Packard One-Twenty | |
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![]() 1936 Packard 120 Convertible Victoria by LeBaron | |
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Packard |
Model years | 1935–1937 1939–1941 |
Assembly | Packard Automotive Plant, Detroit, Michigan, United States |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Full-size luxury car |
Layout | Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Packard Light Eight |
Successor | Packard 200 |
The Packard Twelfth Series One-Twenty is an automobile produced by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, from 1935 to 1937 and from 1939 through the 1941 model years. The One-Twenty model designation was derived from the wheelbase, and it was replaced by the Packard 200.
The One-Twenty signified the first time that Packard had entered into the highly competitive mid-priced eight-cylinder car market. Packard enthusiasts view the production of the One-Twenty and the Six/One-Ten models as the start of Packard's losing its hold on the market as the premier American luxury automotive brand. It was a marketing strategy shared with GM's LaSalle, the Chrysler Airstream, and the Lincoln-Zephyr. It was introduced after Rolls-Royce brought to market the Rolls-Royce Twenty, which was manufactured between 1922 and 1929 (succeeded by the Rolls-Royce 20/25 which was built until 1936).
The introduction of the One-Twenty (and later the Six/One-Ten models) was a necessary move to keep Packard in business during the final years of the Great Depression, expanding on an earlier approach with the Packard Light Eight. Branding the One-Twenty a Packard afforded buyers the cachet of owning a Packard. Other reasons the company decided to forgo the development of a companion brand name to sell the less expensive models may have been linked to its single production line capability at its Grand Boulevard manufacturing plant or to the expense of launching a new brand of automobile. [1] It also ushered in a novel advertising approach, commissioning an advertising "jingle" called "When Heaven Was at the Corner of Sycamore and Main".
This car introduced the independent front suspension to the Packard line. Its so-called "Safe-T-Flex" suspension was an unequal upper and lower A-arm type with the largest possible lower A-arm composed of two different arms bolted together at a ninety-degree angle. [2]
The support arm was a heavy steel forging reaching a few degrees forward of lateral from the front wheel support to as close to the centerline of the car as is practicable. An integral pad socketed the helical spring, whose upper end reached a high frame cross-beam. A tubular, hence lighter, steel torque arm was bolted to the support arm somewhat inboard of the wheel to permit a sufficient steering arc. It reached the frame nearly at the dashboard with a spherical rubber bearing. The upper A-arm was conventionally welded and oriented parallel to the lower one. Between it and the frame was an old-fashioned horizontal shock absorber whose two cylinders were side by side. [2]
The support arm carried all the load; the torque arm carried the accelerating and decelerating torque; the upper A-arm controlled the camber. Advantages claimed for the system included superior maintenance of wheel alignment from the wide spread of the lower A-arm, a permanent fixing of the caster angle, and an increased percentage of the braking force transmitted to the frame through the torque arm. [2]
First generation | |
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![]() 1937 Packard Fifteenth Series One-Twenty Touring Sedan | |
Overview | |
Model years | 1935–1937 |
Body and chassis | |
Body style |
|
Layout | Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
Related | Packard Eight |
Powertrain | |
Engine | |
Transmission | 3-speed manual |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 120 in (3,048.0 mm) [3] |
Curb weight | 3,688 lb (1,673 kg) |
In its introduction year, the Packard One-Twenty was available in a broad array of body styles including two and four-door sedans, convertible and Club Coupe. The One-Twenty, weighing in at 3,688 lb (1,673 kg), [4] was powered by an all-new Packard aluminum-head [4] L-head inline eight producing 110 bhp (82 kW) at 3850 rpm. [1] Prices ranged from $980 ($19,369 in 2021 dollars [5] ) for the three-passenger business coupe to $1,095 ($21,642 in 2021 dollars [5] ) for the Touring Sedan. Introduced in January 1935, the car was an immediate success with consumers, with Packard producing 24,995 One-Twentys, compared to 7,000 of all other type Packards for the year, while competing with the 1935 LaSalle Series 50.
For 1936 Packard increased the displacement on the L-head eight, increasing its output to 120 bhp (89 kW), making the car capable of reaching a top speed of 85 mph (137 km/h). The One-Twenty added a convertible four-door-sedan model which was the most expensive model in the range priced at $1,395 ($27,572 in 2021 dollars [5] ). A total 55,042 units rolled off the line in 1936, the highest production that the One-Twenty would reach. A built in radio was available at a cost of $59.50 ($1,166 in 2021 dollars [5] ). [6]
In 1937, the One-Twenty went up-market as the company introduced the Packard Six, the first six-cylinder Packard in ten years. For 1937, the One-Twenty broadened its model range and was now available in "C" and "CD" trim levels. The line also added a wood-bodied station wagon, Touring Sedan and limousine built on a 138 in (3,500 mm) wheelbase [7] and priced under $2,000. Introduced in September 1936, 50,100 units were produced during series production.
