Re: Is it true that the current Bentley V-8 is based upon Packard's design?

Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2008/3/30 17:29:49

Others may dissagree but I've always considered the Packard V8, though large and powerful, to be a very conservative design without any particular innovations beyond what others had already done, so I'd not think there was any "prowess" for others to take advantage of.

There weren't many engines that went on to careers with subsequent manufacturers or in other appliations; the three that come to mind are the Pierce-Arrow 8 & V12 and the Lycoming V12 that went on to very long careers powering fire engines of Seagrave and American LaFrance (?), and though not the same engine, some of the design elements of the Franklin engines that were modified for a small number of Tuckers, and for a very large number of Korean war helicopters.

Surplus Packard V8s were sold for years after Packard ceased by J. C. Whitney; one frequent application was for conversion to marine applications and quite a few of these still exist. And the selling prices back then were CHEAP.