Packard Patrician

The Packard Patrician is an automobile which was built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, from model years 1951 through 1956. During its six years in production, the Patrician was built in Packard's Detroit facilities on East Grand Boulevard. The word "patrician" is Latin for a ruling class in Ancient Rome. It was the last "senior level" Packard until production ended in 1958.

The Patrician was the last of the "senior Packards" and was briefly available as an extended length limousine for 1953 and 1954 called the Corporate Executive which found few buyers.

1951–1952

In 1951 and 1952, the automaker attempted to use a numeric naming structure that designated Packard's least expensive models as Packard 200 and 200 Deluxe while two-door hardtop and convertibles were designated Packard 250 and its mid-range sedan the Packard 300.[2] [3] [4]

1953–1954

The "400" designation was removed for the 1953 model year, and the Patrician continued to represent Packard's highest trim level sedans. It rode on the 127 in wheelbase chassis. The Patrician also was used for the basis of the custom bodied Henney passenger models, including the 149 in 8-passenger Packard Executive Sedans and Limousines, the difference being that the latter had a partition window between the front and rear compartments. During these years the Patrician received annual trim changes and improvements associated with model-year change-overs in the 1950s.[2] The 1953 Packard Patrician 4-door sedan was listed at US$3,740 ($0 in dollars ) while the all-new Packard Corporate Executive 8-passenger 4-door limousine was listed at US$7,100 ($0 in dollars ).[2]

The Henney professional cars (hearse, ambulance, flower car, service car) built on the 156 in wheelbase commercial chassis generally used Patrician-like trim except for 1954, which used Cavalier-like trim, and was offered in a hardtop body style called the Packard Pacific. Since the professional cars were fully coachbuilt bodies (not conversions) built on Packard's separate commercial chassis, their trim level had little to do with the Patrician except for the general appearance. The Henney Junior, a short-wheelbase hearse or ambulance was built on the standard Cavalier-Patrician chasses (but with stronger, heavy-duty rear suspension) but had the 5-main bearing Cavalier engine rather than the 9-main bearing engine of the Patrician.

For 1953, the Patrician used the same 327 CID 9-main bearing straight eight engine that used for 1951 and 1952 but for the first time added a four barrel carburetor for an increase in power, along with the availability of optional power steering and "Easamatic" power brakes. For 1954, the new 359 CID 9-main bearing, aluminum head 212 hp engine was standard and also featured a 4-barrel carburetor. 1954 was the first year to add a start-position to the ignition key - earlier years were started by a switch built into the carburetor which was actuated by depressing the accelerator pedal to the floor.

A general description implies that all Patrician models were fitted out with standard equipment when in fact they could be built to order. If a customer wanted a manual transmission then that is what he or she would be given by the factory.

manufacturer	Packard
production	1951–1952
predecessor	Packard Custom Super Eight
layout	FR
body style	Sedan
engine	327 cuin Packard straight-eight
transmission	2-speed Ultramatic automatic
length	219.7 in
width	78.3 in
height	62.2 in
wheelbase	127.0 in
related	Packard Mayfair
designer	John Reinhart‡R1R‡

1951–1952

1953–1954

1955–1956

External links

References