Packard Super Eight

About the Packard Super Eight

The Packard super eight is part of the two eight-cylinder luxury cars produced by Packard. It is the larger of the two and has frames similar to what the Packard Twelve has. It was first introduced in 1993, and between that time and 1936, it was a big classic. The size and weight were reduced in 1937, and when the Packard Twelve was discontinued after the 1939 model, Packard derived the Super Eight One-Eighty from the Super Eight to be the top-range car. After the second world war, Packard focused on the Clipper style and developed Custom Super Clipper and Super Clippers in the One-Eighty and One-Sixty tradition till 1947. The company dropped the Clipper name after this, and the lower-priced Super Eight One-Sixty became the Super Eight, and the more expensive Super Eight One-Eighty changed to the Custom Eight. In 1949, Packard introduced the Super Eight Deluxe to the line. When the Packard’s motorcars entire range was renamed, the Super Eight became 400. Thus, the Super Eight was in production from 1933 to 1951. It was available in various body styles which included the 4-door sedan, 2-door convertible, and the 2-door coupé. The car had a front-engine and rear-wheel-drive layout. This meant that the engine is placed in the front, and the driven wheel is at the back, which was the common layout for vehicles in the 20th century.

The wheelbase of the car changed from one year to the other. In 1939, it was 127 inches, but this dropped to 120 inches in 1946 before returning to 127 inches in 1949. The length of the 1946 Super Eight model was 208 inches. The car was replaced with the Patrician 400.

Specifications

  • Motor: L-head type, eight cylinders in line. High turbulence cylinder head. Auto-thermic aluminium alloy piston. The compression ratio of 6.45 to 1. Actual brake horsepower 130 at 3200 r.p.m. Cast aluminium upper crankcase – floating type piston pins – 9 main bearings. Neutro-poised, five-point rubber engine mounting. Copper-lead alloy lined removable type connecting rod bearings.
  • Motor Lubrication: Full pressure lubrication to all main, connecting rod, piston pin, and camshaft bearings, also to valve rocker or lever mechanism. Full flow type oil filter and oil temperature regulator standard equipment – floating oil screen.
  • Fuel system: Mechanical pump with inbuilt gasoline filter. Electric gauge. 21-gallon gasoline tank.
  • Carburetion: Dual down-draft carburettor – automatic choke – oil bath air cleaner – automatic manifold heat control
  • Cooling system: Automatic, thermostatically controlled radiator shutters. Cellular radiator core – 18.4-inch fan.  Under-fender cooling tunnels. Ball-bearing permanently lubricated and packed water pump. Cylinder completely surrounded by water. Cooling system capacity 5.5 gallons. Heat control indicator on the instrument panel.
  • Clutch: Semi-centrifugal, air-cooled clutch. Single dry plate type. 11′ diameter. 11 ball and roller bearings. Clutch throw-out ball bearing lubricated for life.
  • Suspension: Complete Safe-T-fleX effect in front and rear.