1930 Packard Series 734 Eight Speedster Runabout

Packard was the leading luxury marque at the start of the Classic era and in 1930 sold 28,318 cars, priced from $2,375 to $5,350. Packard was one of the oldest car companies in America, with the first Packard built in 1899. The company began life as the Ohio Automobile Company based in Warren, Ohio. It became the Packard Motor Car Company in 1902 and moved to Detroit in 1903.

Packard entered the Classic era with a new straight-eight engine replacing its early V12. This milestone engine used a unique crankshaft design and firing order that balanced the reciprocating forces and eliminated vibration. It was lighter than the V12, providing more power, better fuel economy, and the inline configuration was compatible with the 'long-hood' design themes that would be characteristic of the Classic era.

The Packard 734 Speedster was one of the first cars produced using the muscle car recipe long before the term was born; a lightweight boat-tail body mounted to the company's shortest chassis and fitted with a modified version of its biggest engine. Speedsters were offered to the public in 1929 for $5,000, and again in 1930, in five body styles. The 385 cubic-inch Custom Eight was fitted with a high-compression head, high-lift camshaft, larger exhaust ports, and a dual-throat carburetor, all of which helped bump horsepower from 106 to 145 giving the car an honest 100 mph capability. Speedsters were among the first automobiles to be equipped with a 4-speed transmission.

The Speedster series had five models including the Runabout. The Packard Standard 8 body was made narrower and lower to fit the custom chassis. It rode on a 134.5-inch wheelbase and offered special features such as a ribbed exhaust manifold, dual Detroit Lubricator carburetors increasing horsepower to 145, and a higher ratio 4-speed transmission. It sold for $5,210.

The Speedster was not advertised, and quietly disappeared without fanfare; most Packard dealers weren't even aware of its existence. It is believed that the Packard-built runabout body of this car was installed on a non-Speedster chassis while at Packard New York in 1930. Like the Speedster models, it was equipped with the more powerful 385 cubic-inch Custom Eight engine. Only a few examples including four 1929s and fewer than 20 1930s, in all body styles were built.

This car is one of only eleven Speedsters surviving from 39 produced. It was restored in 1983 after which it participated in the Great American Race from Los Angeles to Indianapolis. It then traveled to Europe where it won awards at concours in France, Italy, and German. The current owner of this car purchased it in 2007 and has just completed its restoration.