1930 Packard Series 745 Deluxe Eight Roadster

In 1929, before the Wall Street crash, more Americans held stock in Packard than in any other listed company, save for General Motors. Arguably, most of these shareholders didn't own a Packard, but nonetheless, recognized value and a smart investment when they saw one. Short of a custom-coach-built Packard, the Model 7-45 Deluxe Eight was top-of-the-line for the company; one of eleven models in the 7-45 Series, all using a huge 145-inch wheelbase.

Between 1924 and 1930, Packard was the top-selling luxury brand in America, but its success was built on exports. Packards sold almost twice as many cars abroad as any other luxury car manufacturer in 1930. At the height of its success, Packard introduced its seventh series. This was right at the beginning of the Great Depression, and the upper classes could still just about afford these beautiful creations. But as fortunes changed, luxury car sales began to decline. Total production for the Packard Model 745 was very low, with just 1,789 built in a variety of body styles. Packard offered two different Deluxe Eight roadsters in 1930, but less than 150 were sold.

The early history of this car is not known. It was purchased by farmer Olaf Bredal in the late 1940s with the intent of using its reliable Packard engine to power his farm equipment. In 1950, Rudolph Snyder of Middleburgh, New York, purchased the car and no doubt saved the car from being cannibalized. The car remained in his possession while he courted his wife, taught his children to drive, and participated in several family weddings.

In 1995 the car was destroyed in a barn fire. Allen Strong of Urbana, IL possessed a collection of 745 parts, heard about the fire, and bought the car in 2012. Using as much of the original sheet metal and mechanical parts as possible, restoration was begun that year and wasn't completed until 2016.