Vehicle Description
Packard had been long established as America's premier luxury car
maker by the time the Tenth series was introduced for 1933. The
Tenth series was a massive undertaking for Packard as they
attempted to streamline the range and hoped to allow the prestige
of their top models to trickle down to the bottom of the lineup.
Packard's entry-level model Eight (1001, 1002 series) replaced the
previous Standard Eight and Light Eights. Despite Packard's efforts
to move the Eight down toward the middle of the market, it was
still well and truly a full luxury car. With a 120hp Straight-8
engine, the 1933 Eight gave exceptionally good performance and was
considered to be quite a performance bargain of the era. Due to the
economic struggles of the early 1930s, Packard production was
suffering. Fewer than 5,000 examples of the Tenth-series were
produced in total. Of that total production, only 1,800 units of
the 1001 Eights were built. A tiny proportion of those got the
sporty coupe roadster coachwork, making this among the rarest of
all Tenth-series Packards. Sitting on a short 127.5-inch wheelbase,
this Coupe Roadster is characterized by its low windscreen, hidden
rumble seat and distinctively clean lines. The addition of
wide-whitewall tires and Trippe driving lights make this a very
attractive example of a true American classic. This magnificent
driving car received the Classic Car Club of America National First
Award and 100-point Senior Award. It is from the first year of
examples with a downdraft carburetor and full synchro transmission.
It has only 3,912 miles on the full restoration. From the Don
Williams Collection.
