Packard Model G
Encyclopedia
Packard Modell G is a two cylinder
car built in 1902 by the former American automobile manufacturer Ohio Automobile Company
that changed name to Packard Motor Car Company in October, 1902.
At that time the company was located in Warren, Ohio
; owners were brothers James Ward Packard
and William Doud Packard
and investor
George Lewis Weiss. Model G war a development of the former single-cylinder cars the company had built since 1899 of which the last, Model F
, was offered alongside the Model G. Introduction was in late summer 1902. Only four cars were built.
was 56 in. (1,422 mm), in fact 0.5 in. (12.7 mm) less than Model F's. The car had the then-usual right hand steering. It was among the first US automobiles that featured a steering wheel
instead of a tiller
.
Road wheel
s were non-detachable and of the artillery wheel
type. Each had 14 wood spoke
s. Front and rear wheels had the same dimensions with 36 x 4.5 in. pneumatic tires. Model G had very big wheels hubs which gave the car a charakteristic look. Suspension
consisted of a semi-elliptical leaf spring
s in front and elliptical at the rear. There were two brakes; one actuated the transmission by a lever outside of the bodywork that actuated, the other, operated by pedal, the differential.
on a common crank shaft. Blocks were cast iron with non-detachable cylinder heads
. Cylinders had a bore and stroke of 6 x 6 1/2 in. (152.4 × 165.1 mm) each, resulting in a displacement of 184 c.i (3,015 cm³) per cylinder and huge 368 c.i. (6,030 cm³) for the whole engine. Packard used a Longuemar float-feed carburetor
for each cylinder. Ignition advance was manual. Power rating (following then-actual practice) was 24 H.P.
As introduced with the Model F, Model G also adopted a front-mounted, tough bigger, radiator. This led the car appear, together with the storage place behind it, as a front engined automobile.
Gearbox was sliding gear, with three speeds forward plus reverse. Power transmission to the rear wheels worked via a single, center mounted chain
which itself was connected to the differential.
or a eight passenger Tonneau (sometimes called a "Rear Tonneau Roadster"). The surrey had neither front nor rear doors and came with two forward-facing benches. The tonneau had one bench in front plus two more placed longitudally. Access to the ladder was by a small door in the rear. There were no front doors. Coachwork was made of high quality using wood, probably by a local carriage builder as with other Packards. The customer had a free choice of colors. Upholstery was of qual quality, executed wit top grain leather.
Included with the base price were a pair of Dietz oil lamps, a Speed-O-Meter, and gauges for fuel and oil, each installed on the respective tank. An ignition switch was optional. The actual MSRP is not known but considering the smaller Model F tonneau being priced at $ 2,500 it is a close guess that the more complex Model G cost over $ 3,000.
Technically, Model G represents the end of the first generation Packards as it was the make's last buggy-styled
passenger car (with the engine positioned under the driver's bench), the last with the noisy and not very reliable chain drive and, most important, the last with less than four cylinders. For a long time, J. W. Packard had been convinced that the single-cylinder engine was the power plant of the future. When it became obvious that the industry would lead another way, Packard followed suit with four-cylinder automobiles already in 1903. Thus, Model G remained the only passenger car with a twin (there also were some two-cylinder trucks), survived by the Model F by another year.
One of the customers wo bought a Model G was William Rockefeller
, younger brother of John D. Rockefeller
. Of the four Model G's built, one still exists in a private collection. It is a surrey with a canopy and painted red.
Cylinder
Cylinder most commonly refers to:* Cylinder , a three-dimensional geometric shapeCylinder may also refer to:-Science and technology:* Cylinder , the space in which a piston travels in an engine...
car built in 1902 by the former American automobile manufacturer Ohio Automobile Company
Packard
Packard was an American luxury-type automobile marque built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, and later by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana...
that changed name to Packard Motor Car Company in October, 1902.
At that time the company was located in Warren, Ohio
Warren, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 46,832 people, 19,288 households and 12,035 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,912.4 people per square mile . There were 21,279 housing units at an average density of 1,322.9 per square mile...
