1926 Packard Eight

James Ward Packard, his brother William Packard, and George Weiss began building cars in Warren, Ohio in 1899. With immediate success, they moved in 1903 to a new and larger facility in Detroit, designed by Albert Kahn. Over the years that followed, they built a variety of vehicles and engines for cars, trucks, boats, aircraft, and military vehicles.

Packard's first eight-cylinder car, called the Single Eight, was introduced in 1924 (mid-1923). It was also the company's first to use four-wheel brakes. The nine-bearing side-valve straight-eight engine had a compression of 4.51:1 and offered 85 horsepower at 3,000 RPM from its 5.9-liters. Chief Engineer Jesse Vincent and his staff created the engine by cutting a four-cylinder engine in two, putting half on each end of a four-cylinder engine. It received a new crankshaft and an unusual firing sequence that balanced the reciprocating forces of the engine. The average model weighed about 4,000 pounds and had a top speed as high as 80 mph. The engine was powerful, smooth, and had a heavily balanced crankshaft and a Lanchester vibration damper.

The Single Eight was initially available on two-wheelbase lengths, and since Packard did not adhere to an annual model introduction, designated its model by series. The eight-cylinder engine would become the basis of its model for the next three decades.

By the mid-1920s, Packard began offering disc wheels, balloon tires, and a Bijur chassis lubrication system as standard. By the spring of 1926, a Hotchkiss drive was added.

The Single Eight became the Eight in 1925 and was the first volume-produced American automobile powered by an eight-cylinder engine and utilizing four-wheel brakes.

by Dan Vaughan

Sport Roadster

Brothers James and William Packard formed the New York and Ohio Automobile Co. based in Warren, Ohio in 1899. In 1902 it became the Packard Motor Co. Packard aimed very much for the top end of the market. During the early 1920s, Packard was very much in vogue, by 1928 over 50,000 cars were being built per year.

This 1926 Packard has spring suspension and shock absorbers. It participated in the Mount Washington Driving Rally. The original price was $3,800.

Sport by Pullman
Engine number: 217225

For 1925, Packard changed the designation for their Single Eight to simply the Eight. Disc wheels and balloon tires became standard and a new Bijur chassis lubrication system was added. Beginning during the spring of 1926, a Hotchkiss drive was added.

This Packard is a four-passenger open Sport model that rides on a 136-inch wheelbase platform. It is bodied by Chicago's Pullman Company, of railroad car fame. It sat two inches lower and was five inches narrower than the standard Packard phaeton. The radiator and hood line was also lowered. this was Packard's earliest use of the famed 'false cowl' that would later be seen on the 1930s models. All four door models on the Pullman body were hinged at the front, emphasizing that this was an 'owner-driver' car.

The sport was offered from 1922 through 1926.

The original owner of this car took delivery in Philadelphia in June of 1926. It is one of three sport models known to survive today. It came equipped with many accessories including side-mounted spares (an option rarely seen in 1926), wind wings, a deluxe tonneau windshield for the rear seat, a spotlight, cowl lights, a trunk rack, and the front-mounted Biflex bumper.

The car was acquired in 1953 by the second owners in Virginia. It would remain in their care for nearly six decades. In September 2003, it was the subject of an article in Cars and Parts magazine.

This car is original and only missing a one-wheel lock ring and the spare tire caps and wing nuts. The car still has all of its original accessories that were installed in 1926, with most of the original glass still in the windshields, the gauges still in the dashboard, and all lights and bumpers still present. Under the hood, the original Skinner oil rectifier, a Fuelizer carburetor, and 20-inch wheels can still be found.

by Dan Vaughan

Touring

Packard introduced the Single Eight in 1924, which was renamed the Eight a year later. It was the first volume-produced American automobile with an 8-cylinder engine and four-wheel brakes. In 1953 this Packard was acquired by Bruce and Betty Armstrong of Silverdale, Washington, and was used to lead a Seattle procession celebrating the opening of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Along the way, it carried several dignitaries, including the Mayor of Seattle, the Governor of Washington, and the lovely Miss Washington. The Armstrongs retained the Packard for over six decades. Having only minor cosmetic work, it remains largely original.

Touring
Engine number: 216528

This Packard Eight 236 Phaeton is powered by a 358 cubic-inch L-head eight-cylinder engine fitted with a single Packard Updraft carburetor. It has a three-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel mechanical drum brakes. It was sold new in Massachusetts and was discovered there decades later by New Hampshire-based collector Robert Valpey. At the time it was in unrestored condition with its original upholstery and body tag intact.

Avery Hall acquired the Phaeton in 1983, and a painstaking restoration soon followed. The work was completed in the mid-1990s and given a period-correct color scheme of Plymouth and Pilgrim Gray, with Flamingo Carmine striping, black fenders, and a tan top. Since the work was completed, the Packard has earned awards in CCCA competition and an AACA First Prize at Hershey, Pennsylvania. In 1995, it was selected as Best of Show at the Stowe Antique and Classic Car Meet.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster by Rollston & Company

This custom roadster was built for the New York Auto Salon in 1926 by Rollston of New York. Rollston Company was an American coachbuilder which produced luxury automobile bodies during the 1920s and 1930s. They are readily acknowledged to be of the very best quality.

Built on the 143-inch wheelbase, this roadster is quite beautiful with a long low look (factory roadsters were only built on the shorter 136-inch chassis.) Most of the trim and hardware are German silver. It sports Buffalo wire wheels, dual rear-mounted spares, Carl Zeiss lamps, and a hood ornament by the French Artist Francois Bazin.

The 243 series cars were equipped with a straight-eight cast iron block engine displacing 357.8 cubic engines which generated 85 horsepower. Even though the Series 243s weighed, on average 4000 pounds, they could achieve speeds as high as 80 miles per hour.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster
Chassis number: 211436
Engine number: 211438

This 1926 Packard Standard Eight Model 236 Roadster is equipped with a 357.8 cubic-inch, L-head, inline-8 cylinder engine fitted with a single Updraft carburetor and developing 85 horsepower at 3,000 RPM. It is backed by a three-speed manual transmission and there are four-wheel mechanical drum brakes.

This Model 236 has been in its present ownership for over 16 years and has been stored in a temperature-controlled environment while being maintained by an onsite mechanic on a normal basis.

There are spare tires located at the rear, on a mounting plate that features a key lock. Accessories include a radiator stone guard, drum headlights, cowl lights, an additional center headlight mounted to the steering, mechanical brakes with disc wheels, step plates on running boards, a golf bag compartment, and a rumble seat.

This Model 236 is finished in two-tone red over dark red paint with painted red disc wheels with Lester whitewall tires. The interior has saddle-colored leather and the canvas top is tan-colored.

by Dan Vaughan

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