Re: When did Packard start associating calendar years with model numbers?

Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2017/3/8 9:33:35

Bob, if you were to go and read some history on the FDR administration during the mid-30s, and I believe it's also mentioned in the Kimes-edited tome, you'd read that one of Roosevelt's ideas for keeping the economy in recovery mode was to encourage all the car manufacturers to more or less concurrently introduce their new calendar year models in the Fall of the preceding year, commencing with the 1937 models. I believe this is when Packard began to formally have their "series" designations correspond directly to calendar year models though frankly, they pretty much had done so since 1933 without actually saying it officially.

1932 was the last year with unconventional new model introduction dates; the 9th Series Eight, Eight Deluxe, and Twin Six being introduced about mid June 1931 and the 9th Series Light Eight not until 6 months later, January 1932.