Packard One-Twenty

The ''Safe-T-Flex'' suspension

This car introduced the independent front suspension to the Packard line. Its so-called "Safe-T-Flex" suspension was an unequal upper and lower A-arm type with the largest possible lower A-arm composed of two different arms bolted together at a ninety-degree angle.

The support arm was a heavy steel forging reaching a few degrees forward of lateral from the front wheel support to as close to the centerline of the car as is practicable. An integral pad socketed the helical spring, whose upper end reached a high frame cross-beam. A tubular, hence lighter, steel torque arm was bolted to the support arm somewhat inboard of the wheel to permit a sufficient steering arc. It reached the frame nearly at the dashboard with a spherical rubber bearing. The upper A-arm was conventionally welded and oriented parallel to the lower one. Between it and the frame was an old-fashioned horizontal shock absorber whose two cylinders were side by side.

The support arm carried all the load; the torque arm carried the accelerating and decelerating torque; the upper A-arm controlled the camber. Advantages claimed for the system included superior maintenance of wheel alignment from the wide spread of the lower A-arm, a permanent fixing of the caster angle, and an increased percentage of the braking force transmitted to the frame through the torque arm.

First generation (1935–1937)

In its introduction year, the Packard One-Twenty was available in a broad array of body styles including two and four-door sedans, convertible and Club Coupe. The One-Twenty, weighing in at 3688 lb, was powered by an all-new Packard aluminum-head L-head inline eight producing 110 bhp at 3850 rpm. Prices ranged from $980 ($ in dollars ) for the three-passenger business coupe to $1,095 ($ in dollars ) for the Touring Sedan. Introduced in January 1935, the car was an immediate success with consumers, with Packard producing 24,995 One-Twentys, compared to 7,000 of all other type Packards for the year, while competing with the 1935 LaSalle Series 50.

For 1936 Packard increased the displacement on the L-head eight, increasing its output to 120 bhp, making the car capable of reaching a top speed of 85 mph. The One-Twenty added a convertible four-door-sedan model which was the most expensive model in the range priced at $1,395 ($ in dollars ). A total 55,042 units rolled off the line in 1936, the highest production that the One-Twenty would reach. A built in radio was available at a cost of $59.50 ($ in dollars ).

In 1937, the One-Twenty went up-market as the company introduced the Packard Six, the first six-cylinder Packard in ten years. For 1937, the One-Twenty broadened its model range and was now available in "C" and "CD" trim levels. The line also added a wood-bodied station wagon, Touring Sedan and limousine built on a 138 in wheelbase and priced under $2,000. Introduced in September 1936, 50,100 units were produced during series production.

For 1938, the One-Twenty name was dropped and its model folded into the Packard Eight model range, bringing the model name into parity with the Packard Six.

File:Packard 120 Eight Business Coupe 1936.jpg|1936 Packard Fourteenth Series Eight 120-B 998 Business Coupé File:Packard 120-B Convertible Sedan 1936.jpg|1936 Packard Fourteenth Series Eight 120-B 997 Convertible Sedan File:Packard 120-C Convertible Coupe 1937.jpg|1937 Packard Fifteenth Series Eight 120-C 1099 Convertible Coupé File:Packard 120-C 4-Door Sedan 1937.jpg|1937 Packard Fifteenth Series Eight 120-C 4-Door Sedan

Second generation (1939–1942)

Returning to the Packard model range, the One-Twenty continued to be offered in a full range of body styles from coupe to Touring Limousine, with prices for the model range between US$1,099 ($ in dollars ) and US$1,856 ($ in dollars ). New for the year was introduction of column shifting (known in Packard parlance as Handishift), which did away with the floor shifter. Introduced in September 1938, a total of 17,647 units were built.

In 1939, the company introduced a fifth, transverse shock absorber on the 120. It also offered Packard's Unimesh three-speed synchromesh transmission, the same as in the Twelve (and already standard on the Eight), as well as the new fourth-gear Econo-Drive overdrive, claimed to reduce engine speed 27.8%, and able to be engaged at any speed over 30 mph.

