The Coupe-Roadster Was The Sportiest Packard Twelve Of 1939

The Packard Motor Car Company was an early proponent of multi-cylinder engines, debuting its industry-leading Twin Six for 1916. A V-12 engineered to power airplanes joined that engine in the early 1920s, but Twin Six production ended in 1923. The prestigious Detroit firm gave 12-cylinder cars another go in the 1930s, and the most striking of these was its final-year Coupe-Roadster for Two or Four Passengers.

Packard reintroduced a V-12 in the 1932 Twin Six, a model that would be supplanted by the 10th Series Twelve of 1933. This model, which rode on an expansive 142-inch wheelbase and was motivated by a 445.5-cu.in., 160-hp V-12, could be had in 28 cataloged standard and custom coach-built body styles. For the youthful at heart, the most desirable factory Twelve body styles were the close-coupled two-seat variants that could, in clement conditions, carry two passengers in the rumble seat. The Coupe-Roadster, with its miles-long hood, golf-bag doors, and low-profile folding-top stack, was the sportiest standard Packard Twelve. This variant was still available in the 17th Series of 1939, the final year of V-12 production when 446 examples of all body styles were built.

People who could spend the equivalent of $99,000 in today’s dollars to acquire one wanted for nothing in their Twelve Coupe-Roadster, starting with its namesake engine. For 1939, the 67-degree V-12 displaced 473-cu.in. via a 3 7/16-inch bore and 4 1/4-inch stroke; this cast-iron block/aluminum head engine enjoyed a 6.3:1 compression ratio, a dual-downdraft Stromberg carburetor, and a standard oil cooler. It sent 175 horsepower and 366 lb-ft of torque to the 16-inch rear wheels through a vacuum-assisted clutch, three-speed manual transmission with synchromesh, and semi-floating hypoid rear axle.

This automobile – measuring 223 3/8 inches and riding over a 134-inch wheelbase– offered extravagant proportions for two primary occupants. Its box-section steel girder frame rode on front coil springs and rear leaf springs damped by double-acting hydraulic shocks; body roll of the nearly 3-ton car was checked by front and rear and anti-roll bars and a rear lateral ride stabilizer. It was also a solid base for the worm-and-roller steering system and 14-inch drum brakes with vacuum boost assist. 

These sophisticated mechanical components probably interested Packard’s upmarket clientele less than did the car’s peerless quality, luxury, and stately appearance. Marketing materials called the Twelve Coupe-Roadster “smartly informal” and noted, “Occasional extra couples will find roomy accommodation in the rumble seat, spacious and cushioned like no other rumble seat you have seen. When the weather urges that the top be lowered, it all but disappears in a trim recess covered by a neat, compact boot.” The lucky pair in the cabin were surrounded in leather and burled walnut and enjoyed an integrated radio.

Our feature Packard 1707, vehicle number 1239-2006, was delivered to its original owner in Toledo, Ohio, on November 4, 1938. It was disassembled in the 1980s, then purchased in that state in 2009 by Packard engine restoration specialist Eugene Cohen. After a three-year restoration, it was awarded with AACA Junior (2012) and Senior (2013) First Place prizes. We featured it on the cover of Hemmings Classic Car’s June 2015 issue. The Packard changed hands in 2020 and was offered for sale online in 2022 with an asking price of $198,900; that year it crossed the block at Gooding & Company’s Amelia Island Auction, where it did not sell against a presale estimate of $250,000 to $280,000. Gooding again offered this spectacular Coupe-Roadster during its 2023 Amelia Island Auction (presale estimate: $250,000-$275,000), where it found a new home for $212,800.

SPECIFICATIONS – 1939 Packard Twelve Coupe-Roadster

Engine                        OHV V-12, 473-cu.in., 

two-barrel downdraft carburetor

175 hp at 3,200 rpm,

366 lb-ft of torque at 1,400 rpm

Transmission              Three-speed manual

Suspension                Front, coil springs, anti-roll bar, 

lever-arm shocks; Rear, leaf springs,

lateral stabilizer, anti-roll bar, 

lever-arm shocks

Brakes                       Four-wheel drums

Wheelbase                134 inches

Curb weight               5,540 pounds

Price new                  $4,375 

Value today               $212,800

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