; owners were brothers James Ward Packard
James Ward Packard
James Ward Packard was an American automobile manufacturer who founded the Packard Motor Car Company and Packard Electric Company with his brother William Doud Packard.-Life and career:...
and William Doud Packard
William Doud Packard
William Doud Packard was an American automobile manufacturer who founded the Packard Motor Car Company and Packard Electric Company with his brother James Ward Packard.-Life and career:...
and investor
Investor
An investor is a party that makes an investment into one or more categories of assets --- equity, debt securities, real estate, currency, commodity, derivatives such as put and call options, etc...
George Lewis Weiss. Model G war a development of the former single-cylinder cars the company had built since 1899 of which the last, Model F
Packard Single-Cylinder
The Packard Single-Cylinder cars are a group of cars made by the Packard automobile company from 1899-1903.- Models. :Model A: The Model A was the first automobile produced by the Packard Motor Company. Only five where made...
, was offered alongside the Model G. Introduction was in late summer 1902. Only four cars were built.
Chassis
The pressed steel frame of the Model G was new although it followed earlier principles. With a wheelbase of 91 in. (2,311 mm) it was the longest yet. TrackAxle track
The axle track in automobiles and other wheeled vehicles which have two or more wheels on an axle, is the distance between the centreline of two roadwheels on the same axle, each on the other side of the vehicle...
was 56 in. (1,422 mm), in fact 0.5 in. (12.7 mm) less than Model F's. The car had the then-usual right hand steering. It was among the first US automobiles that featured a steering wheel
Steering wheel
A steering wheel is a type of steering control in vehicles and vessels ....
instead of a tiller
Tiller
A tiller or till is a lever attached to a rudder post or rudder stock of a boat that provides leverage for the helmsman to turn the rudder...
.
Road wheel
Wheel
A wheel is a device that allows heavy objects to be moved easily through rotating on an axle through its center, facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load, or performing labor in machines. Common examples found in transport applications. A wheel, together with an axle,...
s were non-detachable and of the artillery wheel
Artillery wheel
The artillery wheel was developed for use on gun carriages when it was found that the lateral forces involved in horse artillery manoeuvres caused normally-constructed cart wheels to collapse. Rather than having its spokes mortised into a wooden nave , it has them fitted together then bolted into...
type. Each had 14 wood spoke
Spoke
A spoke is one of some number of rods radiating from the center of a wheel , connecting the hub with the round traction surface....
s. Front and rear wheels had the same dimensions with 36 x 4.5 in. pneumatic tires. Model G had very big wheels hubs which gave the car a charakteristic look. Suspension
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
consisted of a semi-elliptical leaf spring
Leaf spring
Originally called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles...
s in front and elliptical at the rear. There were two brakes; one actuated the transmission by a lever outside of the bodywork that actuated, the other, operated by pedal, the differential.
Engine and Transmission
As with all Packards to date, the Model G's engine was placed under the driver's bench and laterally mounted, the crank protruding out of the right side. As mentioned, it was derived from the single-cylinder variant for which Packard already had a good reputation. Construction consisted of two single-cylinder engines that were connected in a horizontal opposed position and workedon a common crank shaft. Blocks were cast iron with non-detachable cylinder heads
Cylinder head
In an internal combustion engine, the cylinder head sits above the cylinders on top of the cylinder block. It closes in the top of the cylinder, forming the combustion chamber. This joint is sealed by a head gasket...
. Cylinders had a bore and stroke of 6 x 6 1/2 in. (152.4 × 165.1 mm) each, resulting in a displacement of 184 c.i (3,015 cm³) per cylinder and huge 368 c.i. (6,030 cm³) for the whole engine. Packard used a Longuemar float-feed carburetor
Carburetor
A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
for each cylinder. Ignition advance was manual. Power rating (following then-actual practice) was 24 H.P.
As introduced with the Model F, Model G also adopted a front-mounted, tough bigger, radiator. This led the car appear, together with the storage place behind it, as a front engined automobile.
