1939 Packard 1707 Twelve 2/4-Passenger Coupe
The 1939 model year marked the swan song for Packard’s magnificent Twelve. Among the rarest of these final twelve-cylinder machines is the 2/4-Passenger Coupe, built on the shorter 134-inch wheelbase chassis. Packard’s engineering prowess is evident in the powerful 473-cubic inch L-head V12, which generated 175 horsepower at 3,200 RPM – an impressive figure that exceeded Lincoln’s Model K by 25 horsepower and fell just 10 shy of Cadillac’s celebrated V16.
Driving this grand automobile was remarkably effortless thanks to vacuum-assisted hydraulic brakes and a vacuum-assisted clutch, allowing the massive vehicle to handle with surprising agility despite its substantial 5,540-pound weight. The Twelve utilized a three-speed selective synchromesh transmission, with an optional column-shift configuration available alongside the standard floor-mounted controls.
With total production of just 446 examples across all body styles in the final year, these cars represent less than two percent of Packard’s total 1939 output. The coupe featured luxury appointments including a rumble seat with correct leather armrests – earning it the “2/4-passenger” designation that indicated its ability to accommodate additional passengers.
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