Today’s car is a 1947 Packard Custom Super Clipper Eight Touring Sedan (6 passenger) owned by Paul Mahoney. I photographed this car at the Westchester, CA 4th annual neighborhood Christmas Carols, Cookies and Car Show. The car is finished in black, with broadcloth with cream beading, and imitation wood paneling and a unique headliner that uses seams that ran front-to-back rather than side-to-side. It is powered by a 165 hp 356 cu in, L head straight eight, with a Carter WD-0 531 2bbl carburetor mated to a 3-speed manual transmission with optional overdrive and a 4.09:1 rear axle giving this heavy sedan brisk acceleration with a quiet and relaxed cruising speed. Slowing this beauty down are 12″ drum hydraulic brakes in all 4-corners. The front independent suspension has coil springs, double acting shock absorbers, and roll control stabilizer bar. The rear suspension has semi-elliptical leaf springs, direct acting shock absorbers mounted in an inverted V pattern, and a 5th shock absorber that functions as a lateral stabilizer.
The optional equipment list included white\wall tires, heater, radio, fender skirts, wheel trim rings, roof mount radio antenna, electromatic clutch, and overdrive. The Electromatic clutch, an interim feature offered before the Packard Ultramatic transmission was introduced in 1949, automatically accomplishes the engagement and disengagement of the clutch at predetermined RPMs. The car is started, gears shifted and the accelerator pedal used in the usual way, but without touching the clutch pedal. Even when stopping, it is not necessary to touch the clutch pedal. One could lock out the Electromatic clutch and restore the normal use of the clutch pedal by pulling out the switch knob on the instrument panel marked Electromatic. When it is desired to return to electromatic operation, push in the switch knob.
The Packard Clipper model was built in 1941 and 1942, and brought back after WWII in 1946/47, then returned between 1953 until the end of Packard production in 1958. The name comes from a sailing ship called a clipper. A clipper was a type of mid-19th-century merchant sailing vessel, designed for speed. The 1947 Packard production total of 81,879 units of those 7,480 were Custom Super Clipper Eight which included both Touring and Club models. The MSRP was $3274.00. The published top speed of 86 MPH with a 0-60 mph time of 16.3 Seconds.
Packard – “Ask The Man Who Owns One”! The 1947 Custom Super Clipper Eight was the top-of-the-line Clipper. This postwar Touring Sedan is a beautiful example of an original restored car with the added modification of air conditioning to deal with the Southern California summer heat. Packard did offer air conditioning but, only from 1939 to 1942 and then not again until 1953. What a great car to take to Packard or orphan car shows, Cars & Coffee events, or just taking a nice luxurious ride to Sunday Brunch at the beach. Thank you for riding along. Frank
