Packard 120

The 120 uses a 282 cubic inch straight-8, which makes, naturally, 120 horsepower. It's as smooth and torquey as you'd expect and moves the trim convertible with genuine enthusiasm. It's detailed with proper Packard olive green paint and we see no deviations from the original spec under the hood. There's an oil bath air cleaner, fabric-wrapped coolant hoses, and a single downdraft carburetor that offers great throttle response. The three-speed manual transmission shifts easily thanks to synchromesh on 2nd and 3rd gears and it's pretty happy at 55 MPH. The 120's innovative Safe-T-Flex independent front suspension was now standard across the line, but it was still a great handling car with a lot of confidence on the road. The brakes were similarly powerful and reliable for the period. Handsome steel wheels with more red pinstripes, trim rings, and Packard hubcaps are wrapped in 7.00-16 whitewall tires for the perfect period look.