1939 Packard 1707 Twelve

1939 was Packard's 40th anniversary and the final year for the mighty Packard Twelve. Alvan Macauley, Packard's president for 33 years, passed the reigns to Max Gilman. Sadly, the era of beautiful, long-wheelbase high-powered ultra-expensive custom cars was coming to an end, yet Packard continued to offer bare chassis to an ever-diminishing number of custom coachbuilders upon which custom bodies were fitted.

The economy had enjoyed steady growth and recovery from the 1929 stock market crash and subsequent Depression, enjoying a banner year in 1937. Packard, after surviving a two-year period in 1933 and 1934 when barely 15,000 cars had been registered, saw its annual registrations climb dramatically: 37,653 in 1935, 68,772 in 1936, and 95,455 in 1937. Packards growth was helped along by a line of low-cost, high-volume Sixes, and some of those profits were passed along to its workers in a new labor contract. Earnings were also reinvested in badly needed manufacturing plants and equipment.

The dramatic upswings of the mid-1930s were reversed in 1938 as the rumblings of war in Europe affected consumers' confidence. The entire automotive industry suffered as production and sales plummeted. Ford's sales dropped by 53 percent, Dodge's by 59 percent, and Chevrolet's by 44 percent. Packard's sales declined by 49.5 percent with the Twelve suffering the most, dropping from a record 1,300 units in 1937 to 566 in 1938. After eight years in production, the Packard Twelve would enter retirement following 1939.

Packard's first line of twelve-cylinder models entered production in 1916 and was called the 'Twin Six.' Production hovered around 4,000 or so annually, until the post-World War I Depression reduced demand to uneconomical levels, signaling the end of Twin Six production in 1923. The so-called 'cylinder wars' intensified during the 1930s with Cadillac and Marmon offering massive sixteen-cylinder models, and nearly every luxury marque responding with impressive engines of their own. Packard's response with a V12 model in 1932, once again called the Twin Six. Its nomenclature was simplified in 1933 to Twelve. The top-of-the-line Packard model shared many chassis features with the Super Eight, with both catalog and custom bodies available. It was exclusive and expensive, with enough prestige to keep it comfortably ranked among the best in the world. A quarter-inch longer stroke in 1935 brought displacement to 473 cubic inches. Along with aluminum cylinder heads, this increased the Twelve's power to an advertised 175 horsepower, only ten fewer than Cadillac's V-16 and 25 more than Lincoln's Model K. In its final year, the Twelve was available in two chassis of 134 3/8 inches (1707) and 139 3/8 inches (1708) and offered with a list of fourteen different catalog bodies including three coach-built formal cars by Brunn and Rollston.

The Packard 1707

Packard offered eight different body styles on the long 1707 chassis, the same as the previous year. The 1707 series measured just over 134 inches with the 1708 Series being five inches longer. Six catalog body styles were offered on the 1708 Series. The L-head twelve-cylinder engine displaced 473.3 cubic inches, had four main bearings, breathed through a Stromberg carburetor, and offered 175 horsepower. The bore measured 3.4 inches and its stroke at 4.25 inches. The transmission was a three-speed selective synchromesh unit with floor-mounted gearshift controls. A column shift was available as optional equipment, as was a push-button radio, burled walnut instrument panel, higher compression ratios for the engine, and many other options. Hydraulic brakes with vacuum boosters provided the stopping power. The suspension used independent coil springs at the front and leaf springs at the back.

Total production for the combined 1707 and 1708 Series fell by 120 units over the previous year, to 446.

by Dan Vaughan

Formal Sedan

Eight different body styles were available on Packard's long 1707 chassis. This prestigious Packard Series 1707, built in the last year of the V12, is a rare model and has just been through a 14-year restoration. The formal sedan style was very popular; it could be driven by either the owner or a chauffeur because the division panel disappeared completely and the same upholstery was used in the front and the rear.

Coupe
Chassis number: 1238-2004
Engine number: B602245

Packard celebrated its 40th anniversary in business in 1939, and by this point in history had become one of the most respected automotive manufacturers in the world. Their top-of-the-line V-12 models, now in their final season, received only a few visual changes, in addition to the newly optional column-shifted manual transmission. All Packard Twelves were built on a per-order basis, often to custom specifications.

This particular example is the fourth 2/4-passenger coupe produced on the Packard Twelve chassis in 1939. It was sold to its first owner by the Bush-Morgan Motor Company of Pasadena, California. Paul Clancy purchased the car in the mid-1960s and retained it for over four decades.

