1946 Packard Custom Super Clipper Eight Limousine (more pics 👇)
Packard’s wartime production of over 55,000 Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12 aircraft engines (designated V-1650 in U.S. service for the P-51 Mustang and other Allied aircraft), alongside more than 12,000 marine engines for PT boats, informed refinements to the company’s first postwar automobiles.
The 21st Series Custom Super Clipper Eight represented Packard’s most expensive and luxurious offering, carrying forward rakish prewar Clipper styling with fade-away fenders that accentuated sweeping body lines.
Limousines rode the extended 148-inch wheelbase chassis reserved for Packard’s prestige class, among the longest wheelbases in the domestic industry. The long hood provided generous space for the legendary Packard Super Eight powerplant.
A 356 cubic inch L-head straight-eight with a nine-bearing crankshaft delivered 165 horsepower at 3,600 rpm. Hydraulic valve lifters and the engine’s inherent primary and secondary balance enabled near-silent operation. Power transferred through a manual transmission equipped with overdrive.
Safe-T-Flex suspension incorporated a fifth shock absorber to minimize side-to-side oscillations. The Custom Super Clipper earned Full Classic recognition from the Classic Car Club of America and Milestone status from recognized collector organizations.
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