This one-family Packard has been relegated to this garage since 1973! It’s a relatively solid Packard 200 four door sedan that was at the bottom of the Packard range for 1951, but that still placed it above many of its competitors’ luxury levels. The car is listed for sale here on craigslist and we have frequent finder AMXBrian to thank for sending in this cool find. You’ll have to travel to New Bedford, Massachusetts to pick it up and bring something close to the asking price of $2,500 with you.
While the pictures aren’t great, the seller does take several of the right side rear damage due to an early 1970’s accident. There’s plenty of rust issues in both rear quarter panels as well. I was surprised that patch panels are available at reasonable prices from several suppliers; for example, this one lists them at $150 per side.
The “Ultramatic” script on the rear fenders identifies the car as having an early “automatic” 2-speed transmission–and the only one developed outside of the “big three” US manufacturers for the 1950s North American market. Basic operation of the Ultramatic was as follows: 1) The car started moving through a torque converter for smoothness. 2) at a certain speed depending on throttle position, a lock up clutch was engaged to remove the fluid coupling from the system. Note that the low gear was mainly used for climbing or descending hills making this essentially a one-speed transmission. Between the smoothness of the transmission and the perfectly balanced but heavy and old-fashioned straight eight, the Ultramatic Packards delivered luxurious transport–when the transmission worked properly.
The seller tells us that the “A” is the only missing trim component. If you want a restored 200 rather than a driver, you might want to look elsewhere as the re-chroming bill is going to be more than you pay for the car. Some metal polish and wax will improve things for a driver.
Strange things wandering through my head as I look at this interior: does anyone ever use a solid color blanket to cover up old seats? Why was the car taken off the road after only 67,714 miles?
Unfortunately for Packard, sales of this lower-end model diluted the image of the once-proud auto maker further. Some say that the 200 and it’s larger-engined sibling the 250 were the nails in the coffin for Packard as an independent manufacturer. All I know is that this car seems too solid to junk! What are your thoughts?
Maybe it was taken off the road after the accident damage because the owner was scared to drive it again?
They may total them out today for a scuffed bumper, but back in this Packard’s day if any of the doors would still open after the wreck you were good to go.
67,000 miles in 23 years? Less than 3,000 per year? Maybe 167,000.
Got one with less than 20 K. Grandpa drove his 36 Dodge and “saved” the 51.
Geez! Drag it outside and wash it before taking photos.
The thought of having to push it back in the garage makes them not do it. Since it’s on CL, we all know sellers want to expend the least amount of time & energy selling.
I knew a family back in the 50’s that drove one of these. I believe these cars were marketed to working class people who wanted other people to think they were wealthier than they were. Kinda like the people now days who drive low end Mercedes or BMW’s, they like to put on airs so to speak. Life’s to short for that foolishness.
I’d get it running and drive it as is. Looks like it is in decent shape,and a Packard sedan won’t be worth dumping a ton of money into. But love them old straight eights. I almost bought a similar car years ago.It looked crappy but the straight 8 ran smooth and quiet. Had no room to store it so I passed
Packards were always built correctly, and labor cost was a part of downfall; its labor on lowest model, craftsmen, cost the same as upper model.
That old low revving engine was one of best built out there and, this tranny sucked but great for old farts, quite capable of moving heavy vehicle, very smooth engine.
Have to completely disagree with “johnmlogry”. Some people like the lower level Packards or Buicks or Mercedes Benzs, to get the quality of a longer-lived engine from one of those makes, without having to pay through the nose for a new or top-of-the-line expensive one. Back then, there was a genuine difference of quality between the Chevrolets, Fords and Plymouths when compared with a Packard Clipper, Buick Special, Olds 88, etc. And today, I like the long engine life, the build quality and the great handling of a cheap old bottom-of-the-line Mercedes 240-D. I’m not putting on airs; I just like to drive a quality car without having to pay tens of thousands of dollars for one. Betcha my ’54 Buick Special will go 200,000 miles without an engine overhaul. Try doing that on a ’54 Ford V-8! Betcha my 240-D will go 350,000 miles or more without any major engine work. And it handles like a sports car, has no rattles or squeaks, gets 34-35 mpg, and has a turning circle that puts most econo-boxes to shame. Try doing that with an ’81 Caprice or an ’81 Cadillac with the 4.1 v8.
Hello,
My Dad had a 54 Patrician 4 door when I was a kid. I was 7 when he got that car. It developed a surprise cooling issue ( I think ) or it was not protected well enough against old man winter, and it did a lot of damage to the engine; cracked block as I recall.
I liked that car, roomy and warm with heaters under the front seat to keep us warm in in the back. Straight 8 smooth running mill. He worked at Ford in Cleveland then and the guys there really liked his car. After the motor issue he got a 57 ford wagon with a 312 special in it – which my brother later ran the wheels off like a wild man.
BTW, Hello to Jamie Palmer
Hi, Matt!! What LBC are you driving?
Matt –
As part of the horse power race, Packard, not yet ready to introduce their new V8, upped their beautiful 9-main bearing 327 straight-8, increasing it to 359 Cu. In. and 212 H.P. One of the things they did was install an aluminum high-compression cylinder head.
These heads were often problem prone if they were not serviced correctly, including the use of a 100% copper head gasket, and only anti-freeze approved for aluminum. Premium fuel was REQUIRED, a first for Packard engines.
In high summer temperatures it was imperative premium fuel was used, or the engine would “ping” like crazy & overheat, causing cylinder head cracks radiating out from the spark plug holes.
Using the wrong anti-freeze on a regular basis could set off rapid deterioration of the head’s water passages too, and the specific holes in the head gaskets for cooling water passage, could block up, causing more overheating problems.
Back in the 1960s & 70s, probably over 50% of the 1954 Packard Senior cars [Patrician, Pacific, Cavalier, and Caribbean] had the alloy head replaced with the 1951-53 327 Cu.In. head, especially the high-mileage cars or cars that had been allowed to sit unused for years. It’s a very easy conversion, a 30 minute job for an experienced mechanic.
So your dad’s Packard could have had one or more of the above problems.
Looks like something got in at the back of the right front door, went down the back door, gettin gradually deeper as it got to the quarter, and possibly hit the rr wheel because it really looks back in those pics.
A great entry into the car hobby me thinks. Ive been passing this one for some time now, sitting outside a mechanics shop…I think its the same model
And another shot….
There’s been one on my local Craigslist off and on for about a year. No bites. These low end models look great with a shiny black paint job, wide whites and good chrome. Anything other than black, and you better choose your repaint wisely. The Packard grille is still in your face, the demure taillights are simple and elegant, and who doesn’t like the sound of a straight 8 under the hood?