1937 Packard Series 1501 Victoria

1937 Packard Series 1501 Super Eight Convertible Victoria

Always built to the highest standards, the Packard was unquestionably one of the finest American cars of the pre-war era. Packard watershed styling of 1932 was a fleeting moment of perfection as industry priorities were changing rapidly. The market was demanding quieter smoother riding cars and drivers were expecting cars with lighter steering and better brakes. Wheels began to shrink – the stately 20" quickly gave way to 17" wheels and fenders gained skirting to hide the empty space of the lost wheels. These mechanical changes came quickly and Packard struggled to adapt the whole cars to these changes. Up to 1934 the bodies were basically designed for the earlier 1930-32 era cars and the fenders and noses were changed to blend the two. For 1935 a new line of bodies and fenders better embraced the lower frames and smaller wheels.

Packards choice of radiator shell designs in 35' was not one of their better efforts and the cars failed to deliver the looks one expected from America's premier brand. For 1936 everything came together perfectly. A new beautifully designed nose and wonderfully proportioned bodies mated to fenders with exquisite lines and handsome curved lower edge.

The eight-cylinder Packard was in its 15th series (there was no 13th) by the time this Model 1507 rolled off the Detroit company's production line in 1937. The big news for '37 was the introduction of the 5.2-liter engine on the larger Eight, which now incorporated independent front suspension and hydraulic brakes. All Packards had featured synchromesh transmission since 1933. Now, the radiator was tipped back with a 30 degree slant, giving it a more swept back look.

Source: Bonhams, Conceptcarz, Supercars, Wikipedia, other