1938 Packard 1601 Eight

Packard weathered the Great Depression by introducing a medium-priced automobile called the One Twenty in 1935, powered by an eight-cylinder engine and priced lower than its 'senior' twelve-cylinder line. Nearly 25,000 examples of the One Twenty were sold in 1935 compared to fewer than 7,000 of all the other Packard models that year. The One Twenty offered similar styling, craftsmanship, and sophistication but with a smaller engine and a smaller wheelbase platform. It had an independent coil-spring front suspension, X-braced chassis frame, and hydraulic brakes, features that were not adopted on larger cars for several years. The eight-cylinder engine was backed by a synchromesh transmission.

For 1938, the Packard One Twenty became the Eight, and was introduced in September of 1937. It rode on a wheelbase that measured 127 inches, the same as the Packard 'Six,' first introduced in 1937. The success of the lower-priced One Twenty inspired Packard to return to six-cylinder power, something they had not used since the Fifth Series in 1927. The six-cylinder engine gained a larger displacement for 1938, now measuring 245 cubic inches resulting in greater torque, however, horsepower remained mostly unchanged. The wheelbase increased to 122 inches and carried all-new, all-steel bodies.

The Packard One Twenty employed a 256 cubic-inch, L-head Straight Eight engine with 110 horsepower for 1935, gaining an increase in stroke to 4.5 inches in 1936, resulting in a 282 cubic-inch displacement and 120 horsepower at 3,800 RPM. It had mechanical valve lifters, a Stromberg carburetor, and five main bearings. It remained in this configuration for the 1938 Packard Sixteenth Series Eight, albeit with a 6.6:1 compression or optional 7.05:1 compression.

The Packard One Twenty was named for its 120-inch wheelbase, while the Packard Eight rested on a 127-inch wheelbase for the 1601 and 148-inch for the 1602. Prices on the lower Six ranged from $975 through $1135 and only five body styles were offered compared to eight in its inaugural year of production. The Eight also lost body styles, including the station wagon but gained three new custom bodies from Rollston. Among them was the all-weather panel brougham, a unique interpretation of the town car tailored for chauffeur use on day trips within the city. It was the most expensive of the very few custom body styles offered in 1938 on the new Eight, priced at $5,100. The All-Weather Town Car by Rollston listed for $4,885 and the All-Weather Cabriolet was priced at $4,810. Prices on the 1938 Packard Eight ranged from $1,225 to $5,100. Most of the factory prices were in the $1225 to $1,955 range.

The four-door Touring Sedan, priced at $1,325 could be purchased as a Deluxe Touring Sedan, adding just over $200 to the price. The Touring Sedan was listed with the 'DeLuxe' option, but any body style could be configured as a 'Deluxe'.

Packard's 1938 models included the 'junior' Six, the eight-cylinder One-Twenty that was now simply 'Eight', the upmarket Super Eight, and the range-topping Twelve. Stylistically, all Sixteenth Series Packard models continued to feature a modern, streamlined design theme with 30-degree raked radiator grilles and elegant proportions. The interior housed comprehensive instrumentation, a 'banjo' steering wheel, and roomy and comfortable accommodations.

The options list included a gearshift ball, radiator emblem, electric clock, DeLuxe steering wheel, Custom radio, heater, and chrome wheel discs. In 1939, the eight-cylinder Junior Packard name returned to the One Twenty.

Packard produced 22,624 examples of the 1938 Packard Eight, accounting for approximately forty-one percent of Packard's overall production. Thirty thousand fifty were Packard Six models, 2,478 were the Super Eight, and 566 were the Packard Twelve.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible Victoria by Darrin
Chassis number: A309389
Engine number: C325338D

The Sixteenth Series Packard models were introduced in September of 1937. Most of the changes were cosmetic, including more rounded fenders and 'vee'd' windshields on many of the bodies. Sales for 1938 reached 48,682 units, which was less than the prior year's model.

One of the most memorable designs bestowed upon the Packard chassis was those of Howard 'Dutch' Darrin. He began with a standard Eight Business Coupe and gave it a rakish body and sweeping cut-down curves of the doors - known as the 'Darrin Dip.' The Darrin became part of the catalog for 1940 with three models: Sport Sedan, Convertible Sedan, and Convertible Victoria. Nearly 100 were built through 1942 when production was halted prior to World War II.

