1933 Packard Eight 5-Passenger Coupe

This 1933 Packard Eight 5-Passenger Coupe is a beautifully restored pre-war cruiser and a Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) True Classic! From its modest beginnings in 1899,...

This 1933 Packard Eight 5-Passenger Coupe is a beautifully restored pre-war cruiser and a Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) True Classic! From its modest beginnings in 1899, the Packard Motor Company garnered a reputation of high-quality, prestige, and luxury. In the years that followed, Packard trademarked it famous slogan "Ask the Man Who Owns One" and cemented itself atop America's luxury automakers including Cadillac, Marmon, Stutz, Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg, Peerless, and Pierce-Arrow. However, when the economy crashed in the fall of 1929 and plunged the world's economy into the throws of the Great Depression, the demand for luxury cars crashed too. In fact, the 1929 Stock Market Crash put Packard's contemporaries Peerless and Marmon out of business, and put Stutz, Pierce-Arrow, and Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg on the brink of failure. Even Packard and Cadillac were put under immense financial pressure for several years despite the fact that both marques would ultimately survive the Depression. 1933 appeared to be, in the eyes of Packard, a turning point for the company which seemed to have survived the economic downturn in the Great Depression. In fact, Packard turned its first profit in 1933, albeit a modest one, but that sure beat the $5 million loss from the previous year. 1933 also marked the introduction of Packard model's new naming conventions consisting of the Eight, Super Eight, and Twelve nomenclature, replacing the former Standard, Deluxe Eight, and Twin-Six names. Packard's mechanical improvements in '33 were also noteworthy and included a new "X" member frame, an upgraded 2-barrel carburetor, and the novel vacuum-assisted braking system which was 4-position adjustable. The Packard Eight model line was comprised of 2 different chassises, the shorter 127.5" wheelbase Series 1001 and the longer, more luxurious 136" wheelbase Series 1002. This particular '33 Packard is a 1002 model 5-Passenger Coupe, sitting on the longer 136" wheelbase chassis. Moreover, this 1933 Packard 8 comes to us from the large collection of an avid collector who purchased the car from a southern-based museum nearly 30 years ago. Under the hood on this 1933 Packard is a 319.2 Cubic Inch L-Head Straight 8 paired with a single 2 barrel carburetor that was said to have created 120 horsepower when new. The 319 Straight 8 is backed by a 3 speed manual transmission that is shifted using the floor-mounted shifter. The iconic '33 Packard grille is color-matched to the exterior of the car and is adorned by the deluxe "Cormorant" chrome hood ornament. Riding on a set of wide whitewall bias-ply tires on painted wire wheels, this 1933 Packard 8 has a wonderful look going down the road. A rear-mounted spare tire sits in front of the integrated rear trunk compartment and further adds to the classy look of this pre-war automobile. Braking is provided by mechanical brakes in all four corners aided by a Bendix vacuum-assist system that was quite a novel idea back in 1933. Once of the most interesting features of this '33 Packard Eight are the front "pivot-pane" windows that act as sort of "barn-door" style vent windows providing ventilation for the driver and front seat passenger. The exterior has been refinished in a two-tone paint scheme consisting of Flame Cardinal and Sable Black that completes the elegant look of this True Classic. The interior on this 1933 Packard 8 is gorgeous! The front opera seats and rear bench have been reupholstered in gray broadcloth that give this 5 passenger coupe a fantastic period appearance. The steering wheel, burl woodgrain dash, and matching gray broadcloth burl-trimmed door panels are in wonderful condition and all retain a nice stock look. The instrument cluster is equipped with a 120 MPH speedometer, oil pressure gauge, amp gauge, fuel gauge, and temperature gauge, along with a Waltham clock and cigar lighter. Whether you're adding to your existing collection CCCA True Classics or you're buying your first classic car, this 1933 Packard Eight 5-Passenger Coupe would make an excellent choice. Give us a call today at 763-428-7337!