Packard Model G

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The Packard Model G is the only two-cylinder model of the U.S. automobile manufacturer Ohio Automobile Company, headquartered in Warren ( Ohio). Owners were the James Ward Packard and William Doud Packard brothers and investor George Lewis Weiss. The company was renamed in October 1902 in Packard Motor Car Company and produced in 1904 in Detroit ( Michigan).

The Model G was an evolution from earlier single-cylinder models, the last of which, the Model F was further built parallel to it.

Landing gear

The all-steel chassis of the model G was new and with a wheelbase of 2311 mm (91 inches) longer than the previous types. The track width was 1422 mm ( 56 inches ), 12.7 mm (0.5 inch ) less than that of the model F. The vehicle had right-hand drive and one of the first with a steering wheel instead of the then widespread steering lever. The suspension consisted of semi-elliptic springs front and rear Vollelliptikfedern; on the front axle, this was a departure from the Vollelliptikfedern used to date.

Characteristic of the model G are huge, far protruding hub caps made ​​of bronze. This arose because the steering structure for reasons of space required by externally mounted ball bearings.

The wheels with 14 wooden spokes ( " Artillerierad " ) were directly attached to the axles. There pneumatic tires of the dimension 36 × 4.5 were used. To change the tire of the wheel rim had separated from the spokes and the new tires are mounted on the ground; a laborious work, which could be facilitated locally by the carrying of spare wheels rims with tires already reared something. The vehicle had two service brakes. A is operated by means of the outside -lying lever and acted on the transmission. The other was operated with a pedal and worked on the differential.

Motor

The water-cooled four-stroke engine has a structure made of two oppositely disposed single-cylinder engines of the model F (12 HP ) of a common block and a common crankshaft. Bore and stroke of each cylinder were 152.4 × 165.1 mm (6 x 6 1/ 2 inches) giving a swept volume of 3015 cc (184 ci) and corresponds to 6030 cc for the two-cylinder model G ( 368 ci ) results. The power was 24 H. P. according to the then standard. The cylinder heads were of a piece, and therefore could not remove itself. Each cylinder had its own carburettor manufacturer Longuemar. The distributor consisted of a camshaft driven by the governor acted on the cam. The ignition timing was done manually. The introduced with the Model F water cooler at the front of the vehicle was taken in enlarged form. The storage space behind it gave the appearance of a hood and also contained the battery for ignition. There were two water tanks, each with about 4 gallons ( about 18 liters ) under the front seat. The vehicle had two interconnected fuel tanks; one was placed in front of storage space, the other at the far end in the rear.

Drive

The engine was located, as with all Packard the early days, under the driver's seat. It was arranged to lay parallel to the crankshaft axis; the cylinder were ( in driving direction) at the left and the flywheel right of center. To start, there was a crank sticking out of the engine compartment side. The transmission took place via a slip clutch with three forward and one reverse gear on a chain. This was carried out in the longitudinal center between two gears which was connected to the rear differential.

Body and equipment

Available were two body styles: A Surrey for four people in two rows of seats to the direction of travel and without doors and a Tonneau for eight people. In front there were two individually mounted seats and a sloped footboard, two rear benches were installed in parallel. Access to the rear seats was provided by a rear door. The structures were made of wood and were probably, as in previous Packard models, made ​​by a local coach builders. The fenders were made of aluminum. The customer seems to have had a free hand in the painting. The padding consisted of premium leather. The basic equipment also included two oil lamps from Dietz, a " Speed-O -Meter" ( speedometer ) and displays for petrol and oil level. The latter were attached to the respective tank. The weight was 900-1000 kg. About the price is not known but is likely to have exceeded the $ 3000: A model F already cost between $ 2250 ( Roadster ) and $ 2,500 ( tonneau ) and the Model G was much more complex.

Appreciation

It was found that the model G represented the end and culmination of a development. It was, though, the Model F was built one more year, the last Packard construction with less than four cylinders and an engine was mounted in the center of the car. Only four of them were built, suggesting suggesting that it served primarily the testing of the technical possibilities. From model F 179 units were built in 1902 alone. The Model G was the last development under chief engineer and vice president William A. Hatcher who left the company on 17 January 1903. A copy still exists in a private collection, a red lacquered Surrey with a fixed roof with the engine number 242 or 243 (there was no chassis numbers yet).

A model G Surrey was bought by William Rockefeller, the younger brother of John D. Rockefeller.

For 1903, the firm, in addition to the omnipresent model F, the all-new Packard Model K with four-cylinder engines.

Swell

• " 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 Packard Cormorant; Club member of the Packard Automobile Club; Spring of 2008, No. 130, Vol LV, " A True Leviathan - the Two -Cylinder Packard ". Library of Congress card No. xxx ( English )
• "The Standard Catalogue of American Cars, 1805-1942 ", Beverly Rae Kimes (ed.) and Henry Austin Clark, Jr., 2nd edition (1985); Krause Publications, Iola WI 54990, ISBN 0-87341-111-0
• " Packard ", George H. Dammann and 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 edition; . R- Mac Publications ( 1990)