Vehicle Description
Vehicle to be offered for Auction sale August 17th - 19th, 2017 at
Russo and Steele's 17th Annual Monterey, California Auction. Please
contact us for more information. Los Angeles Broadcasting Pioneer
Art Astor was a man known for many things. A dedicated businessman,
loving father and grandfather and first rate soldier, Art was also
known for his incredible devotion to the automobile. Russo and
Steele is proud to present in Monterey, California the last
remaining automobiles in Art Astor's legendary collection. The
Devotion Collection features the cars truly closest to Art's heart.
These fourteen remaining offerings are vehicles that Art felt so
passionately about that he kept them the closest to him, through
the end of his life and include prime examples of Pre and Post War
American Classics, American Luxury Cars and European Sports Cars.
Entering the 1930s, Packard attempted to beat the stock market
crash and subsequent Great Depression by manufacturing ever more
opulent and expensive cars than it had prior to October 1929. As an
independent automaker, Packard did not have the luxury of a larger
corporate structure absorbing its losses, as Cadillac did with GM
and Lincoln with Ford. However, Packard did have a better cash
position than other independent luxury marques. Packard introduced
their Ninth Series models on June 17th of 1931. They were longer,
lower, faster, and more refined than in years past. The long
chassis was based on a new 'double-drop' frame. The standard
eight-cylinder engine displaced 320 cubic-inches and offered 110
horsepower. A redesigned air cleaner made the engine noise quieter
and vibration was minimized with a jointed, rubber-mounted
driveshaft and new rubber engine mounts. A four-speed
all-synchromesh gearbox was originally installed as standard
equipment but was replaced mid-year by a three-speed unit. Bijur
chassis lubrication system remained, but the 40 lubrications point
were now all oiled automatically. An adjustable shock absorbers
system, known as 'Ride Control', allowed the driver a select one of
three settings for the desired ride quality. To activate the
system, a plunger near the driver's left knee controlled the amount
of oil that was sent to the shock absorbers. For 1932, one of the
most attractive in the Series 902 was Body No. 509, the Coupe
Roadster. With its snug fitting top and roll-up windows, it was no
longer a roadster, but actually a convertible coupe. A new top
design allowed it to be folded flat into the body, which when down
provided the Coupe Roadster with a fluid, graceful appearance. All
the Packard Coupe Roadster models were fitted with a rumble seat.
With a list price ranging from $2,650 to $2,850, wire wheels were
standard. Although 1932 was not a banner year for sales, Packard
