I am fond of most post-1929 Packards aside from the bloated 1948-1950 non-convertible models. A 1932 Packard that interests me is the Light Eight, the company's first attempt at a less-luxurious, better-selling model inspired by the Great Depression's sales decline. Its styling is noteworthy for its "shovel-nose" grille featured in the image above. It's an excellent design, in my opinion.
Light Eights were only produced for what Packard approximated as a model year in those days. Apparently Light Eights were too costly to build given their selling price.
A different view was expressed by one-time "Packard Cormorant" editor Richard M. Langworth in the book "Illustrated Packard Buyer's Guide." He stated:
"Contrary to some observers, I believe the Light Eight succeeded in stemming the tide of economic misfortune. It sold nearly 7,000 units, about 40 percent of Packard's total sales, at a time when the Eights were doing little better and the long-wheelbase Eights and new Twin Six were selling in the hundreds... And in 1933, when Packard dropped it, shifting its four bodies to the Eight at a $400 higher price, the company hit rock bottom, selling only 4,800 cars for the model year and turning desperately and urgently to the project that would result in the One Twenty."
Examples of the four Light Eight body types are shown below.
Only about 330 of these were made, the rarest Light Eight body type.
Coupe production was about 500. It looks like a convertible coupe, but the top is fixed.
Coupe-Roadster production was around 1,060, but comparatively many seem to have survived, based on the number of images turned up in Google and Bing searches.
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