Packard introduced the Twin Six to stay competitive with
Marmon,
Pierce-Arrow,
Rolls-Royce,
Renault and other luxury brands.
Cadillac and
Lincoln began offering large luxury products starting in the late 1910s. Large displacement engines provided the horsepower and torque their clients wanted and due to the low quality of
gasoline fuel at the time, and low
compression ratios, 50 bhp was more than adequate. It is estimated that the rating equivalent of early gasoline available varied from 40 to 60 octane and that the "High-Test", sometimes referred to as "fighting grade", probably averaged 50 to 65 octane.
First generation The first company produced 12-cylinder engine was in 1916, called the Packard Twin Six (1-25, 1-35) signifying two different wheelbases of and , and was for four years the only product sold until the Single Six returned in 1921. The standard paint scheme for open cars, touring sedans, phaetons, and runabouts was Packard blue with cream yellow striping on body and door panels, with black used on the underbody, radiator, fenders, chassis and running gear with no striping. Wheels were painted cream yellow with black stripes. Closed body choices were painted similar without cream yellow painted wheels. Brightwork was nickel plated, and a
Warner speedometer, with a
Waltham clock, among other items, were standard equipment. Optionally, the choice of interior and exterior colors were endless to accommodate the customers preferences. The range consisted of three series, built from May 1915 until June 1923. It was available with a shorter wheelbase from 1915 until May 1919. From 1915 to 1920, the Twin Six was the sole offering from Packard. Production was 30,941 automobiles. Prices started at US$3,050 ($ in dollars ) to US$5,150 ($ in dollars ) for the Imperial Limousine. This was the 10th Series and two models were on offer: the 1005 and the 1006 had wheelbases of and . The Twin Six' double drop frame was replaced by a tapered design. Convertibles and roadsters used leftover ninth series bodies with a smaller radiator than the all-new tenth series models. An "Aero Sport Coupe" bodied in-house and a
LeBaron-bodied "Runabout Speedster" were available on this wheelbase; only around ten of these two types were made. The appearance of the dramatic, almond-shaped Aero Sport Coupe was guided by Packard stylist Ed Macauley although the actual design work was done by Count
Alexis de Sakhnoffsky in his stint as a consultant at Packard. Only four Sport Coupes were built. This was the last car to be "Custom Made by Packard." Model year 1937 brought hydraulic brakes for the 15th Series Twelve; these had already been available for two years on the
Packard One Twenty.
Suicide doors were changed to conventional, front-hinged ones. With 1300 built, 1937 was the Twelve's most successful year, and
Dietrich offered six custom coachwork options. 1938's 16th Series brought yet shorter wheelbases: , , and . The shortest Model 1606 used the Super Eight chassis but was not included in Packard's brochures and it is unsure if any were built. Only 566 16th Series Twelves were built, followed by 446 17th Series. The fenders were of a heavier design than on previous years' models, while a column shift became and option alongside the center mounted shifter. This shape remained in use for 1939's 17th Series, the last of the Packard Twelves. 5262 examples were built in total, with the top sedan as the All Weather Cabriolet by
Brunn & Company for US$8,510 ($ in dollars ). ==Gallery==