1948 Packard Eight Station Sedan
Capitalizing on post-war prosperity and brand loyalty, this luxury wagon earned the “Fashion Car of the Year” award from the New York Fashion Academy in 1948.
The distinctive semi-fastback roofline and elegant styling set it apart from utilitarian station wagons of the period. Beautiful birch-framed ash paneling adorned the exterior, though the wood served primarily decorative purposes over an all-steel body structure.
Only the innovative two-piece tailgate used wood structurally, pioneering a design that would become standard for American wagons in the 1950s.
Despite being classified as a Standard Eight model, the Station Sedan included luxury features typically found on Deluxe Eight models, including a clock, trip odometer, and cigar lighter.
Power came from a 288-cubic-inch L-head straight-eight engine producing 130 horsepower. Weighing 4,080 pounds (1,850 kg), it seated six passengers. Production totaled just 3,885 examples from 1948 through 1950, with the vast majority built in 1948, making survivors exceptionally rare today.
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