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 Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2011