Watch the entire development of the 1955 Packard V8 and a grueling 25,000-mile test in this truly excellent factory film.

Though it was offered for only two years, 1955 and 1956, the Packard overhead-valve V8 was a remarkable engine. Overengineered and overbuilt in the classic Packard manner, it went into production just as the grand old Detroit automaker was on its way out of business. In the meantime, the Packard V8 was also briefly used by American Motors in the big cars of Nash and Hudson, and also in the 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk. (For our look inside the ’55 Packard V8, see the feature here.) Its tragically short production run is no doubt the reason the engine is so unfamiliar to car enthusiasts today.

In this wonderful factory film, titled A New Concept of Power, much of the action takes place at the beautiful Packard Proving Grounds in Utica, 22 miles north of the East Grand Boulevard plant in Detroit. (While the giant 2.5-mile high-speed oval is now a subdivision, the facility is still operated by a nonprofit foundation and hosts regular events.) We meet a number of Packard luminaries as well, including CEO James Nance and the company’s master engineer, Jesse G. Vincent. The finale of the show is a 25,000-durability test of the new V8, which took nearly 10 days at an average speed of 104.737 mph.

But before the test, we get a comprehensive look at the engine’s development that includes a timeline, which raises a point that leaves us wondering. Design work began in 1946; test engines were running on the stand in 1950; in-car trials were underway in 1952; and the engine went into production in late 1954. That’s a leisurely eight years. Maybe if the company had taken a less conservative approach, the engine could have been brought to market sooner and Packard would have a better chance at survival. It’s just a thought, though. In truth, the company had a number of problems a new engine couldn’t solve. Anyway, this is a great film and we hope you enjoy it.