Packard

US, 1899 – 1958

(1) New York & Ohio Automobile Co, Warren, Ohio, 1899 – 1901

(2) Ohio Automobile Co, Warren, Ohio, 1901 – 1902

(3) Packard Motor Car Co, Warren, Ohio, 1902 – 1903

(4) Packard Motor Car Co, Detroit, Mich., 1903 – 1955

(5) Studebaker – Packard Corp, Detroit, Mich., 1955 – 1958

The brothers J.W. and W.D. Packard bought a Winton in 1898 and determined to improve upon it. The result was the first 12hp Packard car of 1899. This Packard car followed traditional early-American lines with a single horizontal cylinder, central chain drive, buggy styling and wire wheels, but the Packard car was more advanced than its competitors in having a 3-speed and reverse gearbox and automatic spark advance. This gave way to the wheel-steered Model C Packard car, which proved capable of 40mph. An even more powerful Packard car, a single old for $3.000 in 1903 and on one of these Fetch and Krarup Packard cars successfully drove from San Francisco to New York in 61 days. In the same year a very big Packard car four of over 12 litres’ capacity was designed on European lines by Charles Schmidt, late of Mors. This Packard car sold for $7.500 and led to the famous Packard Model L, the first Packard car to bear the classic Packard radiator. This Packard car had side valves in an L-head and the gearbox was mounted in unit with the back axle; a similar engine was used in the racing car Gray Wolf, a streamlined lightweight Packard car capable of 75mph. 1906 Packard cars had T-head engines and magneto ignition in place of coil; engine capacity was 5¾-litres, increasing to 7-litres Packard cars in 1907 with the introduction of the famous ‘Packard 30’, from which 60bhp was claimed. For the next few years these high-quality four-cylinder Packard cars engaged all Packard’s attentions, the ‘Packard 30’ at $4.200 being joined by a short-wheelbase Packard 18 intended for use as a town carriage. Dry-plate clutches were adopted on Packard cars in 1910 and in 1911 a third model joined the range: Packard cars first six, the 7¼-litre ‘Packard48’.

Six-cylinder Packard cars only were offered in 1913, when electric lighting and starting were standardized. Spiral bevel final drive followed in 1914. Revolutionary was the world’s first series-production 12-cylinder, the Packard Twin-Six, which Packard car was announced in 1915 for 1916: this Packard car was also the first American touring car to use aluminium pistons and was quite modestly priced at $2.600. First series Packard cars had the unusual combination of left-hand drive and left-hand gear-change, abandoned on later series Packard car which also had detachable cylinder heads. A special racing car version of the Packard car, the 905 with a much bigger engine, recorded 149.9mph in the hands of Ralph de Palma at Daytona in 1919. From 1916 to 1920 only the Packard Twin Six was made, but this Packard car was then joined by a straightforward sv Single-Six selling from $2.350 up. This Packard car was given front-wheel brakes as standard replaced the Packard Twin-six during 1923; the Packard car came in two wheelbase lengths. A tourer Packard car cost $3.750 and it was the ancestor of the whole line of ‘Senior’ Packard cars up to 1939. 1925 Packard cars had centralized chassis lubrication and over 40.000 sixes were sold, as against less than 5.700 eights. Innovations on Packard cars for 1927 were a hypoid back axle, and a bigger 8-cylinder engine of 6.3-litres’ capacity, developing 106bhp. Only eight-cylinder Packard car were made in 1929, in which year a 5.3-litre Standard model was catalogued at $2.435, while in 1930 a limited series of ‘Packard 734’ sports models with high axle ratio, 145 bhp engines and 4-speed gearboxes was introduced. 1932 Packard cars had V-radiators. An inexpensive Packard Light 8 at $1.750, using the 5.3-litre engine, proved uneconomic to make, but there was also an excellent 7-litre V12 and all Packard cars had synchromesh gearboxes and vacuum-servo brakes. The Packard car company’s styling with its traditional radiator shape continued up to 1939. 

In 1935 the Packard car company made a bid for the low-priced market with the 3.7-litre straight-8 ‘Packard 120’ with hydraulic brakes and independent front suspension, priced from $980, as against $2.475 for the Packard Standard-eight, $2.990 for the Packard Super-eight and $3.820 for the Twelve. The new Packard car model accounted for 24.995 of the 31.889 cars sold by Packard cars that year and was joined two seasons later by a very similar 3.6-litre six, the ‘115’ at $860; this and the ‘120’, now enlarged to 4.6-litres, were made in a separate factory. In 1938, 50 percent of the Packard car company’s labour force was engaged in making the senior Packard cars which accounted for no more than 8 percent of total production.

In 1937 hydraulic brakes and independent front suspension were standardized on Packard cars throughout the range. 1939 was the last year of the true senior Packard cars; column change was introduced and overdrive was available on all Packard cars except the Twelve. Air conditioning was a 1940 option and 1941 brought the first of the handsome Packard Clipper line, made in 4-litre 6-cylinder and 4.6-litre straight-8 versions. Expensive Packard cars were still made, with custom bodywork by Rollson, Le Baron and Darrin available on the 5.8-litre chassis. During World War 2, body dies for the bigger, conventionally-bodied Packard cars were sold to the Soviet Government, the result being the 1945 Z.I.S.

