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Have ran thru a DVD of factory films and found one chapter concerning track testing. Thought it was interesting a 7th series ran ten thousand miles in ten days (the standard test at that time) and completed it at an average of 68 MPH. That means there had to be higher speeds on the straightaway. The same DVD has good detailes on body construction and wood.

That's pretty interesting! Seems a solid counter to Pete Hartman's admonition that cars with babbitt bearings should only be driven on and off a trailer.

68 mph average. Pretty fast. But what kind of axle ratio did they use????? Overdrive????? What was the condition of the engine at the end of the test run?????

Success of the test may have depended on having the TEST CAR set up just rite to do it.

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AHHHHHH!!! You have invoked "he who shall not be named", we're all doomed now!!!

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The Packard test track was the fastest in the world at the time. I don't think they had to slow too much, if any at all, going around those banked corners.
I'm very interested in knowing what model of Packard made the test. If it was a 734, it was certainly capable of doing 100mph, and even then, slowing down in the banked turns was probably not needed.

Good point West!!!
1k miles/day = 42m/h. average. So what did they really have to slow down or stop for???? Gasoline fill up maybe 3 minutes every 400 miles, Driver change, oil change/grease at 5 minutes. Tire pressure check 1 minute. What else???

Take those into account. Off the cuff guess the car only had to slow down or stop maybe 5 times in 24 hours for 10 minutes max each time.

1000 miles / 23 hours = 44 m/h

1000 miles/15 hours = 67 mph. So the car spent 9 hours stopped or slowing down with a speed variance of about 8 mph????? I don't think thats reasonable for a banked track and serious ideal controled test conditions.. 68 mph was probably just marketing hype.

Some 10 years ago i was egressing onto I40 just 1 mile from capitol hill downtown Nashville. I was running about 45 mph when i finaly merged. At the same time i saw a 35'ish Packard sedan, cream colored, in the fast lane. He passed me at about 60 mph. Took 2 miles to catch up with him.
To my suprise he never slowed down for an interchange ramp. Running at least 60 mph i noticed the Packard had some terrific body roll going around the interchage ramp. BUT, it stuck to the road like a magnet and apparently did not phase the driver any. The ramp again curved to the right and again the severe body roll in the opposite direction.

One thing is for sure, that car would really stick to the road despite the awkward body roll. There was NOTHING hot rod about it either. It looked like a very nice original car of driver status.

If that car could handle modern interstate exchange ramps at 60 mph then a banked test track under controlled test should most easily accomodate 68 mph SUSTAINED.

So there would have been no reason to slow down below 68 mph on the track whatsoever. Or did PMCC have a puny test track????

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I highly doubt that, as in 1928 Leon Duray went 148.7 mph and the Packard Proving Grounds was thus named "The World's Fastest Speedway".

I have never driven one (and the last time I was behind the steering wheel of a Packard is when I was about 5 years old, "pretending" to drive!), but from everything I've read about 30's-40's-50's Packards, aren't they noted for their outstanding handling characteristics for such big, heavy cars?