Name: 1938 Packard Twelve Victoria
SKU: 1127
Availability: InStock

Ultra-Rare 1938 Packard Twelve Victoria Convertible

It’s one of only 11 Packard Victoria models built in 1938.

Packard records indicate just 11 of these cars were produced. This car was the recipient of a body-off, show-quality restoration over a multi-year period and was completed in 2002. This car is equipped with Trippe safety lights, dual fender lights, dual side mount spares and Packard script mirrors. There is also an Appleton spotlight. Powered by a 12 cylinder L-head motor making 175hp. It is equipped with a 3-speed manual and 4-wheel power assisted drum brakes. The car was delivered new July 5, 1938, by Earl C Anthony Inc, the well known Los Angeles Packard dealership. This Packard 12 convertible Victoria is a CCCA National First Place winner and has sat in the Packard Circle of Champions.

175 bhp, 473.3 cu. in. L-head V12 engine, three-speed manual transmission, independent coil spring front suspension, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, four-wheel power-assisted hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 134.4″

Packard Twelves received a coil spring front suspension and hydraulic brakes for 1937, as well as a vacuum-assisted clutch. The long, 144-inch wheelbase models were dropped for 1938, but otherwise the model changed little mechanically during the rest of its lifetime. The 1938 model year brought many body changes, such as smoother, more rounded fenders and split windshields on many models.

Since 1935 Packard had offered, in addition to the rumble seat Convertible Coupe, a five-passenger Convertible Victoria with inside seating for all. This style had a blind rear quarter, such that rear seat passengers had no sideward visibility when the top was up, but from outside it looked elegant whether the top was up or down. For 1938, the twelve-cylinder version was body 1127 priced at $5,320, the only Series 1607 car to exceed $5,000.

Packard had a good year in 1937 with nearly 110,000 cars built, 1,300 of them Twelves, a record. Unfortunately, the economy soured in 1938 and production fell by 50,000 vehicles, although the company still posted the best sales of all the independent manufacturers. However, large engines from all manufacturers were fading in popularity, and Packard’s Twelve was dropped at the end of 1939.

A show quality restoration, this Packard Convertible Victoria is just beginning to exhibit signs of age. The paint is very well done, though the hood seems to have been repainted more recently. All brightwork looks fresh, and glass is as new. The car is equipped with Trippe Safety Lights, the Packard cormorant mascot, dual fender lights, and dual side mount spares with metal covers and Packard script mirrors. There is an Appleton spotlight on the driver’s side. The tan convertible top was professionally installed and still looks fresh. There is a rear-mounted trunk rack and twin Packard backup lights.

The interior is upholstered in red leather, with matching red carpets and floor mats
with large Packard emblems. The dashboard is painted grey and beautifully restored, although there is slight bubbling on the chrome gauge bezels. The car has a Packard Deluxe heater and a Packard accessory radio.

The engine compartment is restored to show quality, but exhibits some cracking of paint on the cylinder heads. It shows only minor evidence of use. Likewise, the chassis has some road dirt, but will clean up easily.

Delivered July 5, 1938 by Earle C. Anthony, Inc., the renowned Los Angeles Packard dealer, the car underwent a full mechanical inspection and service in the spring of 2000; invoices are included in the file as well as some photographs from the restoration. In October 2004 it scored 234 points at the Packards International Motor Car Club Southern California meet, and placed in the Circle of Champions. It has also received Classic Car Club of America National First honors, and was shown at the 50th annual CCCA meeting at San Jose, California in 2002.

Only 566 Packard Twelves were built in 1938. Reportedly just eleven were the 1127 Convertible Victoria style. This car represents a rare opportunity to acquire an excellent restored example.

This ’38 Twelve Victoria is the rarest of body styles (body number 1127). It was designed by Raymond Dietrich and is only one of 11 Packard Victoria V12s built in 1938. You heard that right; this is a really rare and hard to find model. It was treated to a full body-off restoration in 2002 and remains in excellent condition. The red-on-red color combination is beautifully contrasted by the tan soft convertible top. This example sits on a 134-inch wheelbase and features Trippe safety lights, dual fender lights, Packard script mirrors, and side-mount spares. It’s powered by a 424 cubic-inch V12 engine mated to a three-speed manual transmission; the car shifts smoothly and is a joy to ride.

Everything from the exterior to the interior and engine bay is ready to be shown off and will impress crowds at your next car event. This Packard is such a catch, in fact, that it was even invited to the Packard Circle of Champions. It is also a CCA National first-place winner. This Packard, from the cars of yesteryear’s collection, is a real stunner and one such as this does not come by often.