Elegance in Wood

Depot Hack. Shooting Brake. Woody Wagon. Whatever the name, at Motorpool, we call it fabulous.

Send your man to the station, will you?

Whether you were loading up the children for a drive to the park or filling the rear with luggage for a jaunt to the train station, the Packard One-Twenty station wagon could haul with elegance and style.

Packard motorcars were known then, as now, as cars built by gentlemen, for gentlemen. Beginning in 1899, the company produced the very best–a tradition which continued until the 1956.  Today, pre-war Packards are particularly coveted for their beauty, engineering, and over-built quality. In fact, Packard remains the most popular marque in the venerable Classic Car Club of America.

There is a distinct hierarchy within the Packard line. In 1935, the firm introduced the Packard One-Twenty, a less expensive car with more advanced styling than the company’s “senior cars,” the Super Eights and Twelves. The One-Twenty quickly began outselling its pricier siblings by a rate of nearly four-to-one. By 1941, it was no longer the least-expensive Packard. One could enter the rarefied Packard world by purchasing a One Ten for as little as $1,099.

Note the right-handed spare. There's no spare on driver's side.

The Packard entire line was re-bodied in 1941 for the “19th Series,” (Packard and its aficionados always refer to the car by the series, rarely the model year). Like Cadillac, headlamps were in the front fenders. A three-speed column shift was standard, but early-adopters could spring close to $40 for an Electromatic Clutch, which automatically disengaged via a vacuum system. The three-speed Synchromesh transmissions came with overdrive and column shift. Its straight-eight engine spanned 282 cubic inches and developed 120 horsepower. Five main bearings and a Carter WA1 carburetor produced near-silent operation. Hydraulic brakes came standard on all four wheels.

Goddess of Speed, or, if you will, the "doughnut chaser."

Body styles abounded in 1941. A customer could choose from eight (8!) convertible styles across the One-Ten, One-Twenty, One-Sixty, and One-Eighty lines. Naturally, Packard made a station wagon available. The SUV of its day, pre-war station wagons were still built of wood by venerable coach companies such as Hercules from cords of mahogany and ash. For the remainder of the article, click HERE.

Packards on Motorpool:

For a listing of Packard events in your area, click here: Packard Calendar on Motorpool.

To see what Packard fans are discussing on Motorpool, click here: Packard Message Board

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