Currently, the car has just over 86,000 miles on its odometer.

by Dan Vaughan

Touring Sedan
Chassis number: 1234-2073
Engine number: B602445

This Packard Twelve Seven-Passenger Touring Sedan was bought from Brooklyn resident William D. Pelosi, its second owner, on September 13th of 1968, by a former owner named William Creswell. William B. Ruger Jr. acquired the Twelve from the Creswell family in 2005. Mr. Ruger had the chassis restored and sourced an original 1938 Packard Super Eight Touring Sedan body virtually identical to that used on the 1939 Twelve and had it restored on the chassis by Chris Charlton in year-correct Blackhawk Gray with tufted broadcloth upholstery.

While in Mr. Ruger's care, the car was driven about 2,700 miles.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible Coupe
Chassis number: 1239-2006
Engine number: B602478

This 1939 Packard Twelve 1707 Convertible Coupe with Packard vehicle number 1239-2006 was delivered to Packard Toledo Inc. on November 4, 1938. In 2009 it was purchased by Mr. Eugene Cohen of Sarasota, Florida from a resident of Tennessee who had started to disassemble it. A complete restoration soon followed and was rewarded with first place awards in AACA competition in 2012 and 2013.

The Packard was covered in black with a gray top and dark red leather interior. The 473 cubic-inch L-head twelve-cylinder engine is fitted with a single Stromberg EE3 Downdraft carburetor and delivers 175 horsepower at 3,200 RPM. There is a three-speed manual gearbox, four-wheel vacuum-assisted drum brakes, an independent coil spring suspension in the front, and a live axle at the rear with semi-elliptical leaf springs.

This Packard has metal side-mount covers fitted with dual rear-view mirrors. There are Packard driving lights, a trunk rack, whitewall tires, and a radio.

The current caretaker had the Packard judged in competition at the CCCA's January 2022 annual meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, garnering a First Place award and earning senior badge no. 3368.

by Dan Vaughan

Formal Sedan

This 1939 Packard 1707 Formal Sedan was owned by Phil Hill, the first United States driver to win in Formula One. This vehicle is a five-passenger sedan built on a 134-inch wheelbase and has an overall weight of 5,745 lbs. It is in original condition and has a divider window, jump seat, and mirrored vanity cases.

Club Sedan

This is one of only 446 Packard Twelves built in 1939, the 40th anniversary of the marque and the last year of the Packard V12 series. It is also significant as one of the last composite body styles, consisting of a handcrafted wooden frame with dovetailed joints, covered by an outer hand-molded metal skin, creating insulation from the 473 cubic-inch V12 engine mounted on the 134-inch wheelbase. Thereafter, most cars were stamped metal over metal frames. The composite construction provided closed body Packards with an aura of solidity and hushed elegance.

This Packard was number 24 of 41 Club Sedans produced in 1939 and carries body number 412264. It stands as a valediction to the Packard Senior Series, if not the classic era of automobiles.

The Packard Twelve was produced from 1933 to 1939 with over 35,000 examples produced. It is considered by many to be one of the finest automobiles produced by Packard and one of the most significant creations of the classic car era. The long and flowing front hood hid a 445 cubic-inch side-valve twelve-cylinder engine that was refined, powerful, smooth, and quiet.

The engine was originally destined for a front-wheel drive project which eventually proved to have weaknesses. That and the anticipated development cost were too much to be practical so Packard decided to scrap the idea. Cadillac had introduced their 16-cylinder engine and other marques such as Pierce-Arrow were improving the performance of their offerings. Packard was feeling the pressure and decided to place the engine into the Deluxe Eight Chassis and dubbed it the Twin Six. The name was in honor of Packard's achievement fifteen years earlier when they introduced their first 12-cylinder engine. By 1933 the name was changed to Twelve to be in line with the rest of the Packard models.

Most of the Packard production Twelve's received factory bodies. Only a handful received custom coachwork by such greats as LeBaron and Dietrich.

In 1935 Packard introduced more horsepower and mechanical improvements. The suspension became more plush and comfortable while the steering became easier to operate. The cars were designed and built as one unit including the fenders, running boards, hood, and body.

1936 was the final year for 17-inch wire wheels and double-blade bumpers with hydraulic dampers.

by Dan Vaughan