Packard Patrician | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Packard |
Production | 1951–1956 |
Assembly | Packard Automotive Plant, Detroit, MI |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Luxury car |
Body style | 4-door sedan |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Packard Custom Super Eight |
The Packard Patrician is an automobile which was built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, from model years 1951 through 1956. During its six years in production, the Patrician was built in Packard's Detroit facilities on East Grand Boulevard. The word "patrician" is Latin for a ruling class in Ancient Rome. It was the last "senior level" Packard until production ended in 1958.
The Patrician was the last of the "senior Packards" and was briefly available as an extended length limousine for 1953 and 1954 called the Corporate Executive which found few buyers. [1]
1951–1952 | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Packard |
Production | 1951–1952 |
Designer | John Reinhart [2] |
Body and chassis | |
Body style | Sedan |
Layout | FR |
Related | Packard Mayfair |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 327 cu in (5.4 L) Packard straight-eight |
Transmission | 2-speed Ultramatic automatic |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 127.0 in (3,226 mm) |
Length | 219.7 in (5,580 mm) |
Width | 78.3 in (1,989 mm) |
Height | 62.2 in (1,580 mm) |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Packard Custom Super Eight |
In 1951 and 1952, the automaker attempted to use a numeric naming structure that designated Packard's least expensive models as Packard 200 and 200 Deluxe while two-door hardtop and convertibles were designated Packard 250 and its mid-range sedan the Packard 300. [1] [3] [4]
The highest trim level available was the Packard Patrician 400 [5] which replaced the previous model year's Custom Super 8 model range. It was easily identified from other Packards by its stainless steel trim, including a brightwork extension on the top rear fender referred to as "the fishtail". In 1951 the model featured three chrome ports on its rear fenders and in 1952 the car featured four chrome ports, a styling approach similar to GM's Buick luxury vehicles. 300s and 400s also sported a slightly revised grille which included chrome "teeth" in its oval area in 1951. That change occurred to the 250 series soon after introduction.
When the Packard body style was updated for 1951, the door handle was concealed and aligned with the chrome beltline that surrounded the side windows, bottom of the windshield and rear window.
The Patrician 400 was available only as a premium four-door sedan, outfitted with high-grade upholstery and chrome trimming within. For the 1952 model year, Packard retained the services of noted interior decorator Dorothy Draper to bring a fresh look to the interior color scheme. Wilton carpeting and hassock-style rear passenger foot rests were also included with the car. With a list price of $3,662 ($42,986 in 2023 dollars [6] ) it also was the most expensive senior Packard offered. The automobile rode upon a 127 in (3,226 mm) wheelbase shared only with the 300 sedan. All other Packards had a wheelbase of 122 in (3,099 mm).
Power still came from Packard's venerable 327 cu in (5.4 L) in-line eight-cylinder engine, delivering 150 bhp (112 kW). The Patrician's iteration of the 327 featured nine main bearings instead of five as in other models, without increase in power.
Until 1954, Henney built a few nine-passenger Executive Sedans and Corporate Limousines on a chassis with 148 in (3,759 mm) wheelbase. Derham in Rosemont built very few Patrician Custom Formal Sedans with leather padded roofs, small backlights and elaborate interiors on the standard Patrician frame.
Introduction of the Patrician 400 was, together with most other Packards (250s were delayed), in August 1950. Production totals for 1951 came to 9,001 Patrician 400 units, and 3,975 units for 1952.
1953-1954 | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Packard |
Production | 1953–1954 |
Designer | John Reinhart [2] |
Body and chassis | |
Body style | Sedan |
Layout | FR |
Related | Packard Caribbean Packard Pacific |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 327 cu in (5.4 L) Packard straight-eight |
Transmission | 2-speed Ultramatic automatic |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 127 in (3,226 mm) (sedan) 149 in (3,785 mm) (limousine) |
Length | 218.2 in (5,542 mm) (sedan) 240.2 in (6,101 mm) (limousine) |
Width | 77.9 in (1,979 mm) (sedan & limousine) |
Height | 62.9 in (1,598 mm) (sedan & limousine) |
Curb weight | 4,335 lb (1,966 kg) (sedan) 4,720 lb (2,140 kg) (limousine) |
The "400" designation was removed for the 1953 model year, and the Patrician continued to represent Packard's highest trim level sedans. It rode on the 127 in (3,226 mm) wheelbase chassis. The Patrician also was used for the basis of the custom bodied Henney passenger models, including the 149 in (3,785 mm) 8-passenger Packard Executive Sedans and Limousines, the difference being that the latter had a partition window between the front and rear compartments. During these years the Patrician received annual trim changes and improvements associated with model-year change-overs in the 1950s. [1] The 1953 Packard Patrician 4-door sedan was listed at US$3,740 ($42,591 in 2023 dollars [6] ) while the all-new Packard Corporate Executive 8-passenger 4-door limousine was listed at US$7,100 ($80,855 in 2023 dollars [6] ). [1]
The Henney professional cars (hearse, ambulance, flower car, service car) built on the 156 in (3,962 mm) wheelbase commercial chassis generally used Patrician-like trim except for 1954, which used Cavalier-like trim, and was offered in a hardtop body style called the Packard Pacific. Since the professional cars were fully coachbuilt bodies (not conversions) built on Packard's separate commercial chassis, their trim level had little to do with the Patrician except for the general appearance. The Henney Junior, a short-wheelbase hearse or ambulance was built on the standard Cavalier-Patrician chasses (but with stronger, heavy-duty rear suspension) but had the 5-main bearing Cavalier engine rather than the 9-main bearing engine of the Patrician.
