Re: What are the major differences between 1939 Senior Packards and the 120?

Posted by Peter Packard On 2008/10/30 5:39:00

G'day all, My reason for responding to this thread is that many people may not be aware that the US was in a mini-depression in 1938 and things were very tough in the auto industry, to the extent that dealers were paid $25 to smash the engine blocks of trade-ins, to generate new car sales. I consider that Packard's move to align Senior ( Super Eight" cars with the 120 lines was a decision predicated on achieving more sales in a volatile and depression tinged new car sales environment. I can see the wisdom and knowledge in both Owen and Peter's responses and can only agree wholeheartedly that the Traditional Senior line ended with the 39 Twelve BUT, the Packard tradition was held aloft ( a few rungs lower perhaps) in very difficult times by the 39 Super Eight "heir apparent". I'm sure that there were many misgivings about dropping the Twelve but the the 39 Super Eight was an excellent new generation "Senior" car. I know that I shall probably receive some flak for this but after 44 years of owning and driving Packards as my favourite cars, thats how I see it. Best Regards Peter Toet, P.S. I would still love to own a Twelve but with the Aussie dollar at its current 65 cent parity, I shall have to dig a lot deeper to achieve this goal.