For 1938, the One-Twenty name was dropped and its model folded into the Packard Eight model range, bringing the model name into parity with the Packard Six.
Second generation | |
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![]() 1941 Packard One-Twenty Touring Sedan | |
Overview | |
Model years | 1939–1941 |
Body and chassis | |
Body style |
|
Layout | Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 282 cu in (4.6 L) I8 |
Transmission | 3-speed manual |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | |
Length |
Returning to the Packard model range, the One-Twenty continued to be offered in a full range of body styles from coupe to Touring Limousine, with prices for the model range between US$1,099 ($21,409 in 2021 dollars [5] ) and US$1,856 ($36,156 in 2021 dollars [5] ). New for the year was introduction of column shifting (known in Packard parlance as Handishift), which did away with the floor shifter. Introduced in September 1938, a total of 17,647 units were built.
In 1939, the company introduced a fifth, transverse shock absorber on the 120. [13] It also offered Packard's Unimesh three-speed synchromesh transmission, [14] the same as in the Twelve [13] (and already standard on the Eight), [14] as well as the new fourth-gear Econo-Drive overdrive, claimed to reduce engine speed 27.8%, and able to be engaged at any speed over 30 mph (48 km/h). [15]
The series name One-Twenty officially became hyphenated for model year 1940. Again, the One-Twenty came in a full array of body styles, including a semi-custom Convertible Victoria by Howard "Dutch" Darrin. Introduced in August 1939, total model year output was 28,138 units.
In its final year as a model, the One-Twenty lost a number of body styles to the expanded One-Ten line of cars. The One-Twenty was available in business coupé, club coupe, two-door sedan, four-door sedan, convertible coupe, convertible sedan, and two station wagon styles. Production sank to 17,100 units.
For 1942, the One-Ten and One-Twenty were dropped as model names and their models folded into the Packard Six and Packard Eight lines. In its seven years in the Packard line-up, the One-Twenty saw a total production of 175,027 units.
On August 29, 1935, a Packard One-Twenty convertible driven by the Belgian king Leopold III crashed in Küssnacht, Switzerland, killing his wife Astrid of Sweden, Queen of the Belgians. [16]
Packard or Packard Motor Car Company was an American luxury automobile company located in Detroit, Michigan. The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899, and the last Packards were built in South Bend, Indiana in 1958.
LaSalle was an American brand of luxury automobiles manufactured and marketed, as a separate brand, by General Motors' Cadillac division from 1927 through 1940. Alfred P. Sloan, GM's Chairman of the Board, developed the concept for four new GM marques - LaSalle, Marquette, Viking and Pontiac - paired with already established brands to fill price gaps he perceived in the General Motors product portfolio. Sloan created LaSalle as a companion marque for Cadillac. LaSalle automobiles were manufactured by Cadillac, but were priced lower than Cadillac-branded automobiles, were shorter, and were marketed as the second-most prestigious marque in the General Motors portfolio. LaSalles were titled as LaSalles, and not as Cadillacs. Like Cadillac — named after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac — the LaSalle brand name was based on that of another French explorer, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle.
The Buick Special was an automobile produced by Buick. It was usually Buick's lowest-priced model, starting out as a full-size car in 1936 and returning in 1961 as a mid-size. The Special was built for several decades and was offered as a coupe, sedan and later as a station wagon. When GM modernized their entry level products in the 1960s, the Special introduced the modern Buick V6 that became the core engine for GM for several decades and lives on in current upgraded V6 products.
Buick Century is the model name that was used by Buick for a line of upscale full-size cars from 1936 to 1942 and 1954 to 1958, as well as from 1973 to 2005 for mid-size cars.
The Chrysler Imperial, introduced in 1926, was Chrysler's top-of-the-line vehicle for much of its history. Models were produced with the Chrysler name until 1954, after which it became a standalone brand; and again from 1990 to 1993. The company positioned the cars as a prestige marque to rival Cadillac, Continental, Lincoln, Duesenberg, Pierce Arrow, Cord, and Packard. According to Antique Automobile, "The adjective ‘imperial’ according to Webster's Dictionary means sovereign, supreme, superior or of unusual size or excellence. The word imperial thus justly befits Chrysler's highest priced model."
The Buick Roadmaster is an automobile that was built by Buick from 1936 until 1942, from 1946 until 1958, and then again from 1991 until 1996. Roadmasters produced between 1936 and 1958 were built on Buick's longest non-limousine wheelbase and shared their basic structure with the entry-level Cadillac Series 65, the Buick Limited, and after 1940, the Oldsmobile 98. Between 1946 and 1957 the Roadmaster served as Buick's flagship.
