Rare 12-hp 1903 Packard Model F Rear Entrance Tonneau

A very rare 1903 Packard Model F Rear Entrance Tonneau arriving at and leaving the 2024 San Marino Motor Classic at Lacy Park, where it won Second in Class (Brass & Nickel Era Cars). This restored example, chassis no. 251, is powered by a 183.8-CID 1-cylinder engine producing 12 horsepower mated to a 3-speed transmission. One of three 1903 Model F Packards still existing, it was sold in 2009 for $396,000 at the Gooding & Co. Pebble Beach auction during Monterey Car Week. The car has been showcased in several prominent collections including the National Automobile Museum (Harrah Collection) and the Imperial Palace Auto Collection in Las Vegas. It was displayed at the 2024 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it won Second in Class (Packard Early (Pre-Twin Six)).

I love seeing old cars, and as crazy as it seems, I get excited about the age of a car just like many people get excited about horsepower and performance figures. With that said, this Packard now holds the record for being the oldest car I've ever filmed. (Oh, the things I'd give to catch a car built in the 1800s out on the road!) For anyone with even the slightest interest in cars, it's hard to not be fascinated by just how different this vehicle is from today's cars. In many ways, this Packard more closely resembles a horse-drawn carriage than it does a modern car. With the world moving at a much slower pace, doors and windshields were simply not a priority. Too much mud splashing up from the front tires? No problem, just add massive splash guards! Nowhere to put your belongings? Just attach big storage bins to each side. Too hard to access the rear seats? Why not just cut a door into the back of the car? The seats aren't much different from couches you'd find in a home at the time, and the single headlight is basically a huge lamp strapped to the front of the car. And yet somehow the resulting package is strikingly beautiful even over 120 years later. Seeing this car still chug-chugging on its own power today is truly an unforgettable experience.

Would you take a 120-year-old horseless carriage like this out on the road today? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!