Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

Don't feel bad Kev, I thought you guy's looked just fine.

BTW, here's Petey's pic, straight from the PFH Ranch:

Pete: Talk about bad looks. I understand that you once took first and second place at an ugly gorilla contest. They found out that they judged the wrong end the first time around, when you pulled up your pants.

John F. Shireman

lol....thanks Gents.

Now that I have side tracked this thread to hell, lets get back to the Mystery shifter!

all right...all right..I confess...that is the special lever that operates the device that switches back between the V-12 and the "straight twelve" (now you know why so many people come up at auto shows and ask "didn't they make a straight twelve..."...? )

I was thinking perhaps it is a 007 James Bond device stolen from an Aston-Martin DB5 to eject the passenger seat in the event the driver got tired of being bored to death by a pedantic 1938 V-12 owner explaining how the car can't be converted to RHD.

if you look, there is a silver ring around whatever it is. down on the bottom ofthe pic, it almost looks like there is another on the passenger side.


its a low mounted 'oh $h!t' handle, designed so that, aftr grabbing it, the terrified passengers are bent over , ready to pray.

Petey: Here is a picture of an in-line twelve cylinder that Packard did build.

John F. Shireman

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My Grandfather had a 35 super 8 roadster with the same handle it was for a manual overdrive I belive it was a hono OD, His was right hand drive, brought it back from Jamacia and restored it back in the early 60s. he got caught up in Oregon with some other Packard people doing 110mph, Judge threw it out because he said those old cars couldnt go that fast, He still has the ticket but not the car. at 91 he is still doing good though.

Thanks for that fantastic photo - John.

Every time this issue comes up, I think back how astonished I was to have been proved wrong (when people would tell me there was such a thing as a "straigt" Packard Twelve, I would "poo poo" them and call them just plain wrong. I found it just about impossible to believe the Packard Engineering Dept. could have gotten involved in such utter nonsence (the technical/engineering reasons why a STRAIGHT Twelve would be totally useless for a production motor car have been beaten to death elsewhere).

My understanding about Packard priorites in their development shops, was that they knew they were a BUSINESS-oriented branch, involved in product development that made SENSE ...that might eventually produce REVENUE.

The idea of an "IN LINE" twelve cylinder engine was nuts. A total waste of time and valuable resources. I just dont understand it. Until John's research, and telling us about some author who had the photos, I simply wouldn't have believed it.