Its Spring! Time for some open air driving, and what better for a cruise than the 1931 Packard 840 Deluxe Eight Dual-Cowl Sport Phaeton?
A gorgeous, behemoth of a car, with a giant radiator punctuated with giant headlights, all finished in chrome. Running boards smoothly arced up and over the front wheels into front fenders. It carried twin side-mounted spare tires, and the car rode on a long 140.5″ wheelbase.
The Goddess of Speed sits on the very front of the automobile, one of the loveliest ornaments to ever grace a hood.
The Packard Eight was manufactured during the Roaring ’20s, and seems to be emblematic of the era: Packard’s luxury 4 door ran was made between 1924 and 1936. The “Eight” referred to its straight 8 cylinder, 384.8 cubic inch engine that made a 120 HP. Chrome hood vents helped to cool the engine bay.
The Eight offered some innovative features: Engines sat on rubber mounting to reduce vibration and noise, four-speed synchromesh transmission, “Ride Control” adjustable hydraulic shock absorbers, automatic chassis lubrication, and “shatterproof” glass.
Despite their rarity and beauty, these are six figure cars: A version with rare features went for $264,000; this one sold at BAT for $135,000.
Source: Bring A Trailer
