1951 Packard Patrician 400 Sedan
John Reinhart’s styling direction for Packard’s 1951 lineup brought significant changes to Detroit’s independent luxury manufacturer. The Patrician 400 replaced the Custom Eight as the company’s flagship sedan, riding on a 127-inch wheelbase with an overall length of 218 inches.
Distinguished by a grille with vertical teeth, three chromed jet louvers on the rear fenders, and vertically ribbed chrome gravel shields, the sedan’s $3,662 price tag reflected its position as Packard’s highest trim level.
Only the four-door sedan body style was offered, equipped with Wilton carpeting, hassock-style rear foot rests, and extensive chrome detailing throughout the interior. These features reinforced Packard’s traditional emphasis on formal luxury rather than overt sportiness.
Power came from a 327 cubic-inch L-head inline-eight with nine main bearings (versus five in lesser Packards), producing 155 horsepower at 3,900 rpm through a single Carter carburetor.
Packard’s Ultramatic Drive automatic transmission came standard. Independent front suspension combined with a live rear axle and semi-elliptic leaf springs, while servo-hydraulic drum brakes provided stopping power.
Despite Packard’s all-new 24th Series lineup, the company still relied on its traditional flathead eight while several competitors had already adopted overhead-valve V-8 designs.
Production reached 9,001 units for 1951, the highest figure during the Patrician 400’s two-year run under that designation.
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