conceptcarz.com

1914 Packard Series 2-38 Six

History

James Ward Packard purchased an 1898 Winton but found it to have several shortcomings. After expressing his dissatisfaction with the vehicle, Winton suggested that Packard should try his hand at building a motorcar. Soon, Mr. Packard has his own company. Four cars were built in its first year and 47 of a new 'Model B' in 1900.

On September 10, 1900, James Packard and his brother William formed the Ohio Automobile Company in their hometown of Warren, Ohio. In 1902, the firm became known as the Packard Motor Car Company. In 1903, it moved to Detroit, where a very large modern concrete factory designed by industrial architect Albert Kahn was being built.

In 1902, Packard built two and four-cylinder cars, but it was a single-cylinder car that bettered Winton's coast-to-coast record in 1903, with driver Tom Fetch in 'Old Pacific.' Other notable Packard competitions included the Vanderbilt Cup Races and sand racing at Ormond Beach in Florida.

In 1907, Packard introduced the Model 30, helping to establish Packard was one of the premier builders of luxury cars.

In April of 1911, Packard introduced its first six, a very large 525 cubic-inch T-head. It was designated the Model 48 for its rated horsepower. The engine developed 74 bhp at 1720 RPM and Packard advertised that it would achieve '60 miles per hour in 30 seconds from a standing start.' A Bosch dual ignition system was used, along with Packard's unique float-feed carburetor with automatic mixture control. Prices started at $5,000 and ranged upward to $6,550. There were thirteen body styles available on wheelbases that ranged from 121.5 to 139 inches. The car was an instant success, with 1,350 examples sold in its first year of production.

Packard introduced a smaller six, the Model 38, in December of 1912. The engine had an L-head design with cylinders cast-in-pairs and displaced 415 cubic inches, had seven main bearings, and developed 60 bhp. The Model 38 was Packard's first car to have left-hand drive and electric starting, the latter from a Delco starter-generator of the type developed by Charles Kettering. The electrical system had a control unit attached to the steering column. This design was the work of chief engineer Jesse Vincent, who would later design the Twin Six and Liberty aircraft engines. The control unit had switches for the ignition, lights and horn, an ignition lock, and mixture control for the carburetor.

The Model 38 sold for $4,050 to $5,400. Most of the 13 body styles had a 134-inch platform. The Phaeton and Brougham styles rested on a 138-inch chassis while the runabout and two coupes had a shorter, 115.5-inch frame. The Touring was the most popular Model 38 body style, and the only one to open style on the intermediate wheelbase. The other intermediate cars were the limousine, Landaulets, and 'Cabette.'

In 1913, there were over 1600 examples of the Model 38 (latterly called the '1-38' or '1338') that were constructed, and nearly 700 '2-38s' in 1914. This overwhelming success convinced Packard to drop its line of four-cylinder cars.

For 1915, Packard produced the 3-38 Six, which featured an increase of five horsepower. The company offered the car in two-dozen body styles all riding on a 140-inch platform. The 3-38 was sold alongside the 5-48 for 1915. The total production for 1915 was 360 vehicles.

In 1916, Packard introduced its legendary Twin-Six models.


By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2010

1914 Packard Series 2-38 Six Vehicle Profiles

1914 Packard Series 2-38 Six vehicle information
Phaeton

Chassis #: 39441

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

Price Comparison

$200-$3,350
1914 Packard Series 2-38 Six
$5,150-$7,200
1914 Packard Series 2-38 Six Price Range: $3,350 - $5,150

Compare: Lower | Higher | Similar

Other 1914 Packard Models

38

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
1,618
115.50 in., 134.00 in., 138.00 in.
6 cyl., 415.00 CID., 60.00hp
$4,050 - $5,400
1,501
140.00 in.
6 cyl., 525.00 CID., 60.00hp
$3,350 - $5,150
678
115.50 in., 134.00 in., 138.00 in.
6 cyl., 525.00 CID., 60.00hp
$4,050 - $5,400
140.00 in.
6 cyl., 415.00 CID., 65.00hp
$3,750 - $5,000

Related Automotive News

Platinum Award-Winning Ferrari 275 GTB and Aston Martin DB5 Convertible Lead Gooding & Company's Blue-Chip Icons for Upcoming Pebble Beach Auctions

Platinum Award-Winning Ferrari 275 GTB and Aston Martin DB5 Convertible Lead Gooding & Company's Blue-Chip Icons for Upcoming Pebble Beach Auctions

The official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours dElegance® will present a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB, a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible, and a 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400 among other ultra-collectible 1960s sports cars. Gooding...
Gooding & Company Unveils Online Catalogue for Pebble Beach Auctions, Announces Additional Star Consignments

Gooding & Company Unveils Online Catalogue for Pebble Beach Auctions, Announces Additional Star Consignments

The catalogue features major new additions from the auction house, including a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione, a 1998 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK GTR Strassenversion, a 1957 Maserati 200 SI, and a 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT. The...
RM Auctions to Present The Merrick Auto Museum Collection at 13th Annual Hershey Sale

RM Auctions to Present The Merrick Auto Museum Collection at 13th Annual Hershey Sale

OVER 100 BRASS ERA CARS AND SELECTION OF MEMORABILIA OFFERED ENTIRELY WITHOUT RESERVE RM Auctions set to offer the Merrick Auto Museum Collection at Hershey auction, 10-11 October in Pennsylvania Offered entirely without reserve, the multi...
Maserati Debuts Nerissimo Package For Levante, Ghibli And Quattroporte At Los Angeles Auto Show

Maserati Debuts Nerissimo Package For Levante, Ghibli And Quattroporte At Los Angeles Auto Show

New Nerissimo black package now available for Levante, Ghibli and Quattroporte models 2018 Ghibli and Levante now available in new GranLusso and GranSport trims GranTurismo and GranTurismo Convertible MY18 receive exterior restyling and interior...
Breaking news from Coys

Breaking news from Coys

1966 AC Shelby Cobra - Now selling at No Reserve! Coys are pleased to announce that a 1966 AC Shelby Cobra will now be selling at No Reserve later today at the Autosport International show at the NEC in Birmingham. Featured on the front cover...