Packard Twin Six
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| Packard Twin Six | |
|---|---|
| Name | Packard Twin Six |
| Manufacturer | Packard Motor Car Company |
| Production | 1915–1923 |
| Class | Luxury car |
| Body style | Touring car, sedan, roadster |
| Engine | 424 cu in (6.9 L) V12 |
| Transmission | 3-speed manual |
| Wheelbase | various |
Packard Twin Six The Packard Twin Six was an early American V12 luxury automobile introduced by the Packard Motor Car Company that established Packard as a premier maker of high-end chassis during the 1910s and early 1920s. Drawing customers from the ranks of industrialists and entertainers, the model linked Packard to aristocratic marques in Europe such as Rolls-Royce Limited and Isotta Fraschini, while influencing designs at competitors including Cadillac, Pierce-Arrow, and Stearns-Knight.
Development and Design
Development began under the direction of chief engineer J.W. Packard and designers influenced by coachbuilders like Fisher Body, Holbrook Company, and L. L. Norman Company. The project responded to luxury trends set by Napier & Son and Mercedes touring models seen at international exhibitions such as the Paris Motor Show and the New York Auto Show. Styling cues borrowed from Salisbury and Berry, with long hoods and sweeping fenders reminiscent of Delaunay-Belleville and Winton Motor Carriage Company coaches. Bodywork choices were often executed by coachbuilders who had previously built for Lincoln and Packard’s American rivals including Reo Motor Car Company and Studebaker.
Engine and Technical Specifications
The powerplant was a V12 designed to compete with engines by Liberty Motor Company and Sunbeam; it featured a cast-iron block, overhead valves, and carburation influenced by practices at Scripps-Booth and Stutz Motor Company. Displacement measured approximately 424 cubic inches (6.9 L), comparable to contemporary large-displacement units from Pierce-Arrow and Cadillac. Ignition systems shared similarities with magneto setups used by Delage and Duesenberg, while lubrication and cooling systems paralleled developments at Marmon Motor Car Company and Peerless Motor Company. Transmission was a three-speed manual akin to gearsets found on Buick and Oldsmobile models of the era. Chassis and suspension incorporated semi-elliptic springs similar to those on Packard’s own Twin Six competitors like Lancia V-type models seen in Europe.
Production History and Model Years
Introduced in 1915, the Twin Six was produced through model years 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, and 1923 before Packard shifted focus to straight-eight engines similar to offerings from Studebaker and Hudson Motor Car Company. Early runs paralleled production strategies at Ford Motor Company and General Motors subsidiaries, although volumes remained modest compared with mass-market makers such as Ford and Chevrolet. Special editions and coachbuilt variants were supplied to clientele including families associated with Du Pont family, Rockefeller family, and entertainers like Rudolph Valentino and Florence Lawrence who favored bespoke bodies by Brunn & Company and Holbrook. Wartime economic pressures from World War I and postwar inflation influenced output, much as they affected Packard’s contemporaries including White Motor Company.
Performance and Competition
On the road the Twin Six competed with Isotta Fraschini, Rolls-Royce, and Duesenberg models, offering smooth torque delivery and refinement that critics compared to Maserati and Bentley in later decades. Speed and acceleration were respectable for the era, measured against benchmarks set by Peerless and Pierce-Arrow in showroom comparisons and road tests conducted by publications associated with The Horseless Age and Motor Age. Reliability and long-distance endurance were demonstrated in events and trials alongside entrants from Stutz, Marmon and Saxon Motor Car Company, while the Twin Six’s refinement was often contrasted with simpler powerplants from Hudson and Reo.
Marketing, Reception, and Cultural Impact
Marketing targeted affluent consumers patronizing establishments like Waldorf-Astoria and social circles connected to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Carnegie Hall. Advertisements appeared in periodicals such as The Saturday Evening Post, Harper's Bazaar, and Town & Country, and Packard placed chassis at high-society events including the Marmon Indy 500 era promotions and coachbuilt displays at the New York Auto Show. Reviewers from publications tied to Automobile Club of America and motoring journalists with ties to The New York Times praised the Twin Six’s luxury, while caricatures and social columns referenced owners among the Astor family and Vanderbilt family. The car also appeared in films and publicity stills alongside stars represented by studios like Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures.
Legacy and Preservation
The Twin Six left a legacy influencing Packard’s later V12 iterations and the broader American luxury segment represented by Cadillac’s V-type experiments and Duesenberg’s later grand chassis. Surviving examples are preserved in collections at institutions such as the Henry Ford Museum, Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, and private collections owned by descendants of industrial dynasties. Enthusiast groups and registries affiliated with Antique Automobile Club of America and Classic Car Club of America maintain records, while restoration workshops that once served Packard marque owners include those near Huntington, Indiana and Ypsilanti, Michigan where historic coachbuilders operated. The Twin Six is celebrated at concours events held by organizations like Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and regional meets hosted by Amelia Island Concours and Vintage Sports-Car Club of America.