Art Deco luxury with no modern competition
If you want to be chauffeured around in the modern epitome of luxury, chances are you’ll opt for a Rolls-Royce or a Bentley. If it were the mid-1930s and you found yourself in the same conundrum, well then, chances are you’d get something like this 1935 Packard Twelve 1208 Limousine. This particular example is for sale on Exotic Car Trader, and you can check out the listing by clicking here.
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Born during a time when the likes of Duesenberg, Pierce-Arrow, Peerless, and Cord battled for automotive supremacy, this Packard Twelve stands out in more ways than one. For starters, this imposing machine carries a wheelbase of around 140 inches, or just under 12 feet. A 2025 Cadillac Escalade has a wheelbase of around 120 inches, or just over 10 feet, meaning this magnificent beast is over 2 feet longer than what we consider a large car by modern standards. Aerodynamics are unnecessary when you look this good, so rather than slice through the air, this Packard’s upright waterfall grille and prominent hood ornament push the air aside with force. After all, you have places to be, and neither the forces of nature nor the regular populace will stop you from getting there when you’re at the helm of this Packard.
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Looks and power to match its use case
Between the dual side-mounted spare tires, running boards, wire wheels with wide whitewall tires, and externally mounted luggage trunk with rack, are four suicide doors that give way to the grandeur within. As was the case with limousines of this era, the cabin is split between the driver’s compartment and the passenger’s compartment, for your net worth was far too high to share an undivided space with your chauffeur. The driver’s side is trimmed in a rather utilitarian-looking black leather, while the passengers benefit from opulent tan cloth upholstery, chrome accents, and plenty of wood grain finishes throughout. Even so, the wooden dashboard is still wonderfully 1930s-looking, with Art Deco gauges, a frankly massive three-spoke steering wheel, and the Packard logo prominently displayed in the middle of the dashboard and on the horn button. If you were sitting in the back and absolutely had to speak to the chauffeur, you could either use the winder-controlled glass partition or the far more convenient intercom-style microphone and speaker system.
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Beneath the appropriately long hood rests a monstrous powertrain: a 473ci V12 engine mated to a three-speed manual transmission, producing 175 hp. For 1935, that transmission was fully synchronized for more effortless shifting, and both the mechanical brakes and the clutch received vacuum assist. Together, all of these items ensure that you’re more likely to glide down the road, rather than drive down it. Throw the couchlike seating into the mix, and you’ll see why most well-to-do folks of the day preferred to be driven around rather than do it themselves. A special mention goes to the two oversized horns, ensuring that if you aren’t seen on the road, you will most certainly be heard.
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Final thoughts
Needless to say, you’d need one hell of a driveway or garage to park this 1935 Packard Twelve 1208 Limousine. Given its age, opulence, rarity, and recent extensive restoration, it’s easy to see why it currently holds a $144,000 asking price. You could get a lot of modern cars for that money, sure, but would any of them turn heads quite like this Packard would? The answer will always be no.
About the author
Gabriel Ionica
Senior Editor, Autoblog