Vehicle Description
James Ward Packard was one of the first customers of pioneer auto
manufacturer Alexander Winton. However, Packard found several
shortcomings in his new 1898 Winton, and he let Mr. Winton know
about them. Winton, on the other hand, felt that his car was the
epitome of perfection and told Mr. Packard that if he wanted his
ideas incorporated in an automobile he should build it himself. By
November 1899, with the help of his brother William and two former
Winton employees, George Weiss and William Hatcher, Packard had
done just that. Four more cars were built that year, and 47 of a
new "Model B" in 1900. The cars were built under the auspices of
the New York and Ohio Company, a subsidiary of the brothers'
Packard Electric Company, which manufactured transformers and
electric lighting equipment. Fairly conventional for their time,
the Packard cars were runabouts with a single-cylinder engine under
the seat, a two-speed planetary transmission and chain drive. Novel
for the period was an automatic spark advance. On September 10,
1900, the brothers formed the Ohio Automobile Company in their
hometown of Warren, Ohio. Finding their customers satisfied, they
adopted the slogan "Ask the Man Who Owns One." Men Who owned one
included William Rockefeller and wealthy Detroit businessman Henry
B. Joy, the latter buying large quantities of stock in the company.
Joy subscribed the entire issue of 2,500 shares in 1902, at which
time the firm became the Packard Motor Car Company. A year later,
it moved to Detroit, where a huge modern concrete factory designed
by renowned industrial architect Albert Kahn was being built. Two-
and four-cylinder cars were built from 1902, but it was a
single-cylinder car that bettered Winton's coast-to-coast record in
1903, with driver Tom Fetch carving two days off the record in "Old
Pacific." Other Packard competition included the Vanderbilt Cup
races and sand racing at Ormond Beach in Florida, where chief
engineer Charles Schmidt set a world record in January the launch
of the Model 30 in 1907, Packard became a well-established builder
of luxury cars, comprising, with Peerless and Pierce-Arrow, the
"Three Ps" of prestige American automobile manufacturing. Packard
was the only member of the Three Ps to survive the Depression, but
only because it diversified into medium-priced cars. Still, Packard
continued to lead the American luxury segment after World War Il
and was outsold by Cadillac only once before 1950. Packard's first
six, a massive 525 cubic inch T-head, debuted in April 1911.
Designated Model 48 for its rated horsepower, it developed a full
74 bhp at 1,720 rpm, and Packard advertised that it would reach "60
miles per hour in 30 seconds from a standing start." A Bosch dual
ignition system was used, along with Packard's unique float-feed
carburetor with automatic mixture control. Prices started at $5,000
and ranged upward to $6,550. Thirteen body styles were offered on
wheelbases from 121.5 to 139 inches. The new car immediately became
popular, with nearly 1,350 sold in the first of production and a
lengthy list of anxious customers awaiting delivery. In December
1912, a smaller six, the Model 38, was introduced. An L-head design
with cylinders cast in pairs, it displaced 415 cubic inches, had
seven main bearings and developed 60 bhp. The Model 38 was the
first Packard car to have left-hand drive and elsetric starting,
the latter from a Delco starter-generator of the type developed by
Charles Kettering. A notable feature of the electrical system was a
control unit attached to the steering column. The brainchild of
chief engineer Jesse Vincent, who would later design the Twin Six
and Liberty aircraft engines, the unit had switches for the
ignition, lights and horn, an ignition lock and mixture control for
the carburetor. This placed most controls within easy reach of the
driver, leaving the instrument panel free for instruments alone,
save for a carburetor primer needed for starting. Selling at $4,050
to $5,400, it was about $1,000 cheaper than the larger car and a
few hundred less expensive than the comparable models of Peerless
and Pierce-Arrow. There were 13 body styles, most of them on a
134-inch wheelbase, although Phaeton and Brougham styles used a
138-inch chassis and the runabout and two coupe styles a short,
115.5-inch frame. The Touring car was the sole open style to use
the intermediate wheelbase and was the most popular Model 38 body
type. The other intermediate cars were Limousines, Landaulets and a
new open-drive "Cabette." More than 1,600 Model 38s, latterly
called "1-38" or "1338," were built in 1913 and nearly 700 "2-38s"
the following year. So successful were the two six-cylinder models
that Packard dropped fours entirely. The car offered here is one of
only a handful of known Model 1-38's, and it has had its history
traced by Packard historian John Grundy back to the original owner,
C.M. Harrington in Minneapolis, MN. It's unknown how long Mr.
Harrington retained the car, its next recorded owner was Bill
Folwell of Merion, PA in the 1940's. The car traded hands a few
more times in PA before being acquired by noted Packard collector
H.G. Henry in 1969. In 1972 Henry sold the car to Oakley Sumpter,
of Perryville, MD. Mr. Sumpter retained ownership of the car for 16
years; after which, it was acquired by restorer Wendell Ohlendorf,
of Beecher, Illinois, for his client, collector Cornelius "Konnie"
Kuiper. Most recently, it has been part of a prominent Midwestern
private collection. While the restoration was completed some time
ago, it has been well looked after, having previously been in a
museum collection and rarely driven. Nicely detailed, its dark
Packard Blue body and black fenders show no chips and exhibit a
deep shine. The body moldings are in contrasting black and are
accented with straw striping. The black canvas top is as new. The
seats are upholstered in dark crimson, button-tufted leather and
are in excellent condition. The brightwork is unblemished and
shines superbly. The tires fitted to white artillery wheels, are
like new and are complemented by dual rear-mounted spares with
fabric wheel covers. Lovely brass accents include running lights on
the firewall and a brass horn on the driver's side as well as a
Warner speedometer and clock. An excellent and authentic Brass Era
Packard, this wonderful car has benefitted from inclusion in
several prominent collections and from restoration and maintenance
to the highest standard. It would be a superlative road car or
showpiece in equal measure for its new owner. Offers welcome and
trades considered For additional details please view this listing
directly on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7667-1913-packard-model-1-38-touring/
