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.
Packard management did not authorize production of a new V8 engine until March of 1953. This information comes from the minutes of the Packard Board of Directors and the Operating Committee. The company played around with the idea of a V8 before that time, but the official OK did not happen until 1953.
According to the film, design work was approved by 1946, a test engine was running by 1950, and it was tested in vehicles by 1952. If development didn’t begin until 1953, there was no way the engine would be ready by late 1954. The tooling takes longer than that.
That’s the engine the Renwall/Revell Visible V-8 model kit is based on. The crankshaft flange and snout was the weak link when we tried to over-rev it with dad’s drill. Kevin Talbot has a hilarious video online about the Visible V-8 model kit…
Even with the generous gift of awful styling, flathead V8 engines and no FoMoCo automatic transmission in the 1949-51 Lincolns, Packard could never have made it. The 1948 styling and old flathead 8 really hurt Packard. The Ultramatic was the only bright spot. Packard’s goose was cooked, no matter how many of today’s Packard fans look in the rear view mirror and dream of what might have been.
I’m convinced the styling of the 48-50 models hurt them more than the flat 8 engines. Just an ponderous looking potato of a car. That said they should have had that v8 engine ready to go by 1949 at the latest
This cries out for a MST3K overdub.
“Like wind through a flute..”