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As far as I'm concerned, as long as it was built by Packard, it's a Packard. Except those fake '57 and '58 Packardbakers!

Actually, I hope everyone knows that was in jest, and just a jab at the "tea parlour" types who have their noses so far up in the air that they'd drown if it rains!

Good on you Eric.

Clearly this issue stirs the emotions, with some stirred more than others.

I have "Junior" Packards and will say one thing - I like them for what they are, for the pleasure they afford me, from working on them and from driving them. Not from considering whether they are correctly categorised.

I agree with both of you. These cars are for our enjoyment. My now deceased friend worked for Earle C. Anthony in Los Angeles from the 30s to 54 and readily admitted that the 110 115 & 120s probably single-handedly saved the company. The quality was great! and the engines extremely well designed and reliable. A close and longtime friend has a 40 180 formal sedan, and it's a great car! I have owned a 49 standard, 51 200, and a 54 Cavalier, all great cars!. After nearly a year of reading here, there and everywhere how the 39 Super is somehow what killed Packard, or was a low quality car, well you know.

Heck, I even like 57 & 58 Packards also!

Thanks for the support?

G'day all, My first Packard in 1966, was a 1937 Six (115C) and it was so far ahead of the cars that I had previously owned including, Holden, Chev, Dodge, Jaguar, and Riley that I had previously owned. I have been hooked ever since and even though I have 4 Supers( no 12's or Twin-Sixes but a 384 1205 Super with 25,000 original miles). I still have so much enjoyment with my smaller Packards. The "Junior" tag is not a Packard terminology, It was coined by people within our hobby, to lift the status of their "top of the line cars" by denigrating less expensive models. The Factory workers that assembled these cars had enormous pride in producing Packards and to them a Packard was a Packard. IMHO, the 39 Super (with R6 OD) was a wonderful car and Packard bragged how it could do 105 mph around the test track and outspeed the 39 V12. Packard Management obviously did not consider it a "Junior" Packard. best Regards, Peter Toet

Peter, just to keep the record straight I think it was Packard itself who made the distinction between "junior" and "senior" cars at least as early as when then-President George Christopher made his famous statment complaining about all the labor he was lavishing on "that god dammed senior stuff". I agree the juniors a wonderful cars, they just weren't the kind of car that had established Packard's reputation in the luxury market.

I don't think it is snobbery to use the terms today to differentiate the cars since obviously Packard management did. There is nothing derogatory in using the terms either since they are all Packards and anyone owning one can be justly proud.

FOR 1940 ARE THERE ANY DIFFERENCE IN THE EXTERIOR DIMENSIONS OF THE 120 & SUPER 8 160?

The 18th series "120" was only available on a 127 inch wheelbase and the "160" was available on 127, 138 and 148 inch wheelbases. So there are the obvious differences between the longer wheelbase 160s and the 120.

THANKS FOR THE INFO.

I AM INTERESTED IN KNOWING IF THE 127" WHEELBASE 120 1392 TOURING SEDAN & 127" WHEELBASE 160 SUPER 8 1372 TOURING SEDAN ARE THE SAME EXTERIOR DIMENSIONS(SUCH AS SAME HOOD, NOSE ETC).

THANKS.

Yes Owen, I know that you are correct in the fact that Packard initiated the term "Junior". I just had a bit of a hissy fit about the term and consider that Packard should have come up with a better terminology, to acknowledge the worth of cars competing against Buicks etc, rather than calling them "Junior" Packards. Modern car makers either use a different name or use the European system of e.g. BMW, for example, who have a 1,3,5,7, tag for " alluding to a more affulent fit-out than "Junior". GM did it by creating different marques such as Chev, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, La-Salle, then Cadillac. INMO Packard should have called the smaller Packards "Packards" and the Senior Packards "Senior Packards". Best Regards Peter Toet