For 1953, the Patrician used the same 327-cubic-inch (5.4 L) 9-main bearing straight eight engine that used for 1951 and 1952 but for the first time added a four barrel carburetor for an increase in power, along with the availability of optional power steering and "Easamatic" power brakes. For 1954, the new 359-cubic-inch (5.9 L) 9-main bearing, aluminum head 212 hp (158 kW) engine was standard and also featured a 4-barrel carburetor. 1954 was the first year to add a start-position to the ignition key - earlier years were started by a switch built into the carburetor which was actuated by depressing the accelerator pedal to the floor.
A general description implies that all Patrician models were fitted out with standard equipment when in fact they could be built to order. If a customer wanted a manual transmission then that is what he or she would be given by the factory.[ citation needed ]
1955–1956 | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Packard |
Production | 1955–1956 |
Designer | Dick Teague |
Body and chassis | |
Body style | Sedan |
Layout | FR |
Related | Packard Four Hundred |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 374 cu in (6.1 L) Packard V8 |
Transmission | Twin-Ultramatic |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 127 in (3,226 mm) |
Length | 219.7 in (5,580 mm) |
Width | 78.3 in (1,989 mm) |
Height | 62.2 in (1,580 mm) |
Curb weight | 4,552 lb (2,065 kg) |
For 1955, the entire senior line of Packards received an extensive design update that freshened the last restyling that was done in 1951. Under designer Dick Teague, the Senior Packards received a more modern grille design, "Cathedral"-styled rear tail lights, hooded headlight housings and a new exterior trim layout that afforded Packard the ability to offer two- and three-tone paint combinations with the simplest of masking patterns. While Packard could not afford a whole new greenhouse for the passenger compartment, new trim at the base of the rear pillar made it look like it had a redesigned roofline. The cars were also outfitted with a wrap-around windshield, thus bringing it in line with American automobiles of the era. Inside, upholstery and bright work was also freshened and the cars received a new dashboard layout. 1955 and 1956 instruments and controls were similar, but the 1955 dash featured a warm, bronze-like surface, and in 1956 were faced with a machined-look stainless steel facing. [1] The 1955 Patrician was listed for US$3,890 ($44,245 in 2023 dollars [6] ).
For 1955, the Patrician was offered as a four-door sedan only and Packard produced 9,127 of the cars. It was also the year that the company introduced their only V8 engine. For 1956, minor appearance changes included a revised headlight housing that exaggerated the front peak further forward. The area around the headlight was painted black to give the effect of greater depth. The car also received a different grille texture. During the 1956 model year, 3,375 Patricians rolled off Packard's production line before the model was dropped by the ailing carmaker.
The final Packard built (that was a true Packard and not a badge-engineered Studebaker President) was a black Patrician sedan, and it rolled off the Packard assembly line on June 25, 1956. [1]
The Ford Country Squire is a series of full-size station wagons that were assembled by American automaker Ford. Positioned as the top-level station wagon of the Ford division, the Country Squire was distinguished by woodgrain bodyside trim. From 1950 through the 1991 model years, eight generations of the Country Squire were produced. Following the discontinuation of Edsel Bermuda, Mercury marketed the Mercury Colony Park as a divisional counterpart of the Country Squire, sharing bodywork and trim while the Mercury was not available with a six cylinder engine and was more expensive due to the optional equipment on the Ford that was standard on the Mercury.
The Chevrolet Bel Air is a full-size car produced by Chevrolet for the 1950–1981 model years. Initially, only the two-door hardtops in the Chevrolet model range were designated with the Bel Air name from 1950 to 1952. With the 1953 model year, the Bel Air name was changed from a designation for a unique body shape to a premium level of trim applied across a number of body styles. The Bel Air continued with various other trim level designations, and it had gone from a mid-level trim car to a budget fleet sedan when U.S. production ceased in 1975. Production continued in Canada, for its home market only, through the 1981 model year.
The Pontiac Catalina is a full-size automobile produced by Pontiac from 1950 to 1981. Initially, the name was a trim line on hardtop body styles, first appearing in the 1950 Chieftain Eight and DeLuxe Eight lines. In 1959, it became a separate model as the "entry-level" full-size Pontiac.
