth series, lasting just seven months. The new Packard model line was introduced in the fall. Because of the seven-month production lifespan of the Tenth Series, very few were produced making them very rare in modern times.

The Tenth Series were given a new X-braced frame, dual coil ignition, and downdraft carburetors. The styling was updated with skirted fenders and a 'V'-shaped radiator shell. The interior featured upgraded trim and a new aircraft-inspired dash.

Packard continued to offer three chassis, the Eight, Super Eight, and the Twelve. The Super Eight and Twelve both rested on a wheelbase that measured 142 inches and had a hood that was nearly six inches longer than the Eight. The fenders were longer as well.

The bodies on the Twelve's and Super Eight were interchangeable, with the Super Eight featuring an eight-cylinder engine while the Twelve featured a twelve-cylinder engine. During this time, Packard also produced the Eight, which had a smaller wheelbase size and an eight-cylinder engine. The Super Eight and Twelve differed by interior appointments and engine size. The bodies were constructed of wood and steel.

In 1936 Packard was producing their Fourteenth Series as the number thirteen had been skipped. It is believed that thirteen was not used due to superstitious reasons. The Fourteenth Series was the last year for Bijur lubrication, ride control, a semi-elliptic suspension, mechanical brakes, heavy vibration dampening bumpers, and the 384.4 cubic-inch straight-eight engine. It was also the last year for the option of wire or wood wheels.

In 1936 the fourteenth series received a new radiator which was installed at a five-degree angle. The Super 8 had a new sloped grille with chrome vertical bars which gave the vehicle a unique look and served as thermostatically controlled shutters that opened or closed based on engine heat. The headlight trim, fender styling, and hood vents saw minor changes. A new Delco-Remy ignition system was the new update for 1936 under the bonnet.

For 1936 there were a total of 1,492 Super Eights constructed.

by Dan Vaughan