In 1937, Packard produced a very respectable 122,593 cars, a number which they were rightly quite proud of. Of that total, however, a mere 1,300 left the famous Detroit plant with the spectacular twelve-cylinder engine. Period press accolades declared these later series Packard Twelves (1932-1939) as "the nearest thing to steam" such was their seamless, silken and relentless power delivery. The 437 cubic-inch V12 was a beautiful design, said to have inspired Enzo Ferrari to power his own cars with 60-degree V12 engines. Producing a full 175 horsepower, it equaled that by made by the mighty Cadillac Sixteen. By 1937, the Fifteenth-series Packard Twelve had gained independent front suspension adapted from the Junior models, as well as four wheel vacuum-assisted hydraulic brakes and a synchromesh transmission, making it one of the most satisfying of all pre-war Packards to drive, even by today's modern standards. The 1932-1939 Packard Twelves are still considered by many to be among the finest American automobiles ever produced.