1915 Packard Model 1-25

Tourer
Engine number: 80709

By 1915, Packard had established itself as a manufacturer of prestige cars and had adopted the slogan, 'Ask the Man Who Owns One', demonstrating their record of owner satisfaction.

The new twin six was a vehicle that would place the company in the luxury field for the next two decades and set the tone of Packard's overall thinking for many years. The cars were keyed directly to the upper-scale sales bracket. They debuted in May of 1915 and featured a 60-degree V-12, with two blocks of six cylinders set on an aluminum crankcase. The powerplant was designed by chief engineer Jesse Vincent, had a displacement size of 424 cubic inches, and offered 88 horsepower.

Two series were offered, 1-25 with nine models and 1-35 with 13 styles. The designations were based on wheelbase, not horsepower. The 2-door passenger coupe cost was $2,700 and the 3-passenger coupe was $3,700. One of the Twin Six's best testimonials came from the home of Rolls Royce. 'For twenty years the Packard car had held the reputation of being in America what the Rolls Royce is in England.' The chassis of the new Twin-six bears no resemblance to earlier Packard's it is channel section pressed steel 6 inches deep. The front axles are I-beam with roller bearings and the rear axles are beam tubular steel, semi-floating.

Packard introduced the Twin Six engine in May 1915 for the 1916 model year. Twin Six models had the gearbox relocated from the rear axle to a position located behind the clutch housing. The shift lever was still located to the left of the driver.

The standard paint color for open cars was Packard blue striped with cream yellow for body and door panels. The fenders, frame, hood, underbody, and many of the other components were painted black. The wheels were cream yellow striped with black. The closed cars were painted Packard blue striped with black for the door panels and the body.

The body style prices ranged from $3,050 to $5,150. By the time their successors, the 2-25 and 2-35, arrived in August of 1916, nearly 8,000 examples had been built. They proved to be very popular, outselling their nearest luxury competitor, the Pierce-Arrow, by four-to-one that year, and nearly eight-to-one the next.

Variations on the Twin Six were Packard's only offerings through 1920, when a lighter and less expensive car, variously referred to as the Single Six, Light Six, or Series 116, joined the line in September.

This particular example has an unknown early history. It was owned by Harry D. Horton of Springfield, Missouri in the 1950s. In 1958, ownership passed to George V. Horton. Bradley Skinner, of Bartlesville, Oklahoma purchased it in December of 1967. Its current owner acquired it around a year later.

In the 1980s, it was given a body-off restoration. It is painted in deep blue and has black buttoned leather upholstery and a black canvas top. The rear compartment has jump seats for two. The instrumentation included a Warner AutoMeter, a Waltham eight-day clock, gauges for oil pressure and gasoline, and an ammeter.

by Dan Vaughan

The Packard Twin Six was produced from 1915 - 1923. The name 'Twin Six' would be revived years later eventually becoming known as the Packard 'Twelve'.

There were 7,746 examples of the Packard Twin Six sold in 1916, its introductory year, with figures increasing to 8,899 in 1917. This was an amazing accomplishment considering the relatively high starting price of $2,600 that these luxury cars demanded.

The V-12 engine was comprised of two six-cylinder cars-iron blocks set at a 60-degree angle and rested atop an aluminum crankcase. It was a side-valve design that displaced a total of 424 cubic inches and produced 88 horsepower. The pistons were made from lightweight aluminum alloy and there was full-pressure lubrication which aided in the longevity of the engine.

The engine, clutch, and gearbox were a single unit and replaced Packard's earlier design of having the transaxle mounted on the rear axle. Packard was one of the first to use this type of drivelines. This setup reduced unsprung weight of the rear axle, improved ride and handling, and provided more reliability and rigidity.

The technological improvements continued for 1917 with Packard introducing a redesigned Twin Six with a separate cylinder block and head castings. The aluminum pistons now had two compression rings and an oil scraper. Also, the intake and exhaust manifolds were redesigned. Even with these improvements, the horsepower rating remained at 88, although the rated RPM figure dropped from 3000 to 2600.

by Dan Vaughan

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