The Chrysler New Yorker is an automobile model produced by Chrysler from 1940 until 1996, serving for several decades as either the brand's flagship model or as a junior sedan to the Chrysler Imperial, the latter during the years in which the Imperial name was used within the Chrysler lineup rather than as a standalone brand.
Imperial was the Chrysler Corporation's luxury automobile brand from 1955 until 1975 and again from 1981 through 1983.
The Chrysler Imperial, introduced in 1926, was Chrysler's top-of-the-line vehicle for much of its history. Models were produced under the Chrysler name until 1954, after which Imperial became a standalone make; and again from 1990–93. 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 Dodge Coronet is an automobile that was marketed by Dodge in seven generations, and shared nameplates with the same bodyshell with varying levels of equipment installed. Introduced as a full-size car in 1949, it was the division's highest trim line and moved to the lowest level starting in 1955 through 1959. The name was reintroduced on intermediate-sized models from the 1965 until 1976 model years. Muscle car versions were available starting in 1965 with the 383 and 426 wedge cu in Chrysler RB engine, followed in 1966 by the powerful 426 cu in Chrysler Hemi. Other performance models included the "Superbee", and featured, the 383 cu in Magnum, among other engine options. The nameplate "coronet" is a type of crown worn by royalty.
The Buick Roadmaster is an automobile 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 Chrysler Saratoga is an automobile built by Chrysler. The nameplate was used from 1939 to 1952 and from 1957 to 1960 in the U.S. market, in Canada through 1965, and in Europe from 1989 to 1995. In the beginning, it was introduced as a sport luxury model, using the Straight Eight engine from the Chrysler New Yorker which was more formal, and the Imperial which had graduated to special order limousine.
The Chrysler Windsor is a full-size car which was built by Chrysler from 1939 through to the 1960s. The final Chrysler Windsor sold in the United States was produced in 1961, but production in Canada continued until 1966. The Canadian 1961 to 1966 Windsor model was for all intents and purposes the equivalent of the Chrysler Newport in the United States.
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 Cadillac Sixty Special is a name used by Cadillac to denote a special model since the 1938 Harley Earl–Bill Mitchell–designed extended wheelbase derivative of the Series 60, often referred to as the Fleetwood Sixty Special. The Sixty Special designation was reserved for some of Cadillac's most luxurious vehicles. It was offered as a four-door sedan and briefly as a four-door hardtop. This exclusivity was reflected in the introduction of the exclusive Fleetwood Sixty Special Brougham d'Elegance in 1973 and the Fleetwood Sixty Special Brougham Talisman in 1974, and it was offered as one trim package below the Series 70 limousine. The Sixty Special name was temporarily retired in 1976 but returned again in 1987 and continued through 1993.
The Cadillac Series 70 is a full-size V8-powered series of cars that were produced by Cadillac from the 1930s to the 1980s. It replaced the 1935 355E as the company's mainstream car just as the much less expensive Series 60 was introduced. The Series 72 and 67 were similar to the Series 75 but the 72 and 67 were produced on a slightly shorter and longer wheelbase respectively. The Series 72 was only produced in 1940 and the Series 67 was only produced in 1941 and 1942. For much of the postwar era, it was the top-of-the-line Cadillac, and was Cadillac's factory-built limousine offering.
The Mercedes-Benz W120 and Mercedes-Benz W121 are technically similar inline-four cylinder sedans made by Daimler-Benz. The W120 was first introduced by Mercedes-Benz in 1953. Powered initially by the company's existing 1.8 liter M136 engine, it was sold as the Mercedes-Benz 180 through 1962. From 1954, Mercedes-Benz also offered the W120 with a diesel engine as the Mercedes-Benz 180 D. The Mercedes-Benz W121 was introduced as the Mercedes-Benz 190 in 1956, powered by a 1.9 liter M121 engine. From 1958, the W121 was also offered with an OM621 engine, sold as the Mercedes-Benz 190 D through 1961.
The Nash Ambassador is a luxury automobile produced by Nash Motors from 1927 until 1957. It was a top trim level for the first five years, then from 1932 on a standalone model. Ambassadors were lavishly equipped and beautifully constructed, earning them the nickname "the Kenosha Duesenberg".
The Pontiac Chieftain is an automobile which was produced by Pontiac from 1949 to 1958. The 1949 Chieftain and Streamliner models were the first all new car designs to come from Pontiac in the post World War II years. Previous cars had been 1942 models with minor revisions.
The Packard 300 is an automobile built and sold by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan for model years 1951 and 1952. The 300 represented the upper mid-range Packard model and provided better appointments than the Packard 200 or the Packard 250 models, and replaced the Packard Super Eight. The Packard Patrician 400 became the top level "senior" Packard replacing the Custom Super Eight. The 300 was positioned against the Buick Roadmaster, Cadillac Series 61, Chrysler Saratoga, Frazier Manhattan and Lincoln Cosmopolitan.
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 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 180 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 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. It remained so until the Super Eight and Custom Super Eight were introduced in the 1940s.