The series name One-Twenty officially became hyphenated for model year 1940. Again, the One-Twenty came in a full array of body styles, including a semi-custom Convertible Victoria by Howard "Dutch" Darrin. Introduced in August 1939, total model year output was 28,138 units.

In its final year as a model, the One-Twenty lost a number of body styles to the expanded One-Ten line of cars. The One-Twenty was available in business coupé, club coupe, two-door sedan, four-door sedan, convertible coupe, convertible sedan, and two station wagon styles. Production sank to 17,100 units.

For 1942, the One-Ten and One-Twenty were dropped as model names and their models folded into the Packard Six and Packard Eight lines. In its seven years in the Packard line-up, the One-Twenty saw a total production of 175,027 units.

File:Packard 1701 Eight Touring Sedan 1939.jpg|1939 Packard One-Twenty Touring Sedan (17th series) File:Packard 1701 Police 1939.jpg|1939 Packard One-Twenty Police (17th series) File:1940 Packard 120 Darrin Convertible, Lime Rock.jpg|1940 Packard One-Twenty Darrin Convertible Victoria (18th series) File:1941 Packard One-Twenty 2-door Touring Sedan in Black, front left (Hershey 2019).jpg|1941 Packard One-Twenty 2-door Touring Sedan (19th series)

Notable vehicles

On August 29, 1935, a Packard One-Twenty convertible driven by the Belgian king Leopold III crashed in Küssnacht, Switzerland, killing his wife Astrid of Sweden, Queen of the Belgians.

References

• Owner's Information (manual) 1936 Packard 120

References

1. "1935 Packard 120 Series".
2. [https://www.oldcaradvertising.com/Packard%20Ads/1935/1935%20Packard%20Ad-01.jpg Old Car Advertising] Retrieved 12 September 2013
3. (1996). "Standard catalog of American Cars 1805–1942". Krause publications.
4. "The Old Car Manual Project Brochure Collection". Oldcarbrochures.org.
5. "Directory Index: Packard/1937 Packard/1937_ Packard_120_Brochure". Oldcarbrochures.com.
6. The price was reduced by $100 in 1938, to $1070, with [[down payment]] of $357 required that year; payments would be $35 a month, which Packard claimed was only $2-$6 more than "several smaller cars". [http://www.oldcaradvertising.com/Packard%20Ads/1938/1938%20Packard%20Ad-01.jpg Old Car Advertising], [http://www.oldcaradvertising.com/Packard%20Ads/1937/1937%20Packard%20Ad-09.html Old Car Advertising], and [http://www.oldcaradvertising.com/Packard%20Ads/1938/1938%20Packard%20Ad-05.html Old Car Advertising]. Retrieved 5 October 2013
7. "1939 Packard 120 8 Series 1701 Business Coupe".
8. "1939 Packard 120 8 Series 1702 Touring Sedan".
9. "1940 Packard 120 Series 1801A Chassis".
10. "1941 Packard 120 Series 1901 Business Coupe".
11. "1941 Packard 120 Series 1901 Station Wagon".
12. [https://www.oldcaradvertising.com/Packard%20Ads/1939/1939%20Packard%20Ad-02.html Old Car Advertising]. Retrieved 5 October 2013
13. [https://www.oldcaradvertising.com/Packard%20Ads/1931/1931%20Packard%20Ad-06.jpg Old Car Advertising]; [https://www.oldcaradvertising.com/Packard%20Ads/1932/1932%20Packard%20Ad-01.jpg Old Car Advertising]. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
14. [https://www.oldcaradvertising.com/Packard%20Ads/1939/1939%20Packard%20Ad-01.html Old Car Advertising], [https://www.oldcaradvertising.com/Packard%20Ads/1939/1939%20Packard%20Ad-02.html Old Car Advertising]. Retrieved 5 October 2013
15. [https://web.archive.org/web/20081224034120/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,748959,00.html Time (magazine)]