Packard (formerly the Packard Motor Car Company) was an American luxury automobile company located in Detroit, Michigan. The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899, and the last Packards were built in South Bend, Indiana, in 1958.

One of the "Three Ps" – alongside Peerless Motor Company and Pierce-Arrow – the company was known for building high-quality luxury automobiles before World War II. Owning a Packard was considered prestigious, and surviving examples are often found in museums and automobile collections

Packard vehicles featured innovations, including the modern steering wheel, air-conditioning in a passenger car, and one of the first production 12-cylinder engines, adapted from developing the Liberty L-12 engine used during World War I to power warplanes.

1899 Ohio Model A, “Old Number One.” 

early & brass era (1899–1915)

• Model A to Model F (1899–1903): The first pioneering single-cylinder cars.
• Model L (1904): Packard’s first 4-cylinder car, featuring the iconic "shouldered" radiator.
• Model S (1906).
• Model 18, Model 30 & 4-48 (1907–1915): Early standard luxury tourers and runabouts.
• Packard Six (1913–1915): The first senior-level luxury platform.

classic & pre-war era (1916–1942)

• Twin Six (1916–1923): The famous V12.
• Single Six & Single Eight (1921–1928): Popular 6-cylinder and 8-cylinder lines that succeeded the Twin Six.
• Light Eight (1932): A short-lived, more affordable entry-level classic.
• Super Eight (1933–1951): Flagship high-performance luxury cars.
• Packard Twelve (1932–1939): The pinnacle of pre-war Packard luxury.
• One-Ten & One-Twenty (1935–1942): Highly popular mid-tier models that saved the company during the Great Depression. 

twelve

The Packard Twelve was a range of V12-engined luxury automobiles built by the Packard Motor Car Company in Detroit, Michigan. The car was built from model year 1916 until 1923, then it returned 1933 until 1939. As a sign of changing times, the majority of second generation Packard Twelves received standard bodywork, with custom bodywork gradually losing favor. Many of the custom cars were actually only "semi-customs", with Dietrich assembling Packard-made bodies with special touches.

Packard introduced the Twin Six to stay competitive with Marmon, Pierce-Arrow, Rolls-Royce, Renault and other luxury brands. Cadillac and Lincoln began offering large luxury products starting in the late 1910s.

Large displacement engines provided the horsepower and torque their clients wanted and due to the low quality of gasoline fuel at the time, and low compression ratios, 50 bhp was more than adequate. For 1933 Packard reintroduced a twelve-cylinder engine, initially called the "Twin Six", then changing the name to "Packard Twelve," to align it with the rest of the Packard lineup.

In October 1935, American President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave Joseph Stalin an armoured Packard Twelve, which became the dictator's favourite automotive vehicle for many years.

super eight

1933-1951

The Packard Super Eight was the larger of the two eight-cylinder luxury automobiles produced by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan. It shared frames and some body types with the top model Packard Twelve. The 1933–1936 Packard Super Eight was a big classic. In 1937, it was reduced to a smaller and lighter design.  Following the discontinuation of the Sixteenth Series Twelve after the 1939 model year, a new Custom Super Eight One-Eighty was derived from the Super Eight as the new top car range.

 The Super Eight was renamed the Super Eight One-Sixty starting a naming convention change in 1940. These two models shared most mechanical components including the 160 HP straight Eight engine and continued to be regarded as the Senior Packard.

After 1942, Packard concentrated on the new Clipper styling that was developed for an upper-class sedan the previous year. There were Super Clippers and Custom Super Clipper in the One-Sixty and One-Eighty tradition until 1947. After a heavy facelift, the name Clipper was dropped.

In 1949, a new Super Eight Deluxe was added to the line. This car had also the Custom Eight's eggcrate grille, but not the rear trim.

The entire range of Packard's motorcars was renamed for the 1951 model year (twenty-fourth series), when the Super Eight was renamed 300.

1942–1945

In 1942, the Packard Motor Car Company converted to 100% war production. During World War II, Packard again built airplane engines, licensing the Merlin engine from Rolls-Royce as the V-1650, which powered the P-51 Mustang fighter, ironically known as the "Cadillac of the Skies" by GIs in WWII. Packard also built 1350-, 1400-, and 1500-hp V-12 marine engines for American PT boats (each boat used three) and some of Britain's patrol boats. Packard ranked 18th among United States corporations in the value of wartime production contracts.