Gearbox was sliding gear, with three speeds forward plus reverse. Power transmission to the rear wheels worked via a single, center mounted chain
Chain drive
Chain drive is a way of transmitting mechanical power from one place to another. It is often used to convey power to the wheels of a vehicle, particularly bicycles and motorcycles...
which itself was connected to the differential.
Coachwork
Model G was a huge car for the time, weighing in at about 4,000 lbs. Packard offered it with two body styles: Either as a four passenger SurreySurrey (carriage)
A surrey is a horse-drawn, four-wheeled, two-seated pleasure carriage with an open spindle seat.-Overview:The name comes from Surrey, the county in southern England where it was first built. It resembles a cabriolet but has a straight or nearly straight bottom, sometimes cut under...
or a eight passenger Tonneau (sometimes called a "Rear Tonneau Roadster"). The surrey had neither front nor rear doors and came with two forward-facing benches. The tonneau had one bench in front plus two more placed longitudally. Access to the ladder was by a small door in the rear. There were no front doors. Coachwork was made of high quality using wood, probably by a local carriage builder as with other Packards. The customer had a free choice of colors. Upholstery was of qual quality, executed wit top grain leather.
Included with the base price were a pair of Dietz oil lamps, a Speed-O-Meter, and gauges for fuel and oil, each installed on the respective tank. An ignition switch was optional. The actual MSRP is not known but considering the smaller Model F tonneau being priced at $ 2,500 it is a close guess that the more complex Model G cost over $ 3,000.
Appreciation
While in 1902 alone, 179 Packard Model F left the plant in Warren, only 4 Model G were built. It marked a high- and terminal point for the Ohio Automobile Co. in many ways. It was the last Packard vastly developed by chief engineer and vice president Wiliam A. Hatcher who left the company January 17th, 1903 because he did not agree with the direction the company took. His successor, Frenchman Charles Schmidt lead Packard to more modern, European construction principles.Technically, Model G represents the end of the first generation Packards as it was the make's last buggy-styled
Horse and buggy
A horse and buggy or horse and carriage refers to a light, simple, two-person carriage of the late 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, drawn usually by one or sometimes by two horses...
passenger car (with the engine positioned under the driver's bench), the last with the noisy and not very reliable chain drive and, most important, the last with less than four cylinders. For a long time, J. W. Packard had been convinced that the single-cylinder engine was the power plant of the future. When it became obvious that the industry would lead another way, Packard followed suit with four-cylinder automobiles already in 1903. Thus, Model G remained the only passenger car with a twin (there also were some two-cylinder trucks), survived by the Model F by another year.
One of the customers wo bought a Model G was William Rockefeller
William Rockefeller
William Avery Rockefeller, Jr. , American financier, was a co-founder with his older brother John D. Rockefeller of the prominent United States Rockefeller family. He was the son of William Avery Rockefeller, Sr. and Eliza Rockefeller.-Youth, education:Rockefeller was born in Richford, New York,...
, younger brother of John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
. Of the four Model G's built, one still exists in a private collection. It is a surrey with a canopy and painted red.
Sources
- "Packard, a history of the motor car and the company" - General edition - Beverly Rae Kimes, Editor - 1978 Automobile Quarterly, ISBN 0-915038-11-0
- "The Standard Catalogue of American Cars, 1805-1942", Beverly Rae Kimes (editor) and Henry Austin Clark, jr., 2. edition (1985); Krause Publications, Iola WI 54990, ISBN 0-87341-111-0 (p. 1066)
- "Packard", George H. Dammann und James A. Wren Motorbooks International, Crestline Series, Osceola WI, ISBN 0-7603-0104-2
- The Packard Identification Guide Volume One", Dr. Robert B. Marvin; 2t. Auflage; R-Mac Publications (1990)
Weblinks
- PAC Packard Automobile Classics
- Packard Information; short description of the Model G; shows a surrey that is mistakingly called the "Rear Tonneau Roadster".
- Packard Information Photo Archive; pictures 9, 10, 11 and 14 show Model G (14 shows William Rockefeller's surrey).