Packard Twelve Review: Generations, Specs, and Which One to Buy
Overview of the Packard Twelve cabrio (1932–1939): its single generation, the 175 hp 7.8 MT version, and buying guidance.
The Packard Twelve is a cabrio produced from 1932 to 1939, offered across its range with 175 hp. It comes exclusively with a manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive, and suits collectors of pre-war open-top cars who value a large-displacement engine and a simple, single-generation lineup where the choice comes down to one clearly defined version.
Packard Twelve generations
1 generation (1932–1939)
The first and only generation of the Packard Twelve was built from 1932 to 1939 solely as a cabrio. Every version delivers 175 hp, paired with a manual transmission and rear-wheel drive. The generation counts exactly one modification: the Packard Twelve 7.8 MT, powered by a 7752 cc engine producing 175 hp. With a single body style, a single gearbox, and a single drivetrain layout, the lineup is as straightforward as pre-war ranges get — there are no trim-level power splits or drivetrain variants to weigh against each other.
Which Packard Twelve to buy
- 7.8 MT (1 generation): the mass version of the range, with a 7752 cc engine, 175 hp, manual gearbox, and rear-wheel drive — the only modification offered, so it is the definitive Packard Twelve.
On the used market the search is simplified by the model's structure: one generation spanning 1932–1939 and one modification mean every Packard Twelve you find is mechanically the same specification on paper — 175 hp, 7752 cc, manual, RWD. The main variable between examples is therefore the production year within the 1932–1939 window rather than the version itself.
Packard Twelve specifications at a glance
The Packard Twelve 7.8 MT (1 generation) has 175 hp from a 7752 cc engine, a manual gearbox, and rear-wheel drive, and was produced from 1932 to 1939 as a cabrio. That 175 hp figure is both the floor and the ceiling of the model's power range: the Twelve was never offered in a stronger or weaker state of tune. The large 7752 cc displacement is the model's defining number, and the manual transmission is the only gearbox ever fitted. For buyers comparing pre-war cabrios by the data, the Packard Twelve offers one answer rather than a decision tree — a 175 hp, 7.8-litre open car with rear-wheel drive.