By the end of the war in Europe, Packard Motor Car Company had produced over 55,000 combat engines. Sales in 1944 were $455.118.600. By May 6, 1945, Packard had a backlog on war orders of $568 million.

post-war & final years (1946–1958)

• Clipper (1941–1947, 1953–1956): A legendary streamlined model that eventually became its own marque in the mid-1950s.
• Custom Super Eight / 160 / 180 (1940s–1950s): Post-war continuations of senior Packards.
• 200, 300 & 400 (1951–1954): Packard's streamlined entry and senior tier models in the early 50s.
• Caribbean (1953–1956): A limited-production, highly stylized convertible halo car.
• Cavalier (1953–1954): Mid-century touring sedan.
• Executive (1956): A lower-priced upper-tier car meant to bridge the gap between Clipper and Patrician.
• Patrician (1951–1956): The top-of-the-line luxury model in Packard's final years.
• Packard Hawk (1958): A unique, sporty coupe produced during the final Studebaker-Packard merger era

clipper

The Packard Clipper is an automobile series built by the Packard Motor Car Company (and by the later Studebaker-Packard Corporation) for model years 1941–1942, 1946–1947, and 1953–1957. It was named for a type of sailing ship, called a clipper.

The Clipper was introduced in April 1941, as a mid-model year entry. It was available only as a four-door sedan. The extreme top-rung high hat models had had their day, with engineering improvements, less expensive, more rationally sized fare predominating.

The Clipper name was re-introduced in 1953, for the automaker's lowest-priced lineup, leading some to think it was a cheap car initially, instead of a full-range offering. By 1955, the Clipper models were seen as diluting Packard's marketing as a luxury automobile marque.

200

The Packard 200 is 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 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.

Concurrently, the company also produced the Packard 250, which shared the same basic body and wheelbase as the 200, but was equipped with Packard's larger 5.4 L 8-cylinder in-line engine and stylized with more upscale exterior detailing. The 250 model line consisted of the convertible and the Mayfair hardtop.

Both the 200 and the 250 were considered "junior" series cars, and were separated from the Packard 300 and Packard Patrician 400 models by their shorter wheelbases and lesser trim appointments.

The 200 and 250 models were renamed the Packard Clipper Special and Clipper Deluxe, part of Nance's plan to ultimately spin the cars off into their own make in 1956 as the standalone Clipper and return the Packard name to a maker of strictly luxury automobiles.

mayfair

The name Mayfair was applied to the 1951–1953 Packard 250 as a hardtop coupe nameplate built by the Packard Motor Corporation in an attempt to compete in this body style with the Oldsmobile 98 Holiday, Buick Roadmaster Riviera, Lincoln Capri and Chrysler New Yorker Newport hardtop coupes. It was named for the City of Westminster's luxurious district Mayfair in London, England. The coupe body style was also used for a convertible, while the Mayfair model name was exclusive to the hardtop.

The Mayfair came standard-equipped with a three speed manual transmission, while Packard's Ultramatic automatic transmission, four-way power seat, leather upholstery, power steering, power assist "Easamatic" drum brakes, heater and windshield defroster, chrome cormorant hood ornament, and power windows were available as extra cost options

The Mayfair was succeeded in 1954 by the Pacific, which achieved Senior status with the inclusion of the larger 5.9 L 4-bbl. L-head Straight-eight engine and full "senior trim" of the Packard Patrician, while the Convertible continued as the Model 5479 Convertible and the all-new Packard Caribbean.

patrician

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.

caribbean

The Packard Caribbean is a full-sized luxury car that was made by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, during model years 1953 through 1956. Some of the Caribbean's styling was derived from the Pan American Packard show car of the previous year. Available only as a convertible from 1953 until 1955 with a hardtop model added in its final year of 1956.The Packard Caribbean is a full-sized luxury car that was made by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, during model years 1953 through 1956. Some of the Caribbean's styling was derived from the Pan American Packard show car of the previous year. Available only as a convertible from 1953 until 1955 with a hardtop model added in its final year of 1956.

The 1953 Caribbean was perhaps Packard's most easily identified car because of its full cutout rear wheel housing and side trim, limited to a chrome band that outlined the bottom of the car's entire length.

For the 1956 model year, the Caribbean was designated as a separate luxury series, and a hardtop model was added.

The Caribbean was powered by a 6.1 L V8 engine which included Packard's "Ultramatic" push-button automatic transmission. The engine featured dual four-barrel carburetors and a 10:1 compression ratio to develop 310 hp.

The Studebaker-Packard Corporation is the entity created in 1954 by the purchase of the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana, by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan. While Studebaker was the larger of the two companies, Packard's balance sheet and executive team were stronger than that of the South Bend company.

It was hoped that Packard would benefit from Studebaker's larger dealer network. Studebaker hoped to gain through the additional strength that Packard's cash position could provide.

Packard executives soon discovered that Studebaker had been less than forthcoming in all of its financial and sales records. The situation was considerably more dire than Packard was led to believe; Studebaker's break-even point was an unreachable 282.000 cars at a time when the company had barely sold 82.000 cars in 1954. Furthering the new company's problems was the loss of about 30% of Studebaker's dealer network by 1956.

