1937 Packard 1508 Twelve All Weather Town Car

Packard's 'Twin Six' was launched in 1932 and was the company's flagship status and became an instant legend. The following year, the model was renamed the 'Packard Twelve', and was offered in a myriad of body styles, including standard production models and many Dietrich designs, which were supplemented by those from Brunn and LeBaron during the Twelve's final years.

For 1935, Packard introduced new, highly streamlined bodies. Mechanically, the V12 engine gained lighter-weight aluminum cylinder heads and pistons. It also received a quarter-inch of stroke bringing its displacement to 473 cubic inches and horsepower to 175.

The 15th Series of Packards (1937) received an all-new coil-sprung independent front suspension, hydraulic brakes, vacuum-assisted clutch, and brakes. Total Packard production for the year exceeded 87,000 units, with a mere 1,300 of those being the exclusive Twelve. The most expensive vehicle in the line-up was the LeBaron bodied All-Weather Town Car which listed at $5,900. The chassis was large, measuring 144.5 inches.

This example was sold by the Jenkintown, Pennsylvania Packard dealer to Selia Carnil, and after her death in 1940, it returned to the dealer and was sold to a relative of Harold Pitcairn of Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania. In the early 1950s, it was sold to Phil Steen of Chatham, New Jersey, under whom it was restored and finished in black. A few years later, in 1958, it was sold to R. Gross, through whom the car passed to Les Hartman of Wisconsin. At the time, Mr. Hartman was in the process of moving to Arizona, so the Town Car was shipped there directly. Mr. Hartman sold it to Guy Apple of Mesa, Arizona before it passed through two more known owners and was acquired by Don Harter of Holmdel, New Jersey in November 1976.

Mr. Harter would retain the car for a long period of time, during which it was almost completely restored. It was given new high-speed rear-axle gears. Eventually, the car was purchased by Harry Clark who finished the restoration and then placed the Packard on display at the Murphy Museum in Oxnard, California.

The car has been shown at Amelia Island and Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, along with many other events. It bears CCCA Senior badge number 2333. In 2008, it was awarded Best Closed Car at Chicago's Barrington Concours.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2011