Tph479
-
Posts
276 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Forums
Gallery
Events
Posts posted by Tph479
-
-
21 hours ago, 58L-Y8 said:
No doubt the Light Eight diverted Standard Eight sales, it was 'enough' Packard for the price in uncertain times. The typical three-to-five-year new car replacement cycle just for the 1928 Sixes and 1929 Standard Eights of 89K total owners provided Packard with a base for its least expensive model. This disregards those prior Custom and Deluxe owner who, given the tenor of the times, thought it wise to 'trade-down' temporarily but still with a Packard.
One ironic thing the Packard Light Eight probed was the coming price segment for entry level luxury cars: -/+$1,700. At that pricing, management also received a hard lesson in that to profit at that level, the overall car had to be designed to do so, not simply, in the current parlance 'de-contented'. The industry then was a pretty insular community, GM watched it competitors closely, quickly noticed the Light Eight produced 40.7% of Packard's 1932 sales. With decisions being made about its own struggling makes, Cadillac fortuitously had a sacrificial lamb in its fold to test that new lower price segment without sullying its prestige: the 1934 LaSalle, $1,695. When the market responded positively, it was time for Cadillac itself to take the same tact: 1936 Cadillac 60: $1,695. While Packard was occupied with its excellent 120 and 115 conquesting the re-aligned upper medium-priced segment -/+$1,100, Cadillac happily invited those seeking a fine car into their fraternity at an attractive price.
Packard had a sales winner on its hands with the 120 and 115. In 1937 Packard had sales volumes that they last achieved in 1929 before sales cratered. I would bet that during the 1920’s and early 1930’s those buyers of the lower cost CCCA classic Packards were also the same buyers of the 120 and 115. Here they got a more advanced car with juice brakes and independent front suspension, a faster car that was a lot easier to drive, more fuel efficient and the car was probably better built and sold for less than half the price they would have paid for their 1929 626 model, and the 115 and 120 looked like a senior Packard, just like the 526 and 626 looked like a 640 Packard.
I compare this to a cell phone, where a brick phone cost over a grand when it came out and now we have smart phones that can do everything under the sun and phone companies give them away for free. Technology quickly gets more advanced and the price usually goes down as it gets more public implementation.
-
13 hours ago, 8E45E said:
And technology. Advancements, including overdrive, improved lubrication, etc., enabled cars to travel faster and last longer between rebuilds. The fastest one travelled on a highway in 1930 was maybe 45-50 mph. When the PA Turnpike opened in 1940, the speed limit was 70 mph.
Packard needed the 120 to survive. Unlike Cadillac or Lincoln, Packard had no cash-generating low priced, high volume divisions like Chevrolet or Ford to prop up the company when luxury car sales were slow. Rolls-Royce even had to come out with the entry level 20/25 series to maintain sales during the Great Depression.
Craig
The 120’s are fabulous cars. They are very nimble and are easy to drive. My personal belief is that Packard wouldn’t have survived the 1930’s without it. 160’s and 180’s to me are just larger 120’s based on the same design principles. If I recall, I think guys from Pontiac or another GM branch were hired to develop the junior cars. Correct me if I am wrong.
You are correct about the fast moving pace of automobile technology during this time period and also the roads being designed for faster travel. All car manufacturers were quickly developing quicker, faster cars with standard comforts and features that were unheard of 10 years prior, especially in the sub $2,000 price range. Price points came down and the quality and advancements in non classic cars greatly improved during the 1930’s.
The guys running Packard did what they had to do to survive and they were able to keep afloat in an era where a lot of other independents closed the doors.
-
1
-
-
-
When I was visiting this collection, I was taken back by the size of his personal restoration shop. There were maybe 15 talented employees working on nothing but his cars, one of which, a 1937 Nash coupe, was nominated for the Zenith award this past year. The buildings could have been easily filled with Duesenberg’s and European cars with fancy Spaghetti Alfredo bodywork but Bulgari has went out of way to restore and collect American cars. I have seen pictures of his collection in Rome and it is similar to what he keeps in Pennsylvania.
We were treated with a goodie bag when we left, which included a hardcover book on his collection of Limousines of the Vatican and also a model car. You could tell talking to his restoration guys that their passion for the hobby probably mirrors Bulgari’s.