The Packards (for 1957 and 1958) were essentially Studebaker Presidents with a redesigned front clip using Packard parts and redesigned interior and tail of the car also using Packard parts. The vehicles were referred to as "Packardbakers". The final Packard rolled off the assembly line on July 25, 1958.

executive

The Packard Executive was an automobile produced by the Packard-Clipper Division of the Studebaker-Packard Corporation in 1956. It was built to fill a perceived price gap between other Packard models.

The cars extremely short production year was caused by the closure of the Detroit factory, where it was built, in June 1956.

The Executive was marketed with the invitation to “enter the luxury car class now—at a modest investment,” and was aimed at "the young man on the way up." It  used the Clipper Custom's 3100 mm wheelbase and its 5.8 L 275 hp all new, Packard designed overhead valve V8 engine. This contrasted with the engine used by the top level 1956 Packard Patrician, which displaced 6.1 L and developed 295 hp  (310 hp  for the Caribbean).

During the Executive's shortened model year of March through June, Packard built a total of 2779 Executives—1031 two-door hardtops and 1748 four-door sedans.

hawk

The Packard Hawk is a model of automobile. It was the sportiest of the four Packard-badged Studebakers produced in 1958, the final year of Packard production.

The 1958 Packard Hawk was essentially a Studebaker Golden Hawk 400 with a fiberglass front end and modified deck lid. It was positioned as an alternative to the market favorite Ford Thunderbird, which offered an all-new version in 1958 as well. Instead of the Studebaker Hawk's upright Mercedes-style grille, the Packard Hawk had a wide, low opening just above the front bumper and covering the whole width of the car.

The styling was definitely controversial, often described as 'vacuum-cleaner' or 'catfish' by detractors. The styling has come to be appreciated more today than in its debut.

 The engine had a McCulloch supercharger that gave the Studebaker 4.7 L V8 a total of 275 bhp. Most were equipped with the Borg-Warner three-speed automatic transmission. Approximately 28 were produced with the B-W T85 3-speed w/overdrive manual transmission

Only 588 were sold, with Packard's impending demise a likely contributing factor.

packard pan-american

The Packard Pan-American is a concept car produced for the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan in 1952.

Conceived as a moderate-performance two-seater by Hugh Ferry, president of Packard, it was built by Henney, which was responsible for fitting custom hearse and ambulance bodies on Packard chassis. A status symbol for a carmaker at the time, this sort of car was a very unlikely project for Packard.

With styling by Henney, it was based on the 1951 Series 250 convertible, and ready in time for the 1952 New York International Motor Sports Show. Sectioned and channelled, in a fashion reminiscent of the 1953 Skylark, and wearing the trademark Packard grille, it "was elegantly trimmed throughout".

Packard spent US$10.000 ($121.241 in 2025 dollars ) building the Pan-American, and management tried in vain to imagine, let alone develop, a market for a roadster projected to cost at least US$18.000 ($218.233 in 2025 dollars ), at a time when the top-line Lincoln Capri six-passenger convertible went for US$3.665 ($44.435 in 2025 dollars ), the premier eight-place Cadillac Series 75 Fleetwood US$5.643 ($68.416 in 2025 dollars ), and even Packard's Patrician 400, their most expensive production model, was only US$3.767 ($45.671 in 2025 dollars ), and a six-seater.

As many as six examples were built. The Pan-American did inspire a successful six-place model, the Caribbean, which debuted in 1953.

panther

The Packard Panther is a concept car built in 1954 by Packard and was displayed at auto shows to showcase some of the ideas the automaker was considering for its production models. This show car was first named the "Grey Wolf" and also called the "Packard Daytona".  A total of four Panthers were built.

The Panther is a two-seat "personal luxury" sporting convertible (in the same vein as the Pan-American), with Packard styling cues, but lower stance. Originally, the cars had 1955 Clipper taillights, but these were subsequently removed and replaced with the Senior Series' "cathedral" style units. The design for the Panther's one-piece fiberglass body is credited to Dick Teague. He designed several Packard cars and worked at Mitchell-Bentley Corporation at the time. Teague later joined American Motors Corporation (AMC).

Although it was shown in late 1954 and 1955 (when Packard was already advertising its new, modern overhead valve V8), the Panther featured the company's previous  5.4 L L-head (flathead) straight-eight, supercharged to produce 275 hp, along with Ultramatic automatic transmission.

Of the four Panthers built, one was owned by Mitchell-Bentley exec William Mitchell, Sr. The Mitchell car is the only Panther that had a removable hardtop (which resembled that of the 1955 Thunderbird).