This example is the second Darrin convertible produced. It is believed that it was built for the actor Clark Gable. The car had an ash frame with an aluminum cowl and many hand-fashioned trim pieces. The car is unique in that the length of the hood is stretched to within a one-half inch of the door opening, the only one of the series built that way.

Gable kept the car for only a short time. The next owner was a lady in Texas.

This car wears an older restoration and is fitted with many unique hand-fashioned parts. It has a black exterior, maroon leather interior and a tan canvas top.

The 282 cubic-inch inline L-head 8-cylinder engine produces 120 horsepower. There is a three-speed manual transmission and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes with vacuum booster.

In 2010, the car was offered for sale at the Sports & Classics of Monterey presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $225,000 - $300,000 and offered without reserve. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $269,500 inclusive of buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Cabriolet

Swiss coachbuilder Graber bodied this American Packard chassis. The car was originally sold and titled in Switzerland and it was evidently used very rarely. Road conditions and tax considerations led to the frequent use of Packard's shorter chassis for European custom body creations. This cabriolet is built on a 127-inch wheelbase Packard Eight chassis. It received Marchal headlamps and is powered by the 257 cubic-inch straight-eight engine developed for Packard's very successful One Twenty series.

First shown at the Geneva Auto Salon in 1938, this is one of just two or three Packards that were bodied by Graber along with three Duesenbergs. This Packard was a real barn find in the early 1990s, but it took the owner the best part of two decades to convince its reluctant owner to sell. It had spent all its life in Switzerland but the car had not been on the road since the 1950s. At that time the car was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Messerli. At some point, Mr. Messerli was taken ill, and his wife put the car away for safekeeping in a garage in Switzerland. The new owner of the car and the Graber Coachbuilding name bought the car in 2009 and after a little mechanical work, the car runs like new again.

Prior to these events, the car had not been on the road since the late 1940s. The car was researched and restored by Automotive restoration in Lebanon, New Jersey.

All-Weather Panel Brougham by Rollston & Company
Engine number: 310934

Packard retained the struggling Rollston Company in 1936 to create a full line of custom-bodied cars. The following year, Rollston introduced an all-weather panel brougham (similar to a town car that was chauffeur driven and intended for use on day trips within the city). This was the most expensive of the custom body styles offered by Packard on the new Eight. It is believed that fewer than 20 examples of Rollston's all-weather panel brougham were produced (with the more accurate number probably closer to 12).

This example was purchased by the Pettit family in the early 1950s. It has a Packard DeLuxe hood mascot, chrome wheel-cover trim rings, a sliding-glass compartment divider, and coach lamps mounted to the B-pillars.

Just a few months after this example was produced, the Rollston Company went into receivership. A few examples of the panel brougham body style were made when the company briefly converted to the name Rollson.

In 2012, the car was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction held in Pebble Beach, California. It was estimated to sell for $50,000 - $75,000 and offered without reserve. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $77,000, inclusive of the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible Sedan
Engine number: D303801A

This Packard Series 1601 wears a four-door convertible sedan body finished in Packard Cream with a red interior and tan cloth top. It has a wood-grained dashboard, plastic steering wheel, and 30,353 miles on the odometer. It is well-accessorized, including disc wheel covers, dual side-mounted spares with metal covers, a radiator guard, and the famous 'donut chaser' mascot.

Mr. Charles Meyer of New Jersey was given the car in 1966 by its original owner, Allan Andrews who used it as his summer car in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It was restored and sold by Mr. Meyer's father in 1972 to a collector from Ohio.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible Coupe

For 1938 the Packard One Twenty was briefly renamed the Series Eight. New this year was all-steel construction in the body which made the cars somewhat heavier than the 1937 models.

A new styling trend for the 1938 model year was a small chrome stripe that split the front windshield and ran onto the roof giving it a sleek appearance.

The year 1938 was the first for the famed Packard Darrins of Hollywood, CA. This car was one of eight made that year. These early Darrins set the stage - as the car was lowered 3 inches, its hood stretched 9 inches and its windshield lowered and 'raked.' Forward-opening 'suicide doors' were low-slung. And the interior was racey with bucket seats and an airplane cowling above the recessed dash.