The Buick Limited was Buick's flagship model line between 1936 and 1942, and, in celebration of GM's Fiftieth Anniversary, a single-year halo car for the Division in model year 1958. Since the 1960s Buick has intermittently used the term "Limited" as a designation denoting its highest level of trim and standard features in its various model ranges.
The Packard Clipper is an automobile that was built by the Packard Motor Car Company for model years 1941–1942, 1946–1947 and 1953–1957. For 1956 only, Clipper was classified as a stand-alone marque. The Clipper was introduced in April 1941, as a mid-model year entry. It was available only as a four-door sedan. The Clipper name was re-introduced in 1953, for the automaker's lowest-priced lineup. By 1955, the Clipper models were seen as diluting Packard's marketing as a luxury automobile marque. It was named for a type of sailing ship, called a clipper.
The DeSoto Six was first introduced in 1929 and was badge engineered from the 1929 Chrysler Six Series 62 with the same 109.75 in (2,788 mm) wheelbase, while it offered a smaller 174.9 cu in (2.9 L) Chrysler I6 with an overall length of 169 in (4,293 mm). It was offered in four two-door sedan configurations and three four-door sedan body styles. It used the Series K designation for two years then was updated to the Series CK in mid-1930.
The Packard 200 was an automobile model produced by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan during model years 1951 and 1952. Models in the 200 designation represented the least expensive Packard model range, on the firm's shortest wheelbase, and least powerful 288 cu in (4.7 L) 8-cylinder in-line engine. It replaced the Packard One-Twenty and the Packard One-Ten, and was renamed the Packard Clipper for the 1953 model year.
The Packard Eighteenth Series One-Ten was a range of six-cylinder automobiles produced by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan during the 1940 and 1941 model years. The One-Ten designation was renamed from the previous Packard Fifteenth Series Six (115-C).The One-Ten shared the wheelbase of the One-Twenty but was given the One-Ten designation to indicate it was the entry level product.
The Lincoln K series is a luxury vehicle that was produced by the Lincoln Motor Company. The second motor line produced by the company, the Model K was developed from the Model L, including a modernized chassis on a longer wheelbase. In 1931, Lincoln introduced a V-12 engine, becoming a feature of the company for nearly 20 years.
The Packard Custom Super Eight One-Eighty was introduced for the 1940 model year by the Packard Motor Car Company to replace the discontinued Packard Twelve as their top-of-the-line luxury model. The car was derived from the Packard Super Eight One-Sixty with which it shared the complete running gear including the in-line eight-cylinder, 356-cubic-inch (5,830 cc) engine that developed 160 horsepower. It was advertised as the most powerful eight-cylinder engine offered by any automobile manufacturer in 1940.. It was complemented and gradually replaced by the more modern looking and mid-level Packard Clipper in 1941 and integrated into the Super Eight after the war.
The Packard Super Eight was the larger of the two eight-cylinder luxury automobiles produced by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan. It shared frames and some body types with the top model Packard Twelve. The 1933-1936 Packard Super Eight was a big classic. In 1937, it was reduced to a smaller and lighter design. Following the discontinuation of the Sixteenth Series Twelve after the 1939 model year, a new Custom Super Eight One-Eighty was derived from the Super Eight as the new top car range. The Super Eight was renamed the Super Eight One-Sixty starting a naming convention change in 1940. These two models shared most mechanical components including the 160 HP straight Eight engine and continued to be regarded as the Senior Packard.
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The Lincoln-Zephyr is a line of luxury cars that was produced by the Lincoln division of Ford from 1936 until 1942. Bridging the gap between the Ford V8 DeLuxe and the Lincoln Model K, it expanded Lincoln to a second model line, competing against the Chrysler Airflow, LaSalle, and the Packard One-Twenty.
The Packard Eight was a luxury automobile produced by Packard between 1924 and 1936, and was an all new platform that took the top market position from the earlier Packard Twin Six which was first introduced in 1916. When it was introduced, it was designated as the Senior Packard until the company ended in the late 1950s.
The Chrysler Six was a series of cars that were all installed with the Chrysler Straight Six when the company assumed operations of the Maxwell Automobile Company in 1924, and Chalmers Automobile Company in 1926. The Chrysler Six initially consisted of several Models, then Series designations that originally declared the approximate top speed each vehicle was able to consistently maintain, then each series number was incrementally updated every new model year, and each series was offered in several body style choices. The engines were technically advanced for their time and were entered in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for 1925, 1928 and 1929.
The Packard Twelve was a range of V12-engined luxury automobiles built by the Packard Motor Car Company in Detroit, Michigan. The car was built from model year 1916 until 1923, then it returned 1933 until 1939. As a sign of changing times, the majority of second generation Packard Twelves received standard bodywork, with custom bodywork gradually losing favor. Many of the custom cars were actually only "semi-customs", with Dietrich assembling Packard-made bodies with special touches. The first generation engine was modified for military use and became the Packard 1A-2500 which began usage in 1924.