1940 Packard 110 news, pictures, and information

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Auto Car | 1940 Packard 110 news, pictures, and information | Packard's Fifteenth Series in 1937 introduced a new type of automobile to the Packard lineup. It was a six-cylinder model which was 'downmarket' to the traditional Packard personna. The Packard Company was finding new ways to cope with the new economy and attempting to stimulate sales in the post-Great Depression marketplace. In 1939 the wagons first appeared in Packard catalogs. They were considerably late to this design, as many other marque's such as Ford, had been using wood-bodied cars for many years, most notable on their commercial line of vehicles.

For 1939, Packard sold a total of 500 wagons. In the early part of 1940, they began buying station wagon bodies from Hercules Body Company of Evansville, Indiana. The Hercules Company was a very established company by this point in history; their initial trade was as a carriage builder. In 1912 they began building body kits that could convert a Model T Ford roadster into a pickup. Their talents were called upon by many other automakers including Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Dodge.

The 1940 wood-bodied Packard's were made of ash frames with birch panels. At an additional cost, Mahogany panels could be ordered. For 1940, Packard supplied 358 Hercules bodies for the combined 110 and 120 model lines. The One-Ten models had a 122-inch wheelbase with a six-cylinder engine while the One-Twenty's had a 127-inch wheelbase and an eight-cylinder engine. The body designs were identical with the extra length on the One-Twenty being utilized by the larger engine and the firewall.

This car was delivered in May of 1940 by the Boston Packard dealer and by the mid-1970s had moved into the care of a California resident. It was treated to a restoration by the owner. Upon completion it was placed in a specially built alcove in the owner's living room. It has appeared on the cover of Packards International magazine in 1989, which is one of its only showings. It later passed to another owner who had it kept in a climate-controlled storage area and treated to another restoration in 2006-2007.

Less than a dozen Packard Station Wagons are known to be in existence with one or two in the condition of this car. In 2007 it was brought to the Gooding & Company auction held in Pebble Beach, Ca where it was estimated to sell for $200,000 - $260,000. Those estimates were not achieved, but the lot was still sold. Including buyer's premium, the lot was sold for $181,500.
Alvan Macauley became president of the Packard Motor Car Company in 1916 when Henry Joy retired. Macauley would remain in that position until 1938.

Packard's flagship vehicle during the 1910s and 1920s was the Twin Six and it was a very popular vehicle with those who could afford it. To stimulate sales, generate additional revenue, and to boost production, Packard created a scaled-down version, offered at a lower price, called the Single Six. It was introduced in the fall of 1920 and it was comprised of an engine that that half the cylinders of its twin-six counterpart.

Though this was an opportunity for more of the public to own a Packard, Macauley and his board of directors were shocked to find that the Single Six had not met sales expectations. In the post-War era, the economy had entered a depression, resulting in slow sales throughout the industry, and Packard being left with half of the Single Six models produced, unsold, and taking up space in dealer inventory.

The sales for the Twin Six remained solid, with 1921 being another fantastic year for the big twelve cylinder vehicle. Packard trucks also sold well, helping Packard rebound from the Single Six models.

For 1922, Packard introduced a new version of the Single Six. They had analyzed the first series of the Single Six and determined that slow sales were the result of a number of issues customers had with the vehicle. It was believed that the wheelbase length and its styling were not up to par for customers' demands. Maximum occupant capacity was limited to just five individuals. The Second Series rectified these issues, and was offered in two wheelbase sizes, the 126- and 133-inch. A seven-passenger model was also available.

Production of the Second Series was not ready in time for the start of the 1922 model year, so Packard carried over their Model 116 Sixes from the prior year, which they had 1,384 units still remaining.

When the Second Series was finally ready for consumer consumption, it was immediately obvious that Macauley and their stylists were headed in the right direction. The Second Series Six received great reviews for its sporty and attractive styling. In the first forty days, Packard realized $10 million in retail sales. Within a few months, production was unable to keep with demand and a backlog of orders continued to accumulate.

In 1924 the Single Eight was introduced and it was the first volume-produced American automobile to house an eight-cylinder engine and be outfitted with four-wheel brakes. In 1925, the Single Eight became the Eight, and the six-cylinder line was renamed to the Six.

The Eight was available in either a 136- or 143-inch size and offered with 12 cataloged factory bodies. The opportunity to take the rolling chassis to a custom coachbuilder was also made available to the customers. A special custom catalog offered a four-passenger sedan cabriolet by Judkins, town cabriolet by Fleetwood, a five-passenger stationary town cabriolet by Derham, a seven-passenger limousine sedan by Holbrook, and three custom models designed by the legendary designer, Dietrich.

Source : www.conceptcarz.com