A well-tuned Packard straight-eight at idle speed, you could balance a nickel coin on its edge atop the engine head, and would simply stay upright, no jiggle or roll. Altogether a different piece of machinery than the V-12’s, which were also modified into aircraft engines.
That old Packard could tick over about 300 RPM, and be near whisper-quiet. In the Second World War, three of those V-12’s were used to power a PT boat, and when all three of them were running and engaged, well, that is why the PT boats gained their reputation for fast, top speed about 40 knots. The Packards were well respected.
Yes, but post-war the build quality seemed to take a dive.
My brother has 4 pre WW2 packards, two 6’s and two 8’s.
They are lovely cars, dependable too if you keep them moving.
He picked up a 4 door convertible in Oklahoma a few years back, it is a project.
The seller had a 1932(?) v12 Limo, not for sale.
It belonged to Charlie Chaplin.
Neat piece of history.
You could do this with the old Buicks as well...
Did you know, today’s super carriers are faster than the WWII PT boats?
Aluminum block Packard engines were also used in U.S. Navy minesweepers through the mid 80s.
Sorry, but the car and marine engines were COMLETELY different critters.
The V12 in the cars was a flathead displacing 473 c.i.
The marine V12 was all aluminum ohv displacing just shy of 2500c.i. and ran on airplane fuel.
In fact, the marine motor had more in common with the RR Merlin engine, which Packard also built under contract.