-
3
-
-
1932 Packard light eight.
-
7
-
-
I was at the collection earlier this year on a tour. It really is a stunning collection and the restorations are magnificent on cars that usually never get that kind of treatment. The grounds and buildings were fantastic and in spotless condition. If anyone ever gets the opportunity to visit it I would highly recommend going.
Mr. Bulgari should be commended on his dedication to the hobby and the hospitality that he has shown to us fellow enthusiasts. The pictures above do not do the place justice. Every car is in immaculate, authentic condition and all of the cars are in turnkey running condition. Kudos to a job well done and it was a real treat to see it in person.
-
4
-
-
My brother bought a wood boat last month. He tried to take it on a maiden voyage with one of my other brothers the same week he bought it. The second it rolled off the trailer it started to sink. The recently divorced seller was getting rid of it to fund a set of new aftermarket parts for his new girlfriend. I don’t know who got the better deal on this transaction.
-
Reviewing the chart, most of the 9th series standard eights and deluxe eights had to be built in the 1931 calendar year and took most of 1932 to sell. The month of august was absolutely brutal for production. I do not have the twin six production figures by month, but 549 of them were produced from January 1932 on. But from June 1932 on, you can easily see how quickly it was deteriorating at Packard. It would be interesting to see the custom body orders with all of the coach builders to see what their trends were.
I wonder how many of the light eight sales stole from the standard and deluxe eight numbers or alternatively, if the light eight wasn’t around would packard had those sales anyway. Werner Gubitz did a fine job with light eight design on the shorter wheelbase and maybe it was the stop gap the company needed to boost sales and experiment with new engineering. Werner did to an excellent job at maintaining and updating the Packard look through he rest of his career.
It would have been interesting to have been a fly on the wall in the Packard corporate office after the 1929 banner year and hear them talking about the quickly collapsing luxury market. Like Su8overdrive said no money, no sales. What I really find interesting is that while the party was quickly coming to an end during the years of 1932-1934, it also brought out some of the finest designs of the classic era.
-
1
-
-
7 minutes ago, Tph479 said:
I thought all of you would find this interesting. Amazing how the sales plummeted as the depression went on.
-
3
-
-
I thought all of you would find this interesting. Amazing how the sales plummeted as the depression went on.
-
1
-
-
18 hours ago, alsancle said:
Yes, that is the rumor. And it is a shame That bodied was mounted in 1947 by a Frejat a French coachbuilder. Car was black then white before it was red. Owned by Thomas Barrett at one time. Here is a picture Tim Heywood posted earlier in the thread.
I was told that this car was very, very awkward to drive because of how much space there was between the drivers seat and drivers door. I have another picture of it somewhere that I’ll try to dig up.
-
1
-
-
6 hours ago, alsancle said:
Yes, that is the rumor. And it is a shame That bodied was mounted in 1947 by a Frejat a French coachbuilder. Car was black then white before it was red. Owned by Thomas Barrett at one time. Here is a picture Tim Heywood posted earlier in the thread.
This picture was taken in Chicago after the car was pulled out of the sticks somewhere in Florida. A mangrove tree fell on it and that is why the headlights are out of wack.
I always wonder if there is a building somewhere where a bunch of closed car bodies are hiding after having there chassis donated to new coachwork projects.
-
1
-
1
-
-
Let’s see some pictures of those parasitic appendages.
-
1
-
-
On 12/9/2023 at 6:05 AM, prewarnut said:
A nice looking P1 is at auction in Kissimmee among '60s muscle cars....
This is a local Chicago area car coming out of an estate. The colors are colors that look different inside compared to outside, and then outside they look different from being in the sun to being in the shade. In person I would say the blues have a slight purple tint to them. If I remember correctly, they built 67 newmarkets and the later bodies built had a raked windshield.
-
3
-
-
8 hours ago, edinmass said:
Every Sunday we go for a 60 mile drive in one of our Classics…….this morning, we got a little something extra. Good news, we were at the beach……..🏖️
That looks like the V16 aerodynamic coupe with the phenomenal restoration on it. You have to look at the positives, the tire was only flat on one side and it looks like you got to enjoy a fantastic breakfast location.
