1916 Packard 1-25 Twin Six Runabout
1916 Packard 1-25 Twin Six Runabout
Chassis no. 82715
Engine no. 82715
424 ci T-Head V12
88bhp at 2,600rpm
3-Speed Manual Transmission
Solid Front Axle – Semi-Floating Rear Axle
2-Wheel Mechanical Brakes
*One of four believed to exist
*First year of Packard's V-12
*Handsomely finished in royal blue and black
*Recognized by the Classic Car Club of America
*Jaunty two-seat body style
THE PACKARD 1-25 TWIN SIX
When Packard, like many of the world's automotive manufacturers, turned its attention to designs for aircraft engines during World War I, it decided upon a V-12 configuration for its combination of compactness and power. Packard's brilliant chief engineer, Jesse Gurney Vincent, had another attribute in mind when he chose the 12-cylinder configuration for a road car: unmatched smoothness.
At 6,950cc, or 424 cubic inches, Packard's new V-12 was only marginally larger in displacement than the smaller of the two Sixes it would replace. Aluminum pistons, a product of WWI technology, reduced reciprocating mass. The two blocks, each of six cylinders, were cast as a unit with the heads. The crankshaft, less massive than the Six's, was supported in three main bearings. At 900 pounds, the new engine weighed 400 pounds less than the previous Six.
Production of the new First Series Twin Six began in 1915 for the 1916 model year. It was offered in two wheelbase lengths, and priced at $2,600 to $4,600, undercutting its predecessors by hundreds of dollars.
The engine's smoothness and tractability left automotive journalists grasping at surperlatives. A writer for The Automobile raved that the car would accelerate smoothly from 3 miles per hour in top gear. A journalist who caught a ride with American soldiers in their pursuit of Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa related that, "it was like riding on velvet when those big Packards laid back their ears and breezed along as though their only ambition was to catch up with the horizon."
The generous 135-inch chassis, referred to as the 1-35 to denote its series and length, was offered with a choice of 13 commodious bodies. Nine bodies were cataloged for the 125-inch 1-25, among them Touring, Phaeton, Coupe, and the example represented here, Runabout, certainly the jauntiest of the bunch.
The 1-25 showed the handsome design, top-notch craftsmanship and tireless attention to detail for which the company was already famous. The bezels of the big electric headlamps echoed the lines of the famous grille, and incorporated auxiliary lamps for city driving, while the rest of the coachwork was embellished with just the right amount of sparking brightwork. Even the cast brake and clutch pedals delight the eye.
The Runabout, produced only on the 125-inch chassis, offers accommodations for just its driver and one lucky passenger; a rumble seat would not be offered for several more years.
The First Series Twin Six was succeeded after just one year by the Second Series, which offered detachable cylinder heads and other refinements; this makes it a rarely seen automobile. The Packard Club estimates that of the 3,606 examples built on the 125-inch chassis, only 20 exist today. Noted early car authority David Greenlees, on his website The Old Motor, states that only four First Series Runabouts are in existence.
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
The original owner of this 1-25, engine number 82715, is unknown. In 1926, it was sold to Arthur Velguth, of Spokane, Washington, who kept it until he passed away in 1944. Ownership passed to Mary Canovan, also of Spokane, who sold the Twin Six in 1953 to Tom Hanke, who discovered it on blocks in a garage. Hanke owned the car until 2013, when it was acquired by its current owner.
According to the current owners, Velguth had stored the Packard on his island in Spirit Lake, Idaho, which is where Hanke discovered it nine years after Velguth's death. Through visits to Spirit Lake, they located the site of the now-disappeared one-car garage and spoke with a local car enthusiast who recalled seeing the dusty Packard backed into the garage and sitting on blocks—no doubt a memorable sight.
The owners learned that Spirit Lake had once been a high-end destination resort, and concluded that that was probably what had led Velguth to purchase the island there.
This example, handsomely finished in royal blue and black, is fitted with a spotlamp, a Boyce MotoMeter, and a Waltham eight-day clock. Its instrumentation includes a speedometer, odometer, ammeter, fuel gauge, and oil pressure gauge.
The First Series Twin Six is a handsome, capable and rarely seen automobile, a major landmark in Packard's ascent to the pinnacle of luxury car production. One of the earliest cars considered a Full Classic by the Classic Car Club of America, it will be enthusiastically welcomed on tours and to concours fields. This sale presents an extremely rare opportunity to own a significant piece of Packard history.