This car was originally owned by Adolf Zuker, a Paramount Picture motion picture mogul. In the fall of 1939, the car underwent a front 'facelift' to give it a unique appearance. This update makes this car the only 1938 Darrin with a 1940 front clip and grille. It is one of only eight custom-made Victorias that were hand built in 1938 by Howard 'Dutch' Darrin at his Hollywood, California shop. Noted for its long and sleek hood and rather short rear deck, it is a true one-off automobile.

This Packard Darrin is also considered to be the first to be built without running boards. The oversized forward facing suicide doors are low slung and easily became the signature feature of the Darrin designed automobile.

Additional features include bucket seats with a sporty dash that included leather 'airplane cowling' atop the dash.

In 2011 this car was restored from the ground up and then driven on a 4,200 mile cross country tour from New York City to San Francisco.

Convertible Victoria by Darrin
Chassis number: A320460B

This 1938 Packard Eight wears a Convertible Victoria body created by Howard 'Dutch' Darrin. It is believed that the car was originally owned by 1930s actress and dancer, Sally Rand. In 1965, Mr. John O. Bohmer acquired the Hollywood Darrin in a trade deal with a businessman from Independence, Missouri. Over the next quarter century, parts were sourced in preparation for a restoration. Between 1991 and 1996, the car was restored and the work included a color change from the original cream to the present red. The car is equipped with a pair of period-style amber fog lamps.

This Packard is powered by a 282 cubic-inch L-head inline 8-cylinder engine with a single Downdraft carburetor and delivers 120 horsepower at 3,800 RPM. There is a three-speed selective synchromesh manual gearbox with overdrive, four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes, a live rear axle, and an independent front coil spring suspension.

by Dan Vaughan

The Packard One-Twenty was produced from 1935 through 1937 and again from 1939 through 1941. The One-Twenty signified Packard's move into the mid-priced eight-cylinder market; a highly competitive segment that was filled with many marques with numerous offerings, options, and price ranges. The move had been made due to financial reasons and the need to stay competitive; the Great Depression was taking its toll on the entire automotive industry but mostly on the high priced manufactures. The lower cost marques also had a tough time but a few were still able to move a considerable amount of products and wade out this terrible time in history.

The One-Twenty was quickly designed, created, and made ready for sale. First offered in 1935, it could be purchased in numerous body styles that included coupes, convertibles, and two- and four-door configurations. Under the hood lurked an L-Head eight-cylinder engine capable of producing 110 horsepower. The price range was competitive, with prices ranging from the mid $900's to the low-$1000's. This combination of mid-cost and adorned with the Packard nameplate proved to be the right combination and in its first year, nearly 25,000 examples were created. The rest of the Packard model lines only accumulated to around 7000 examples being sold.

For 1936 Packard increased the displacement of the engine and horsepower rose to 120 and gave the One-Twenty a top speed of 85 mph. A convertible four-door sedan was added to the line-up with a $1395 price tag, making it the most expensive One-Twenty body style. Sales continued to be strong and more than doubled over the prior year. This would be the best sales year for the Packard One-Twenty.

Packard introduced the Six in 1937. This was the first time in ten years that a six-cylinder engine could be found in a Packard. The reasoning was again economics and the constant struggle to stay in business by offering a quality product at a reasonable price. The Packard Six meant that the One-Twenty was to move higher up the market, being offered with more amenities and options. Two of these options were the 'C' and 'CD' trim levels. A wood-bodied station wagon and Touring Sedan were added to the line-up. A limousine body style, sitting atop a 138 inch wheelbase was also available for the first time, setting the buyer back a hefty $2000. There were 50,100 examples of all One-Twenty body styles producing during this year.

To conform to Packard's standard naming conventions, the One-Twenty was known as the Packard Eight for 1938. A year later, it was back to being called the One-Twenty. There was still a slew of body styles to choose from, able to satisfy all of their customer's desires and needs. The price range was competitive, costing from around $1100 to $1856. Though the product and the price were good, sales were slow with only 17,647 units being produced. The recession was taking its toll. Packard had even introduced many new mechanical improvements such as placing the shifter on the column rather than on the floor. For the following years, sales began to rise again, now amassing to 28,138 examples being produced. The name One-Twenty was now hyphenated.

For 1941 Packard offered the One-Twenty in eight body styles. The styling had been modified from the prior years, with the headlamps now residing in and on the fenders.

The One-Ten and One-Twenty were both dropped in 1942 and their names were merged with the Packard Six and Packard Eight lines. The One-Twenty had in production for seven years and 175,027 examples were produced.

by Dan Vaughan