1939 PACKARD 12 BOATTAIL SPEEDSTER

Details

By 1939, there were only three ultra-luxury V12 and V16 models available from American manufacturers. It was the end of a monumental era for American automobiles when prestige models that combined luxury, performance, silence and beautiful custom-built coachwork had been available from a multitude of both major and minor automakers. Packard was far and away the production leader, with 446 Twelves built for 1939, 60% of the multi-cylinder luxury cars built in American that year. Each Packard 12

was custom-built to the individual customer's orders. Even with that latitude, this magnificent 1939 Packard 12 Boattail Speedster did not emerge with its present coachwork from the Packard factory, instead being constructed later to take advantage of the 12's magnificent engine and superb chassis. The result is stunningly unique, a long, streamlined, dream car that combines the best of Packard's 1939 12 series with a luxurious boattail speedster body. The design retained the Packard 12's teardrop fenders with integrated enclosed sidemount spares, but did something Packard overlooked in 1939, eliminating running boards in favor of discrete step plates to access the passenger compartment, and a rumble seat. It is appropriately provided with luxurious accoutrements, including wide white wall tires on wheels with hubcaps and trim rings, Trippe auxiliary lights, a golf bag door and wind wings on the slightly raked vee windshield. It is finished in an appealing cream livery with brown coachlines complementing the brown leather upholstery and interior trim, beautiful wood dashboard and accents and brown cloth folding top, the latter a rare accommodation in open boattail speedster re-bodies. An older restoration, it is an honest, well-maintained example that has been driven since it was completed but remains in excellent condition. This unique 1939 Packard 12 Boattail Speedster has a magnificent look both on the road and at the curb, a fitting way to mark the end of a long history of great 12 cylinder classic cars from Packard.