1939 Packard 1703 Super Eight

Packard's Seventeenth Series models, introduced in September of 1939, returned along with the Six, Eight, Super Eight, and Twelve model lines. The Super Eight series, comprised of the 1703 and 1705 models, received the biggest changes for 1939.

Factory Body Styles

The number of available Super Eight body styles was reduced for 1939 from fifteen to just six. Four body styles were on the 127-inch wheelbase (1703), and two were on the 148-inch wheelbase chassis (1705). The 1703 body styles consisted of a club coupe, convertible coupe, touring sedan, and convertible sedan. The two-door, four-passenger club coupe had a base price of $1,650, the Touring Sedan with seating for five listed at $1,730, the four-passenger convertible coupe at $1,875, and the five-passenger convertible sedan at $2,130.

The 1705 series was available as a Touring Limousine and a Touring Sedan. The custom models were no longer offered.

Custom Coachwork

As the 1930s were coming to a close, high-end luxury sales sagged and the mid-priced market boomed, causing product adjustments, particularly in response to declining sales in rolling chassis being sent to custom coachbuilders. Custom coachwork being created during this time was primarily for government officials and aristocrats who required limousines and parade cars, of from the dwindling pool of buyers who desired bespoke coachwork. Three new 148-inch wheelbase export-specification Model 1704 Super Eight Touring Limousines were sent by Packard in mid-1939 to Derham Body Company of Rosemont, Pennsylvania. There, they were converted into open Phaetons, with one example being sent to Canada for an official visit by the British Royal Family. The second example was sent to a Middle Eastern nation, and the third went to the Argentine Government, then under the control of Roberto Maria Ortiz.

Howard 'Dutch' Darrin's Convertible Victoria coachwork was popular with the Hollywood crowd, with a roster of customers that included Dick Powell, Clark Gable, Tyrone Power, Errol Flynn, Al Jolson, Ruby Keeler, and Gene Krupa. Styling features of the Darrin-bodied cars were the aluminum cowl, a low-profile hood, chromed vee'd windshield, and 'Darrin-dop' doors. Only a small number of Packards received the hand-built Darrin coachwork prior to 1940, with most being fitted to the less expensive One-Twenty platform. It is believed that six examples of the Super 8 received coachwork by Darrin.

Mechanical Specification

Power was from an L-head straight-eight displacing 320 cubic inches and offering 130 horsepower at 3,200 RPM. Cylinder heads were now cast iron for durability. It had roller cam valve lifters, nine main bearings, a Stromberg carburetor, and a standard compression ratio of 6.45:1. A compression ratio of 6.85:1 was optional.

The transmission was a three-speed selective synchromesh unit with column-mounted gearshift controls. Hydraulic brakes provided the stopping power. The compression and rear-axle ratios were updated for 1939.

Changes and Updates

Changes for 1939 included the column-mounted shifter, new taillights, and revised hood louvers. Options included a tachometer, overdrive, and a hill-holding device.

Packard offered in their Super Eight brochure the phrase, 'For you who want a super car.'

Production

For 1939, Packard produced 3,962 examples of the Super Eight. As always, they were built to the highest standards and were one of the finest American cars of the pre-war era.

1939 was the final year for the 320 cubic-inch straight-8 engine. For 1940, the Super-8 One-Sixty and the Custom Super-8 One-Eight employed a 356 cubic-inch L-head straight-8 with 160 horsepower. The One-Twenty was powered by a 282 cubic-inch L-head inline-8 with 120 horsepower, and the One-Ten relied on a 245 cubic-inch L-head inline-6 with 100 horsepower.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible Sedan
Chassis number: 12772022

The 1939 Packard Super Eight Series 1703 was available as a club coupe, a convertible coupe, and sedan, and a touring sedan. Powering the car was an L-head straight-eight capable of producing 130 horsepower. It had a three-speed selective synchromesh gearbox and hydraulic brakes on all four wheels.

The Super 8 series was divided into the Series 1703 and the 1705. The 1703 had a 127-inch platform while the 1705 rested on a larger, 148-inch wheelbase. The 1705 was available as a touring sedan or a touring limousine. Both had the same straight-eight engine.

One of the biggest changes for the 1939 model year for the Super Eight was the reduction in body styles. Packard offered more than double the number of body styles in 1938 than they did in 1939. Packard was moving closer and closer to becoming a Junior Packard. This would be the final year for the Super Eight's 130 horsepower engine.

For 1938, the Packards Super Eight engine was now completely made from cast iron. The compression ratio and the rear axle ratios were both changed. The engine now had a 6.45:1 compression ratio, a change from 6.5 over the prior year. Pricing for the Super 8 ranged from $1650 to $2300.

by Dan Vaughan

Chassis

This restored chassis is for Packard's Seventeenth Series Super Eight models. Initially, six body styles were offered for 1939, which was down from the fifteen offered in 1938. The Super Eight featured a column-mounted shifter and optional overdrive.

