I know the engine is running only when I rev it. I pull the gearshift lever into first and give the huge 142-inch-wheelbase classic a nudge. Shifting is silent and silky smooth, with synchromesh in second and high gears. The magnificent old Packard pulls away effortlessly with very little throttle, and when I push the pedal down a bit farther, we accelerate like a modern car. At about 20 miles per hour I shift into second and we are truly away. For city driving, second gear is all you need because of the Super Eight’s tremendous bottom-end and mid-range torque.
Photo: David Gooley
Bumps are implied, not felt, due to the car’s 4,670-pound weight. Rear visibility is restricted when the top is up and the back window is in place, which was probably rarely the case when the car was new because this was an automobile meant for touring, not for driving back and forth to work. In fact, one doesn’t “drive” a classic Packard at all. Instead, one goes motoring in such a car. It’s like the difference between eating and dining. Even the rumble seat is roomy, comfortable, leather-covered and fairly easy to access. (It takes a young, fit person for dignified rumble seat ingress and egress in the best of circumstances with any car.) As we motor along, people pull up beside us, smile, and give us the thumbs up as they stare at the majestic old roadster and inadvertently steer into us. Then we give it a little throttle and pull away from them, surprising our audience completely. Other people wave and take pictures using their cell phones as we roll by.
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