1939 Packard Super Eight Touring Sedan - Model 1272 🇮🇹

Packard did not fully abandon their luxury and ultra- luxury custom cars, even with exceedingly  low sales volumes during the Great Depression. No doubt the newer mid-market offerings from the company saved it from financial ruin.  Yet, retaining the top of market luxury models kept the hope alive that these buyers would return in better economic times and bring the large profits these cars could generate.

Through it all, the Super Eight remained the top of the line eight-cylinder luxury offering, just below the ultimate pinnacle, Twelve model, with its V12 engine. Starting in 1937, Packard separated their cars into the Junior series, the lower-middle priced Six and the middle market One-Twenty and the Senior series, the Super Eight and Twelve. 1939 would be the last model year for this designation of models.  The final year of the Twelve and end of custom bodied luxury from the manufacturer who it was so closely associated with, marked the company's final acceptance that more affordable luxury would now dominate.

Traditionally the Super Eight model was a Twelve fitted with the biggest and most powerful  eight-cylinder engine Packard had to offer. Early on, the two models shared a chassis and styling. In 1939, also called the Seventeenth series cars, the Super Eight became more of a luxury version of the smaller, lower priced 120. 

Body offerings in the Super Eight line dropped from 15 to six with no custom body options. The cars were well equipped with the more powerful eight-cylinder engine, column shifting, and plush interiors that included clocks and cigar lighters. Options included overdrive, hill holder clutches and tachometers. But, the styling was largely a carry over from 1938.

While sales remained okay, they were down on a model year basis. Pundits would look back at Packard in the late 1930’s and point to their conservative styling and slow adoption of modern engines and brakes as part of their eventual downturn.