Convertible Victoria by Darrin

Packard's Super-8 range was divided into two series - the 1703 on a 127-inch platform and the 1705 on a larger 148-inch wheelbase - with both using the same straight-8 engine. In 1939 Packard halved the number of body styles for the Super-8 and introduced a new 356 cubic-inch engine, which was highly successful and continued on Packard's larger models until 1950. Darrin's Convertible Victoria was still an option, and this example is one of the first built on the shorter 1703 chassis in 1939. The very first of Darrin's Packard Convertible Victorias was built for movie actor Dick Powell in 1937, and the Hollywood crowd so admired the car that many of the stars of the day, including Clark Gable, Tyrone Power, Errol Flynn, Al Jolson, Ruby Keeler, and Gene Krupa, became Darrin customers.

This particular car, with its trademark aluminum cowl and 'Darrin-dip' doors were built for the cowboy actor Tom Mix of Boston. The current owner fell in love with this car when he was eight years old and then spent three decades pursuing it. He now celebrates over 20 years of ownership.

Upon opening his coachworks, Darrin of Paris, on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California in 1937, Howard 'Dutch' Darrin drew on the work he'd done in Paris with Hibbard & Darrin, late Fernandez & Darrin. He introduced sensuous European curves onto the American chassis.

Darrin favored the impeccably engineered Packard, but economic considerations prevailed. Of the hand-built 'Darrins' produced in Hollywood prior to 1940, most rode the less expensive '120' platform. Only when a client requested the exclusive 'Super-8' version was it constructed. Seen here is the second of just six 'Super-8s' built.

Darrin's team incorporated his signature low-profile hood, down-swept doors and the chromed vee'd windshield. A cast aluminum cowl was installed to strengthen the low-slung open car. The movie crowd noticed. Contemporary owners of 'Hollywood' Packard Darrins included Clark Gable and Errol Flynn.

Packard's 1939 dashboard was cast from Tenite, an early 'cellulosic thermoplastic.' Unstable, the dashes were known to crumble over time. Here, the Tenite 'mica' infused dash has been faithfully reproduced using original methods. The recollections of 'Dutch' Darrin himself, in a 1967 issue of Car Classics, dictated this 'genuine saddle quality' leather upholstery. For the exterior, original paint samples led to the selection of Packard's polychromatic Havana Beige.

Convertible Coupe

Calling its 1939 cars the Seventeenth Series, Packard's new models were introduced on September 20, 1938. The Super Eight fell victim to the company's penchant for alterations in designation now referred to as the Super-8. A changing market caused Packard to reduce the offerings in the Super-8 mode line from 15 in 1938 to just 6 body styles in 1939. And a shrinking market for Senior Packards meant the 1939 Super-8 Series 1703 shared its 127-inch wheelbase with the medium-priced One Twenty series. New for 1939 was a column-mounted gearshift with optional overdrive along with a hill-holding device and tachometer. Packard produced 3,962 Super-8s for the model year, some 1,500 more than the previous model year as the Super-8s moved to the production line of the Junior One Ten and One Twenty models.

Convertible Victoria by Darrin
Engine number: CE501612

This 1939 Packard 1703 Super Eight wears Convertible Victoria coachwork by Howard 'Dutch' Darrin. In the early 1920s, he and his fellow expatriate American Thomas Hibbard relocated to France where they established the Hibbard & Darrin design and coachbuilding firm. The financial crisis of 1929 forced them to close, with Hibbard accepting a design position back in Detroit with General Motors. Darrin found another partner in Paris and opened Carrosserie Fernandez et Darrin. In 1937, Darrin returned to the United States and settled in Hollywood, California, where he opened another business known as Darrin of Paris. He quickly established a reputation for his customized cars and unique coachwork, particularly with movie stars.

The earliest known owner of this Packard 1703 Super Eight was a Mrs. Joe Gertner. In the late 1970s, it was acquired by John J. Thompson of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, reportedly from the brother of the President of Mexico. Subsequent owners include Brian Bottini of Marlboro, New York, from whom it was acquired in October 2004 by the Gateway Automobile Museum.

This Packard wears an older restoration that was finished in maroon with straw pinstriping and a tan leather interior. It has modeled plastic instrument bezels, cast steering wheel, Trippe driving lights, bumper guards, a Packard script license plate light, and the signature 'dip' in the car's beltline aft of the front doors. Beneath the bonnet is an engine from 1942, installed later in the car's life. Currently, this Packard has 49,439 recorded miles.

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