Production of Packard cars was resumed with the Clipper 6 and 8 in 1946, but Packard never regained their former pre-eminence. Styling was unfortunate and the Packard car company retained the old straight-8 until 1954, though they evolved their own ‘Ultramatic’ automatic transmission in 1949 and had power brakes, steering and window lifts in 1954. Super-luxury Packard cars included the eight-seater Executive limousine at $6.900 in 1953 and the big Caribbean convertible.

The 1954 merger of Packard cars with Studebaker brought about a new 260bhp, ohv V8 with an ingenious inter-linked torsion-level suspension, while engines were sold to American Motors for their Nash and Hudson lines. Sales fell to a depressing 13.000 in 1956 and though the Packard lingered on until 1958, the last two seasons’ cars were nothing more than disguised Studebakers.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS

The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com

Morgan

GB, 1905 – 1906

Morgan and Co Ltd, Leighton Buzzard, Beds.

Made by a well-known firm of coachbuilders, the Morgan car was a conventional shaft-driven car with 5.8-litre T-head 4-cylinder Mutel engine, distinguished only by the Sparks-Boothby hydraulic clutch on the Morgan car, soon abandoned in favour of an ordinary leather cone. Only about five Morgan cars were made and their lack of success resulted in Morgan cars becoming Adler concessionaires in 1907, and abandoning motor manufacture.

GB, 1910 to date

Morgan Motor Co Ltd, Malvern Link, Worcs.

This Morgan car was the best-known, and best, of the British 3-wheelers that were popular while the horsepower tax gave the Morgan cars an advantage. H.F.S. Morgan’s tricycle was also the first of its type, this Morgan car going into production in 1910. At the front of a tubular chassis frame was an sv, air-cooled V-twin motor-cycle engine of 1.100cc by JAP, transversely mounted. Transmission of the Morgan car was by dog clutches and chains, providing two forward speeds. The steering was direct. The front wheels of the Morgan car, had independent front suspension, by sliding pillars and coil springs. There were two seats. A reasonable amount of power plus light weight meant an excellent performance of the Morgan cars. The Morgan car was safer than most 3-wheelers because its road-holding was above average. This recipe made the Morgan car popular with sportsmen, for whom the Morgan Grand Prix model was produced in 1914: the first catalogued competition Morgan car. Soon afterwards, an exiguous four-seater Morgan car, the forerunner of the Morgan Family model of the 1920s, was listed.

After World War 1, Morgan carscontinued to cater for all markets. Names changed, but the Morgan Sports or Morgan Standard model was the normal two-seater, also available in De Luxe form; the Morgan Family model was the more capacious type Morgan car, and the long-tailed Morgan Aero, later the Morgan Super Sports, was the Morgan car intended for serious speed work. Engines of Morgan cars were water- or air-cooled to choice, most being supplied by JAP, or by Blackburne in the case of the competition Morgan cars. From 1925 all the latter’s power units had overhead valves. By 1927 the Super Sports Morgan car could attain 80mph in standard trim, while the less sporting Morgan cars now had internal expanding front wheel brakes and electric starting. Geared-down steering and (if required) three forward speeds followed on Morgan cars in 1929. Even so, Morgan cars were losing customers to new, cheap sports cars such as the M-type MG. Three speeds and reverse in a normal gearbox (though still with chain final drive) were available from 1931 and standard on the Morgan car after 1932, and a modified 8hp Ford 4-cylinder engine could later be had in the Morgan car instead of the twin. Four years later the first 4-wheeled Morgan car was introduced, the excellent little Morgan 4/4. This Morgan car used an 1.122cc 4-cylinder Coventry-Climax engine with overhead inlet valves, developing 34bhp. The Morgan car was still light in weight, and retained the Morgan independent front suspension, so the performance and handling qualities of Morgan cars were well up to form. The Morgan car could attain 75mph. The twins were last catalogued in 1939.

Just before World War 2, a 1.267cc Standard 10hp engine with ohv head was substituted in the Morgan 4/4. When this was no longer available, from 1950, Morgan fitted a tuned Standard Vanguard unit in the Morgan car giving 70bhp. In this Morgan Plus Four, as the Morgan car was renamed, performance became still more lively, and when the 90bhp Triumph TR2 engine became available in 1954, maximum speed of the Morgan car rose to 100mph for the first time. With the advent of the Morgan Plus Four, there was no longer a small Morgan car, but this gap was made good in 1955, when the Morgan Series 2 4/4 arrived. This Morgan car used the very hard-wearing 1.172cc sv Ford Ten engine which had powered F4 Morgan. (The latter was the last 3-wheeler Morgan car, which had been made until 1950.) The result was a cheap, pleasant and reliable sports Morgan car of the old school. Later, the ohv Ford 105E engine was substituted. The latest version Morgan car had a 1.599cc 98bhp engine, a 4-speed all-synchromesh gearbox, front disc brakes, and the traditional Morgan suspension. The Morgan Plus Four kept pace with Triumph’s TR engine development, also acquiring disc brakes and, eventually, the 2.138cc 105bhp TR4 unit. A streamlined coupé, the Morgan Plus Four Plus of 1964, was a brief deviation from the classical Morgan car line which met with little approval and was discontinued after only 50 of these Morgan cars had been sold. When Triumph changed to a six during 1968, Morgan cars adopted a new engine for their bigger Morgan cars, and the Morgan Plus Four became the Morgan Plus Eight, powered by Rover’s 3 ½-litre 160bhp V8 and capable of 125mph. The 1973 versions of the Morgan car use the 4-speed all-synchromesh Rover gearbox in place of the Moss box previously fitted.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS, TRN

The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com