1930 Packard Custom Eight 740 Club Sedan

[alsancle]

Love this.

 

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1930-packard-custom-eight-740-club-sedan/

 

This 1930 Packard Custom Eight 740 Club Sedan was delivered new via Packard Motor Company of New York in September 1929, and it was purchased by the selling dealer in 2023. The car is finished in black over tan cloth upholstery, and power comes from a 384.8ci straight-eight paired with a four-speed manual transmission. Features include 19″ wire wheels, dual side-mount spares, a spotlight, rear-hinged rear doors, running boards, a fold-down luggage rack, rear footrests, and a robe cord. This Seventh Series Packard is now offered in Saint Louis, Missouri, with a clean Connecticut title.

 

[pmhowe]

I agree with you; that is a lovely, lovely car.

[trimacar]

Agree also, what a beauty…hope it goes to a great home…

 

Edited August 23, 2023 by trimacar (see edit history)

[John Bloom]

What a big regal ride.  Hope someone I know might jump on it.  

[ericmac]

Nothing here not to like. That would look good in my garage. 

[Marty Roth]

Not everyone would care for the whitewall tires -

a matter of personal taste.

I like it, but  some friends would say they detract

[58L-Y8]

The simple expedient of moving the rear of the body closer to the rear axle plane vastly improves the proportions of the Classic Era luxury cars.

[alsancle]

5 hours ago, 58L-Y8 said:

The simple expedient of moving the rear of the body closer to the rear axle plane vastly improves the proportions of the Classic Era luxury cars.

 

Steve.  I recall you had a design term for this?   Why I got roped in to this thing.  All because Dietrich decided to end the body over the rear axle.    I was just handed 4 invoices today.

[58L-Y8]

18 minutes ago, alsancle said:

 

Steve.  I recall you had a design term for this?   Why I got roped in to this thing.  All because Dietrich decided to end the body over the rear axle.    I was just handed 4 invoices today.

A.J.:

The term you might be thinking of is "3-box sedan".  Dietrich understood that our eyes read the main body mass beginning at the front axle plane.  As that body mass enlarges to include the passenger compartment, in order to make pleasing visual sense of the form it should mostly end at the rear axle plane.  Of course, this was contrary to the accepted configuration of placing the rear seat passengers over and even beyond that rear axle plane.  It was a holdover from the carriage and early touring cars to accommodate the greatest number of passengers.   With all that body mass beyond the rear axle plane, the car looks tail-heavy and less pleasing.  The English termed it "over cabbed".

 

The development of club sedan with its rear body space reduced by moving the end toward the rear axle plane was an effort by the custom body designers to give sedan customers a choice which dismissed maximum passenger capacity in exchange for more stylish, pleasing proportions.  It might be thought of as "abbreviated 2-box" because the final step to become a full 3-box was the integration of the trunk as on your REO Royale 8-48 Dietrich.  At that point, the cowl and engine compartment become Box 1; the lower passenger compartment and integrated trunk become Box 2; the separate greenhouse placed on top becomes Box 3.   However, one wants to group those masses, the results are much more visually pleasing as your Dietrich REO admirably demonstrates.   

 

Ray Dietrich also instituted the varying of window sizes to subtly add visual interest to dispel the static looks of equal window sizes so rife in early 1920's sedan.   His ideal was 3-2-1 with the front door the widest, the rear door lesser and the quarter window and/or roof sail panel the smallest.  It's all a visual balancing act at which Dietrich was a master.

 

You just knew you weren't going to get a simple answer from me to your astute question, didn't you?

Steve

[m-mman]

Yes, this is all well and good from a styling viewpoint but there are practical aspects to the Town sedan, Club sedan, close coupled sedan. 

 

When the passengers are seated above the rear axle they are a distance from the driver.

 

This is acceptable/preferable for a chauffeured car, but in an owner driver car you might want to converse with your guests (aka passengers) and by moving them closer to the front seat the travel is more intimate and conversation is easier. 

[Fossil]

When buying a car like this prestige meant more than practicality.

[m-mman]

1 hour ago, Fossil said:

When buying a car like this prestige meant more than practicality

If you can’t easily discuss the opera or philharmonic with your friends as you motor to fine dining, prestige is meaningless.  😉