Hi! I haven't got either kit yet either, so I couldn't make an honest comparison between the two kits. Logically, in the manufacturer's eyes anyway, I wouldn't think that there are very noticeable differences between the two cars, except for the differences that you mentioned. In any case, the new Packard would only require some tooling revisions in the "mostly out-of-sight" suspension areas. As you say, in 1/35, the differences in the dimensions of the body itself would be minimal. I would guess that the "new" 1408 is possibly (?) a re-box, without the inclusion of figures of Comrade Stalin & His Stooges. I don't remember, if in fact, the "Leader's Packard" kit includes any figures, although I do remember seeing likenesses of Stalin & Co. illustrated on the box top. Maybe someone can shed some light? PS- I remember seeing a photo of a 1937 Cord 810/812 Convertible in one of my books, posed with some Luftwaffe (?) Officers standing near it... I think it's in my SCHIFFER PUBLISHING book, "Cars of the Wehrmacht"... Now THAT would make for a beautiful kit, no?

Hi, All! Back again- I just checked the 1/35 ICM 1936 Packard Twelve "Soviet Leader's Car"- It DOES contain 5 figures: Stalin, Molotov, Beria, Khrushchev, and Vlasik- no, not the pickle...

I'm like you in wondering if they are the same kit, and if so I hope this one is less expensive since it is sans-figures. And darn, I needed a pickle to go with my sandwich... The Cord does sound very nice. They could make a Luftwaffe and civilian version of it as well, which would probably just be a reboxing. The 810 and 812 are a lot smaller in real life than I thought they would be, the engine bay would present a very interesting modelling challenge in 1/35 with that large Lycoming engine and and all of the details under the hood.

Hi! That Cord is a reeeeaally rare bird, especially in Europe! I have great doubts about the Luftwaffe ever acquiring any Cords. No Cords were ever sold to ANY military- More than likely, the Cord was a private purchase by one of the Luftwaffe (?) Officers in the photo. At most, only about 1900 1936/37 Cord 810/812s were ever built, (1936-1940) so that's how I'm assuming that the Luftwaffe never ordered any of them. Only about 4400 Cord L-29s (1929-1932) were ever built... I need to find that book- I've just recently moved, and some of my books and models are still at my old house. I need to get back over there and bring some more stuff back here to my new place. I just want to confirm that those are Luftwaffe Officers in that photo of the Cord... By the way, we have an EXCELLENT classic and antique car museum in Norwich, NY, about 50 miles or so from where I live now. They have a beautiful selection of cars, ranging from the 1890s-early 1960s... Quite a few Cadillacs and Packards, 2 Duesenbergs, probably a half-dozen air-cooled Franklins, and... A 1937 Supercharged Cord 812, PLUS a 1935 Auburn Speedster, also Supercharged!!!

Yes, they were exceptionally rare but we do see more of them than the L-29's. You should do a photo feature for AutoModeler, I'm sure there are plenty of us that would love to see the museum's collection I'd like to see the photo of the Cord in Luftwaffe service as well. I know that the high ranking German officers indulged in a fondness for high end luxury automobiles, so I wouldn't be surprised if a few made there way to Germany via private sales.

Hi! We probably don't see very many of the L-29s because they were real dogs, mechanically. A lot of them probably wound up in junkyards. The L-29s just barely beat the Ruxtons into production as America's first production front-wheel-drive automobiles. (I LOOOOVE CLASSIC CARS!!!) The 810/812s weren't much better than the L-29s in the trans-axle area- A pity, because they were gorgeous cars... Speaking of American cars as German sales, Hermann Goering had a regular stable of US-built cars. He also owned a DB Mercedes 500K in "Luftwaffe Blue". Rudolf Hess had a 500K in Brown, (The NAZI party color) which he loved to drive. Who wouldn't?

Maybe I'm wrong but isn't there a difference in how the tail lights are positioned on the maroon Packard Twelve and the 'Soviet leaders' boxing? I was looking at the images of the boxarts on ICMs website and to me it seems that the tail lights are positioned differently. I could be wrong .... / Robin

Hi! That could very well be... There may even be a few other minimal differences between the 2 kits...

Robin: I wouldn't go off of the box art, but there were certainly many options one could choose for the various components of their Packard such as wheels, bumpers, and interior amenities. Dennis: Many of L-29's actually had some beautiful custom coachwork that surpassed other contemporary beauties. I think the real issue is that the body design of the 810/812 were so ahead of their time and instantly recognizable that they overshadow the L-29. The transmission was actually a pretty good design, but suffered from silly quirky little problems that could quickly destroy or otherwise render the transaxle at least partially inoperable. A lot of these problems can be easily and inexpensively overcome. There just wasn't enough development time or resources available to invest into working out the bugs. GM did really well in refining a mass production FWD transmission when they came out with their TH425 because of their vast resources. I'm sure Cord could have come through just fine with their design if given the opportunity. Yes! The 500K is gorgeous, and one of my favorite European classics of all time right next to the Horch 855 Plenty of opportunities for some new softskin kits