Packard Custom Super Eight

Ultra luxury flagship automobiles

The Packard Custom Super Eight One Eighty was introduced for the 1940 model year (18th series) by the Packard Motor Car Company to replace the discontinued Packard Twelve as their top of the line luxury model. The car was derived from the Packard Super Eight One Sixty with which it shared the complete running gear including the in line eight cylinder, engine that developed 180 horsepower. It was advertised as the most powerful eight cylinder engine offered by any automobile manufacturer in 1940. (By contrast, the Cadillac Series 70 346 cubic inch V 8 developed 150 hp). It was complemented and gradually replaced by the more modern looking and mid level Packard Clipper in 1941 and integrated into the Super Eight after the war. Packards of all series (110, 120, 160, 180) shared similar body styling in 1940 (which some later said led to a "cheapening" of the once exclusive luxury marque), using the same bodies with hoods and front fenders of different length to meet their respective chassis. Thus the 160 and 180 got identical bodies. However, the 180s featured finer interior detailing with the best fabrics, leather, and carpeting available. Packard used a special woolen ceiling in these cars only which was sewn longitudinally. Packard built the partition in its Limousines in a way that there was no hint of it when the partition glass was lowered, allowing the owner to use the car by himself as a sedan (thus the designation "Sedan Limousine" by Packard). In 1940, Packard made air conditioning an option. Also, the ZIS 110 shares no sheet metal with any Packard, despite the fact that its external decor elements were intentionally designed to heavily resemble pre war Packards, favoured by Stalin after he had received a '38 Super Eight convertible sedan as gift from Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Designer Howard "Dutch" Darrin had made a few special bodies on Packard basis, beginning in 1937. He tried to sell Packard on the idea of Darrin bodied cars being offered directly by Packard, and finally got his way after parking one if his creations outside the Packard dealers' annual conference. For the 1940 model year, three Darrin bodystyles were available: the closed four door Sport Sedan, the four door Convertible Sedan, and the two door Convertible Victoria. About 100 Packard Darrins were built until 1942, when production of private cars ended because of the war. This was much fewer than planned. Between 59 and 72 Packard Darrins were built in 1940, of which 44 (or 48) were One Eighties and the remainder One Twenties. The "free flow" slab sided appearance was shared with all Packards and senior trim levels could be distinguished with an egg crate grille, and horizontal bars below the traditional "ox yoke" grille that wrapped around to the front wheel opening. The overall appearance was distinctive, with Packard winning several awards for the design, including the "Fashion Car of the Year" from the New York Fashion Academy. The "Winged Goddess" cormorant hood ornament was introduced, intended to evoke the popular appearance from Packards of the 1930s. The 2 door Club Sedan was joined with the first convertible offered since 1942, called the Victoria Convertible Model 2259, and was available with the Super and Custom Super trim packages. Custom Super trim packages could be identified by having two stainless steel body trim at the bottom edge of the body, while Super trim did not have them after 1949.