1910 Packard Model Eighteen

The well-engineered Packard 18 was touted as a 'city car' and built as a smaller, yet highly refined version of the range-topping '30.' Priced at approximately $1,000 less than its larger sibling, the Model 18 offered ample power and a multitude of body styles. It served as Packard's foray into the 'smaller car' market and an opportunity to introduce its product to a new market of buyers.

James Ward Packard was dissatisfied with his Winton motor carriage which inspired him to build a superior automobile. With assistance from his brother and two defectors from the Winton company, Packard began work in his electrical engineering factory in Warren, Ohio, from which the first Packard car emerged in November of 1899. In November of 1900, William D. Rockefeller purchased two Packards at the New York Automobile, and like other wealthy clients, was attracted to the car's innovative engineering and superior build quality.

The Model K of 1903 was the company's first four-cylinder model, and it was not long thereafter that single-cylinder production came to an end. Over the years that followed, the four-cylinder displacement grew before stabilizing at 431.9 cubic-inch (7,080cc) in 1907 with the introduction of the Model 30. By this point in history, the list of available body styles had grown from one to four. The downsized Model 18 arrived in 1909 resting on a shorter wheelbase and powered by a smaller 265.7 cubic-inch (4,356cc) four-cylinder engine. Its wheelbase measured 112 inches and is suspension comprised of a solid front and live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs. Rear-wheel mechanical drum brakes provided the stopping power and a three-speed sliding-gear manual transmission sent the 18-rated horsepower from the T-head inline-four-cylinder to the rear wheels.

Despite its lower price point, the range-topping Model 30 consistently outsold the Model 18. The Model 18 was removed from the lineup when Packard ceased production of four-cylinder cars in 1912.

1910 Packard Model Eighteen
The Model Eighteen was offered as a runabout and tourer priced at $3,200, a limousine at $4,400, and a landaulet at $4,500. Its 267.5 cubic-inch engine had a 4-inch bore and 5.1-inch stroke, three main bearings, a float-feed carburetor, a cast-iron block, and solid valve lifters. The runabout used a 102-inch wheelbase platform while all other body styles used the larger 112-inch wheelbase (smaller than the 123.5-inch wheelbase of its larger sibling). The three-speed sliding gear transmission had a dry plate clutch which replaced the previous expanding ring clutch, and a bevel gear differential. Shock absorbers were added to the suspension which resulted in a much smoother ride.

Packard produced 802 examples of the Model Eighteen in 1909, dipping slightly to 766 for 1910. That figure would continue to fall into 1911 with 360 units built that year, and 350 in its final year. In comparison, Packard produced 2,493 examples of its Model Thirty in 1910 which had prices that began at $4,200.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2022