1949 Packard Super Eight

James Ward Packard had built his first car just before the turn of the century, and in 1949, the company celebrated its 'Golden Anniversary.' The company quickly established a reputation as the Nation's premier luxury car builder and only rival, Cadillac, came close, helped by the deep pockets of General Motors. As the 1940s were coming to a close, Packard's Golden Anniversary cars were a carry-over from an all-new design of 1948.

Prior to World War II, the Packard Super Eight models were powered by the larger of the two eight-cylinder engines produced by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan. Its frames and some body types were shared with the top-model Packard Twelve. After the discontinuation of the Seventeenth Series Packard Twelve at the close of the 1939 model year, a new Super Eight One-Eight was derived from the Super Eight as the new top-of-the-line model. The Super Eight was renamed the Packard Super Eight One-Sixty. Both of these models shared most mechanical components including the 160-horsepower straight-eight engine.

When peacetime resumed, Packards lineup included the 'entry-level' Clipper Six and Clipper Eight, and the Super Clippers and Custom Super Clipper in the One-Sixty and One-Eighty tradition until 1947. Packard's first new postwar model was the 22nd Series, introduced in August of 1947 and serving as a replacement for the Clipper. Unlike its rivals, Packard did not limit itself to model-year changeovers, so these cars were sold until May of 1949.

These new Packard models had streamlined designs that delivered an exceptional driving experience and featured advanced mechanical components including powerful, high-torque inline eight-cylinder engines and the 'Electromatic' power-assisted clutch, overdrive, and a rigid new chassis frame. The Art Deco-influenced interiors were functional and attractive, with well-placed instrument clusters and controls, tasteful wood grain trim, and comfortable seats with integral armrests. Accolades included the company's selection as the 'Car of the Year' for 1948 by the New York Fashion Academy.

The 1949 Packard models went on sale in May of 1949 and were part of the Twenty-Third Series. The Super Eight and Super Deluxe Eight (Series 2302, 2322, and 2332) had designs that were similar to the lower series cars (The Packard Standard Eight and the Packard Deluxe Eight), sharing the 'Goddess of Speed' hood ornament, horizontal grille, and chrome molding below the windows that ended at the rear fender center. The Eights rested on the 120-inch wheelbase platform while the Super Eights were larger at 127 inches (except for the Limousine and seven-passenger sedan which had a 141-inch platform). This larger footprint allowed for longer bodyside moldings that overlapped the taillamp housings.

The Super Deluxe Eight line was a new model, assuming the position within the lineup previously occupied by the Custom Eight. It used an egg-crate grille, bullet-type bumper guards, pelican hood ornament, and cast chromium extensions for the upper belt molding to the windshield wipers. The interior featured an ivory-colored Tenite steering wheel with plated inlaid handgrips, and the seats were upholstered in pinstriped wool cloth with bolster-type backrests and door panels. A woodgrain finish was used for the upper seatback panels, window frames, and instrument board.

Standard equipment included Select-O-Matic spring cushions, additional sound-deadening insulation, day/night rearview mirror, fender shrouds, and wheel trim rings. The inline, L-head, eight-cylinder engine displaced 327 cubic inches and used a Carter two-barrel carburetor to deliver 145 horsepower at 3,600 RPM.

Both the Standard Super Eight and Deluxe Super Eight body styles included a sedan and a club sedan. Body styles on the long-wheelbase included the 7-passenger sedan and the limousine, with the limousine using the standard Super-type bar grille. A Victoria convertible coupe with seating for six passengers was also available, with a price of $3,350. The club sedan on the Standard Line was the least expensive in the lineup, having a base price of $2,600. The most expensive was the 7-passenger sedan priced at $3,950 and the Limousine at $4,100.

by Dan Vaughan

Victoria Convertible Coupe

Retaining the award-winning styling of the previous year's models, 1949 Packards were available in Standard, Super, and Custom trim levels. Packards in the Super series were powered by a 327-cubic inch straight-eight engine that produced 150 horsepower, making them ideal long-distance tow vehicles. Of the 59,390 Packards built in 1949, just 671 were Custom Convertibles. This example is equipped with an Ultramatic automatic transmission and was repainted its correct original shade of Packard Turquoise during a recent restoration.

by Petersen Museum

Victoria Convertible Coupe

Packard's body design for 1949 - its Golden Anniversary year - was labeled by the company as new, but it had actually been introduced a year earlier. It was a big departure from previous Packard designs and an answer to Cadillac's fresh, new P-38-inspired tail fins.

As part of Packard's 50th-anniversary celebration, the company produced 2,000 Packards in unique, custom gold paint. They were driven from the Packard proving grounds to dealerships throughout the United States.

The Packard Super Eight convertible coupe was powered by one of the legendary Packard inline eights that displaced 327 cubic inches and developed 145 horsepower. It carried a factory base price of $3,350; only 671 were sold.

Victoria Convertible Coupe

Packards 1949 model lineup consisted of the standard, custom, and super trim levels. Powering the Supers was a 372 CID engine that offered 150 horsepower. Packard produced 59,390 examples in 1949, and just 671 were custom convertibles. The Super had the same grille style and wheelbase as the more expensive Custom line, and dealers were even able to supply them with cloisonne-decorated hubcaps.

This particular example, on display at the Miami Auto Museum, is a late production 1949 example that has a 1949 serial number but was assigned a 23rd series body number that was used for the 1950 models.

Victoria Convertible Coupe
Chassis number: H406456

Before closing out the 1940s, Packard celebrated their Golden Anniversary with a dealer drive-away of 2,000 gold-painted Pacakrds. All of the models received upgraded trim, full chrome front bumpers (the 1948s had painted centers), and center-placed side trim on certain models.

The industry responded to the subtle updates, elegant styling, and diverse line-up of models and body styles, earning Packard its second-largest production year in the company's history.

The Super Deluxe Eight models came standard with full fender skirts, upgraded chrome work similar to the more-expensive Custom models, and an 'eggcrate'-style front grille. Six-hundred and seventy-one examples were the Super Deluxe Eight Victoria Convertible Coupe, and this example wears a Spruce Green exterior color scheme with a tan leather interior and tan cloth convertible top. It is believed to have been an original California car that was given a restoration around 2013. Power is sourced from a 327 cubic-inch L-head inline eight-cylinder engine offering 145 horsepower and paired with a three-speed manual transmission.

by Dan Vaughan