The
Packard One-Twenty
(also One Twenty and 120) was an automobile produced by the Packard
Motor Car Company of
Detroit, Michigan
from 1935 to 1937 and from 1939 through the 1941 model years. The
One-Twenty model
designation was replaced by the Packard
Eight model name during model years 1938
and 1942.
The One-Twenty is an important
car in Packard's history because it signified the first time that
Packard entered into the highly competitive mid-priced eight cylinder
car market. Packard enthusiasts view the production of the One-Twenty
and the Six/One-Ten models as the start of Packard losing its hold on
the market as the premier American luxury automotive brand.
The introduction of the
One-Twenty (and later the Six/One-Ten models) was a necessary move to
keep Packard in business during the final years of the Great Depression.
The reason the company decided to forgo the development of a companion
brand name to sell the less expensive models may have been linked to its
single production line capability at its Grand Avenue manufacturing
plant as much as to the expense of launching a new brand of automobile.
By making the One-Twenty a Packard, the car
could be brought to market quickly, and would afford buyers the cachet
of owning a Packard.
1935-1939
In its introduction year, the Packard One-Twenty was
available in a broad array of body styles including two and four-door
sedans, convertible and Club Coupe. The One-Twenty was powered by
Packard's L-Head Eight cylinder engine producing 110 bhp (82 kW) at 3850
rpm. Prices for the car ranged from $980 for the three-passenger
business coupe to $1,095 for the Touring Sedan. Introduced in January
1935, the car was an immediate success with consumers with Packard
producing 24,995 One-Twentys compared to 7,000 of all other type
Packards for the year.
For 1936 Packard increased the displacement on the
L-Head Eight, increasing its output to 120 bhp (89 kW), making the car
capable of clocking a top speed of 85 mph (137 km/h). The One-Twenty
added a convertible four door-sedan model which was the most expensive
model in the range priced at $1,395. A total 55,042 units rolled off the
line in 1936, the highest production that the One-Twenty would reach.
In 1937, the One-Twenty went
up-market as company introduced the Packard Six, the first six cylinder
Packard in ten years. For 1937 the One-Twenty broadened its model range
and was now available in "C" and "CD" trim levels. The line also added a
wood-bodied station wagon, Touring Sedan and limousine built on a 138"
(inch) wheelbase and priced under $2,000. Introduced in September 1936,
50,100 units were produced during series production.
For 1938, the One-Twenty name
was dropped and its model folded into the
Packard Eight
model range, and bringing the model name into parity with the Packard
Six.
Returning to the Packard model range, the One-Twenty
continued to be offered in a full range of body styles from coupe to
Touring Limousine, with prices for the model range between $1,099 and
$1,856. New for the year was introduction of column shifting, which did
away with the floor shifter. Introduced in September 1938, a total of
17,647 units were built during the recession year which saw all
automotive production the 1937 model year.
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