The Same, But Different

ON THEIR OWN, automobiles are simply heaps of various materials thrown together to move people from one place to another. For too many humans on this planet, the car is a tool of life, like table cutlery. Cars are often acquired, used, broken, fixed, and eventually forgotten about. From this perspective, cars are a dull hobby.

From another perspective, there are endless stories, eye-catching details, and unforgettable history that provide so much life to the automotive world, offering plenty of reasons for why some of us appreciate cars so incredibly much.

Since the early 1900’s, the automobile has evolved immensely, and the rate at which we have witnessed this evolution is hard to fathom. What many of us fail to realize, however, is that some vehicles today relate closely to their ancestors of 100 years ago.

And so, a comparison: The 1916 Packard 125 Twin-Six Runabout and the Bugatti Veyron, two very similar vehicles built nearly a century apart, both of which are part of the Audrain Collections.

A bespoke supercar of its day

Packard was one of the leading automakers in the first half of the 20th century. Competing with companies like Rolls Royce, Cadillac, and Bentley, Packard made extremely high-quality cars in numerous different styles, depending on the owner’s desired use. One of the finest vehicles that resides in the Audrain Collections is our 1916 Packard 125 Twin- Six Runabout.

An extremely expensive vehicle of the time, the Twin-Six featured the automobile industry’s first production V12 engine, with DNA stemming from aircraft engines. The engine is very well built; it starts effortlessly, idles silently, and can pull away from a stop in top gear. The performance is otherworldly for the period, allowing the car to achieve 50 MPH easily.

The Twin-Six was Packard’s top of the line model in this period, offered with both 125- and 135-inch wheelbase options, giving buyers many different body styles to choose from. The 135-inch wheelbase was a much more popular starting point as it was the basis for the typical large touring car of the period, with the ability to fit plenty of passengers. Just 3,600 Twin-Sixes were built on the 125-inch wheelbase, as they did not offer a practical use. The typical Packard owner of this period often had enough money to hire a chauffeur, so opting for more passenger space was a common choice.

The 125 Twin-Six in the Audrain Collection is an especially rare bird. As a two-seater, the owner would obviously have to drive himself, proving it a true enthusiast’s vehicle for the period. And as a runabout with a convertible top, the car was only useful seasonally, as a hard top vehicle would clearly prove more useful year-round. Of the 3,600 125-inch wheelbase cars, just four Runabouts are said to exist today.

Truly a bespoke supercar of its day, and we have been delighted to share this car with the public at Pebble Beach, Amelia Island, and at home in the Audrain Museum.

The one and only “Le Ciel Californien’

Speaking of supercars, there is another innovative, luxurious and high-performance convertible that resides within the Audrain Collections, and while it’s far more contemporary than the Packard, the cars are much more similar than you might think. The Bugatti Veyron is a vehicle I assume every reader is familiar with. It made history as the first 1,000 horsepower production vehicle upon its release in 2005. The Veyron became the poster car of choice for kids around the world, and the supercar of choice for wealthy enthusiasts as well. The car featured a gargantuan powerplant: a mid-mounted sixteen- cylinder engine with four turbochargers, propelling the car to well over 250 MPH. In 2013, the Grand Sport Vitesse was announced, now with 1,200 horsepower and a removable top — making it the fastest open top vehicle in the world at that point in time. The Veyron wasn’t just built to go fast. It was designed for its owner and guest to be comfortable at any speed. Plush seats, fine leather, and an airy space allowed lucky owners to experience the finest means of transportation on the planet. The car was extremely comfortable and encouraged long trips — whether the top was on or off. ‘Le Ciel Californien’ was Bugatti’s press vehicle, travelling with the company around the world to debut the new model. The two tone white and blue paint scheme is the only one of its kind in the world, inspired by the California sky. In fact, Museum guests have shown more interest in the Grand Sport Vitesse than almost any other vehicle on display, and even 12 years after its release, it stands as one of the most popular individual vehicles of the day.

Timeless classics

Even though these vehicles are separated by nearly 100 years, their use cases are extremely similar. Wealthy enthusiasts have always hunted for the finest automobiles, in both performance and build quality, and both vehicles are still jaw-droppingly impressive in their own ways.