-
The car is not too far from me. It has been of fb for a while and it must be a relatives account that it is posted under. Word was passed around that the car would be available before it was posted on marketplace. The owner is getting older and he does occasionally take the car out and drive it around.
My friends worked on the car within the last 10 years or so. It has a phenomenal paint and pinstripe job.
The picture is from a few months back.. A local, once a year cruise night where about 1000 cars showed up this year. I think there was maybe 10 prewar cars. Not that many prewar hot rods or street rods either. The reason I bring that up is because there is some other threads going on right now about prewar cars and pricing. Once the car sells it will probably be one less prewar classic car in the area. In the last 10-12 years prewar guys have died off and the cars have left the area and few people have replaced them.
Fb marketplace is interesting. I have found some interesting parts that were needle in a haystack kind of parts.
-
2
-
-
My daily driver is more than half way there to being an aaca accepted car. Besides slowly turning into a winter beater, it is also on its way to being a high mileage spring, summer and fall beater.
-
Cadillac v8 victoria coupe
-
7
-
-
14 hours ago, 30DodgePanel said:
Do you recall where you found it? I'd like to read the rest of it.
I was playing around on the Googler yesterday and I typed in the search engine both Babe Ruth car and Babe Ruth packard. I found this book page down in the images section. I also wanted to read the rest of the article but only that page came up when I clicked in it. Babe must have been a real baller back in the day. I also find the picture of him in riding in the Lincoln fascinating. The deep crowds, well dressed people, cop on the motorcycle, and what looks like Boy Scouts holding the line.
I would place Ruth, Ali and Jordan on top of the mantle of athletes that transcended into world pop culture by a country mile. I can’t think of any other ones that everyone from young to old can instantly recognize by a picture or just by first or last name alone.
-
1
-
-
On 11/30/2023 at 8:20 PM, Tph479 said:
Packard twin six. You all should know who is sitting in it.
I was just playing around on the worldwide web that one of our ex politicians invented, and came across this page describing Ruth’s maroon Packard roadster. Thought you all would enjoy.
-
4
-
-
My buddy and I once had a conversation about cars with reproduction or replica bodies on them, or cars that were made up of floor sweepings and his comment was that back in the Roman days some Romans were probably popping out replica Roman chariots in their colosseums behind their house so replicas are nothing new.
These pictures just made me remember that conversation since we had a good laugh over his witty comment.
-
1
-
-
Mercedes Benz boat tail. Incredible proportions on this one for the vintage.
-
7
-
-
1 hour ago, E-116-YH said:
I don't know what year it is and whom built the body but here is another image of it. The car does seem to have Disteel wheels on it. I have attach an image of one from a 1919 Premier.
The Sultan of Swats car is 1922 or older. This was a real super car of the day, fitting to a person such as Babe Ruth. This has a 90 horsepower 60 degree v-12 engine and a 3 speed transmission sitting on an 136 inch wheelbase. It’s a very quick and fast car for the day. This is quite the car for the vintage with its cycle car fenders, boat tail (or maybe bobtail) body, raked cut down windshield and use of a nickel plated grill shell and headlights. I bet The Great Bambino had a lot of fun with this car. I’ve read somewhere that this may have been a $10,000 dollar when new. Expensive, super car of the day.
-
2
-
-
12 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:
This car is on display at Disney. Same year and model as my '29 Cadillac. I spotted it last time I was there and was chagrined by just how mutilated it really is. Did you notice the white vinyl interior? I couldn't see what was under the hood, but I presume a SBC.
Yes I seen the interior. My eyes still hurt from seeing the interior. I think it even had an eight track player sticking out of the dash board.
-
1
-
1932 Packard production and sales
in CCCA - General
Posted
You are an excellent writer and historian. It is a shame what transpired.
I get the impression that you are a fan of Gubitz. He was experimenting with the hood going back to the windshield in 1931 for the cheapest Packard line. It wasn’t until 1934 that the hood covering the cowl was used on the custom v windshield Dietrich’s and custom Lebarron’s. From 1935 on it was used throughout the Packard line.