The 200 debuted as part of the fully redesigned Packard line, attributed to John Reinhart.

While similar in appearance to the senior cars, the junior Packard lacked the noted Packard cormorant hood ornament and had vertical tail lights instead of the horizontal units on the senior models.

All Packard 200 models came with twin horns, two sun visors, front and rear bumper guards, spare tire and jack set.

The 288 cu in (4.7 L) straight-eight produces 135 hp (101 kW) at 3600 rpm with a 7.0:1 compression ratio - Ultramatic-equipped cars received a slightly higher compression ratio of 7.5:1 thanks to which it offered 138 hp (103 kW).

[2] Items which have since become standard to the auto industry since the late 1960s such as heater, radio, tinted glass, carpeting, etc., were all optional on the Packard, as well as other premium cars during that era.

Packard did drop the Business Coupé, a move that other U.S. automakers were also making at the same time.

Nance also saw to it that Senior Packards received broader visual cues and trim to separate themselves from lesser models.