1931 Packard Deluxe Eight 845 Convertible Victoria (more photos 👇)
New York coachbuilder Rollston was among the most respected houses of the Classic Era, and its Convertible Victoria body style stood as one of its signature achievements.
The design featured a convertible top engineered to fold nearly flush with the car’s beltline when lowered, a detail borrowed conceptually from Massachusetts coachbuilder Waterhouse, giving the lowered car a clean, uncluttered silhouette that accentuated its length and sporting character while remaining fully weather-tight when closed.
The chassis beneath is the 845 Deluxe Eight, Packard’s top-of-the-line offering in the Eighth Series, riding a 145½-inch wheelbase. Power comes from a 384.8ci side-valve inline eight producing 120 horsepower, backed by a three-speed manual transmission with synchromesh on the upper gears.
The 840 and 845 shared this drivetrain, distinguishing the Custom/Deluxe Eight models from the smaller-engined Standard Eight models below them.
Packard presented its automobiles in numbered Series rather than conventional model years, a deliberate positioning choice that set it apart from volume manufacturers.
The Eighth Series arrived as the Depression was tightening its grip, and while overall Packard production dropped sharply from the prior year, the company’s own figures reflected what was widely observed: in hard times, the most expensive models often proved the most resilient.
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