Description
West Coast Classics are proud to present a fully operational 1932 Packard Light Eight Model 553 5 Passenger Sedan and one of 6, 750 produced and now reportedly one of approximately 17 Light Eight sedans left in the world.
Beautifully refurbished lush interior, runs well with a Chevrolet 360 crate engine. The car was reportedly first purchased in March of 1932 in Arizona before coming to California in June of 1953 where it was located in Death Valley until 1978. Purchased by most recent owner in 1978 and by 2006 it was completely restored to the beauty it remains today.
Always built to the highest standards, the Packard was unquestionably one of the finest American cars of the pre-war era. Packard introduced its first 'Eight' in 1924 and by the decade's end was building eight-cylinder cars only. The Depression years that followed the Wall Street Crash of October 1929 hit the USA and particularly the American automobile industry hard.
Introduced in January 1932, together with the new V12 (aka the Twin Six? in its first year to honor the pioneer Packard model built from 1915 to 1923). Standard Eights and Super Eights were to be introduced to the line up in June 1932.
Powered by Packard's 5. 2-litre engine, the Light Eight was of a very advanced design for its day and was very well received. The work of Packard's chief designer Werner Gubitz, the Light Eight's handsome coachwork boasted sweeping modern lines flowing back from a distinctive 'shovel nose' radiator. The motor incorporated a built-in thermostat, thus dispensing with the need for radiator shutters, while other noteworthy featured chassis ride control, an automatic clutch and vacuum-powered brakes.
One of 6, 750 Light Eights made between January and December 1932, this sedan is a very well maintained older restoration, the car features twin side-mount spares, a rear-mounted luggage rack, and trim rings on the wheels.
Options for the Light Eight included Dual sided or rear-mounted spare wheels, sidemount cover(s), cigar lighter, a right-hand tail-light, luggage rack, full rear bumper, and fender park lights, the latter was priced at $65. 00. Construction of the Light Eight followed the Packard tradition. It had a heavy duty frame with X-bracing, 8-inch deep side members and the usual rear-wheel drive. Wheelbase was 127. 75 inches. Power came from a 319. 2 cu in (5. 2 L) flat head straight eight engine with a compression ratio of 6:0, delivering 110 hp. This particular example has a crate 360 c. i Chevy engine It had a vacuum-plate clutch and an angle set hypoid differential. Battery and toolboxes were mounted on the fenders. Full instrumentation was used.
The car was distinguished by a grille that had the traditional ox-yoke shape, but also with a then fashionable "shovel" nose. Closed Light Eights had a quarter window layout that was not shared by other Packards.
Amidst the Great Depression, many potential buyers for a Standard Eight ended buying a Light Eight. Although it offered not quite as much luxury, it had many features found in Packard's bigger model. It was powered by the same 110 hp engine as the Standard Eight and had a shorter wheelbase that was only 1. 75-inch shorter but its significantly lower weight with the same engine brought much better performance. The Light Eight therefore included the Packard prestige and whilst priced at the upper end of the medium bracket and costing almost as much to build as the other models it was a bargain for a Packard at this lower price.
Packard learned its lesson quickly, the factory hardly broke even and so the Light Eight was dropped after but one year, making this one very rare model today! There was no Light Eight for its 10th series line in 1933, instead Packard renamed the Standard Eight as simply the Eight and integrated a four-model sub-series that was patterned after the Light Eight. Although the shovel nose was gone, the quarter window treatment remained.
