1939 Packard V-12 Convertible Victoria
THF88292 / 1939 Packard V-12 Convertible Victoria
01
Artifact Overview
Packard's 12-cylinder cars, introduced in 1932, were some of the finest luxury automobiles ever built in the United States. The new V-12 was Packard's counterpunch to V-16 and V-12 engines from Cadillac and Lincoln, as competition was fierce among high-end carmakers during the Great Depression. The magnificent Packard Twelves were everything but profitable, and the company canceled the line in 1939.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Automobile
Date Made
1939
Creators
Place of Creation
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
78.65.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Steel (Alloy)
Metal
Canvas
Glass (Material)
Rubber (Material)
Leather
Color
Black (Color)
Tan (Color)
Dimensions
Height: 70 in
Width: 68 in
Length: 219 in
Wheelbase: 134 in
Keywords |
|---|
02
Related Content
SetArt Deco – Behind the Scenes
- 15 Artifacts
The skyscraper, ship, airplane, train, and automobile -- these streamlined forms signified modernity for Americans during the inter-war years. The Art Deco movement, an artistic style prominent during this period, celebrated the technological advancements that modern transportation embodied. The Art Deco aesthetic was applied to all areas life; from skyscrapers to dinnerware, airplanes to Christmas cards.
SetLuxury Cars
- 18 Artifacts
Luxury cars offered the greatest in comfort and the latest in technology. They also provided status -- a large part of their attraction. Builders like Rolls-Royce specialized in extravagant cars with corresponding prices, while mass-market manufacturers like General Motors and Ford offered Cadillacs and Lincolns for customers of more modest means. Sport sedans and SUVs may have replaced carriage-inspired Victoria bodies, but luxury still sells.
SetConvertibles
- 22 Artifacts
This car symbolizes 1950s America: a time of exuberance, self-confidence, excess, and self-indulgence. Cadillac designers drew on jet aircraft for ideas, from the sharp, swept-back tailfins to the front parking lights that resemble B-52 bomber air intakes. Under that jet-inspired skin is a 345 horsepower engine, air suspension, and a host of luxury options, including an automatic headlight dimmer. We are unlikely to ever see such cars again.