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1916 Packard 1-25 Twin Six Runabout
Chassis no. 82715
Engine no. 82715
424 ci T-Head V12
88bhp at 2,600rpm
3-Speed Manual Transmission
Solid Front Axle – Semi-Floating Rear Axle
2-Wheel Mechanical Brakes
*One of four believed to exist
*First year of Packard's V-12
*Handsomely finished in royal blue and black
*Recognized by the Classic Car Club of America
*Jaunty two-seat body style
THE PACKARD 1-25 TWIN SIX
When Packard, like many of the world's automotive manufacturers, turned its attention to designs for aircraft engines during World War I, it decided upon a V-12 configuration for its combination of compactness and power. Packard's brilliant chief engineer, Jesse Gurney Vincent, had another attribute in mind when he chose the 12-cylinder configuration for a road car: unmatched smoothness.
At 6,950cc, or 424 cubic inches, Packard's new V-12 was only marginally larger in displacement than the smaller of the two Sixes it would replace. Aluminum pistons, a product of WWI technology, reduced reciprocating mass. The two blocks, each of six cylinders, were cast as a unit with the heads. The crankshaft, less massive than the Six's, was supported in three main bearings. At 900 pounds, the new engine weighed 400 pounds less than the previous Six.
Production of the new First Series Twin Six began in 1915 for the 1916 model year. It was offered in two wheelbase lengths, and priced at $2,600 to $4,600, undercutting its predecessors by hundreds of dollars.
The engine's smoothness and tractability left automotive journalists grasping at surperlatives. A writer for The Automobile raved that the car would accelerate smoothly from 3 miles per hour in top gear. A journalist who caught a ride with American soldiers in their pursuit of Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa related that, "it was like riding on velvet when those big Packards laid back their ears and breezed along as though their only ambition was to catch up with the horizon."
The generous 135-inch chassis, referred to as the 1-35 to denote its series and length, was offered with a choice of 13 commodious bodies. Nine bodies were cataloged for the 125-inch 1-25, among them Touring, Phaeton, Coupe, and the example represented here, Runabout, certainly the jauntiest of the bunch.
The 1-25 showed the handsome design, top-notch craftsmanship and tireless attention to detail for which the company was already famous. The bezels of the big electric headlamps echoed the lines of the famous grille, and incorporated auxiliary lamps for city driving, while the rest of the coachwork was embellished with just the right amount of sparking brightwork. Even the cast brake and clutch pedals delight the eye.
The Runabout, produced only on the 125-inch chassis, offers accommodations for just its driver and one lucky passenger; a rumble seat would not be offered for several more years.
The First Series Twin Six was succeeded after just one year by the Second Series, which offered detachable cylinder heads and other refinements; this makes it a rarely seen automobile. The Packard Club estimates that of the 3,606 examples built on the 125-inch chassis, only 20 exist today. Noted early car authority David Greenlees, on his website The Old Motor, states that only four First Series Runabouts are in existence.
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
The original owner of this 1-25, engine number 82715, is unknown. In 1926, it was sold to Arthur Velguth, of Spokane, Washington, who kept it until he passed away in 1944. Ownership passed to Mary Canovan, also of Spokane, who sold the Twin Six in 1953 to Tom Hanke, who discovered it on blocks in a garage. Hanke owned the car until 2013, when it was acquired by its current owner.
According to the current owners, Velguth had stored the Packard on his island in Spirit Lake, Idaho, which is where Hanke discovered it nine years after Velguth's death. Through visits to Spirit Lake, they located the site of the now-disappeared one-car garage and spoke with a local car enthusiast who recalled seeing the dusty Packard backed into the garage and sitting on blocks—no doubt a memorable sight.
The owners learned that Spirit Lake had once been a high-end destination resort, and concluded that that was probably what had led Velguth to purchase the island there.
This example, handsomely finished in royal blue and black, is fitted with a spotlamp, a Boyce MotoMeter, and a Waltham eight-day clock. Its instrumentation includes a speedometer, odometer, ammeter, fuel gauge, and oil pressure gauge.
The First Series Twin Six is a handsome, capable and rarely seen automobile, a major landmark in Packard's ascent to the pinnacle of luxury car production. One of the earliest cars considered a Full Classic by the Classic Car Club of America, it will be enthusiastically welcomed on tours and to concours fields. This sale presents an extremely rare opportunity to own a significant piece of Packard history.
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
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