☰
conceptcarz.com
✕

1930 Packard Series 740 Custom Eight

The Great Depression of the 1930s tightened its grip on America and the automobile industry, and Wall Street crashed and taken everyone's money with it. The future looked bleak and businesses were closing. The U.S. automobile industry was particularly hit hard, and after a decade of growth during the roaring twenties, cars began to backlog and linger in the parking lots of factories. Some of America's best car builders were out of business before the Depression was over. Packard struggled and managed to outlast the depression, being one of the few luxury car manufacturers to endure.

To help weather the Great Depression and to market their product to a wide audience, Packard developed a lower-priced Light Eight, while its polar opposite, the new Twin Six V12, was aimed at the financial elite. Both were introduced as Ninth Series 1932 models.

Wearing designs by Ray Dietrich, the Seventh Series Packard models were introduced on August 29th of 1929, on the heels of its most successful year 1929. They were lower with sleeker lines and flowing front fenders, emblematic of the Classic Era. Notable stylistic changes included new headlamps and the relocation of the lights from the cowl to the front fenders. Most Packards were production cars, but the catalog included a wide range of custom bodies tailored to meet the demands and needs of their wealthy clientele. Alvan Macauley, president of Packard Motor Company from 1916 until 1939, had advocated bringing custom coachbuilding in-house and 1931 was the year his plan was implemented. Despite the company's success with providing high-quality chassis from custom coachbuilders, Macauley believed that Packard's body-building capabilities, craftsmanship, and quality were on-par, if not better than, independent coachbuilders. Macauley hoped that better coordination between chassis construction and custom coachbuilding would bring economies of scale, increasing efficiency, and operating margins.

1930 was the first time Packard did not build its own carburetor, instead, it employed a Detroit Lubricator updraft unit to feed its eight-cylinder engine. The three-speed gearbox received a new low gear, creating a smooth-starting four-speed. The slightly sloped grille received thermostatically controlled shutters, five more lubrication points were added to the 1930 models, and cooling was improved by a redesigned water pump with dual fan belts. Packard claimed that the standard Bijur lubricator dash control with its 'Pull Daily' handle accomplished the work of '43 men with 43 oil cans.'

The 1930 Packard 740 Custom Eight had a wheelbase that measured 140.5 inches. Power was from a 385 cubic-inch L-head inline eight-cylinder engine rated at 106 horsepower. It had a four-speed manual transmission, solid front and live rear axles, and semi-elliptic leaf springs. Four-wheel mechanical drum brakes were located in the front and back. Bodystyles included Phaetons, roadsters, coupes, and sedans. The popularity of open cars was beginning to decline due to the price of closed cars becoming much more reasonable. Standard equipment included dual mount spares on the 745 and optional on the 740.

by Dan Vaughan

Sport Phaeton
Chassis number: 185083
Engine number: 185113

The Packard 740 Custom Eight and the 745 Deluxe Eight were powered by a 384.8 cubic-inch engine that produced 106 horsepower. The 740 rode on a wheelbase that measured 140.5 inches while the 745 rested on a 145.5-inch platform. New for this year was the four-speed transmission and a 4.69 rear axle ratio. Dual-mounted spare tires were standard on the 745 while it was an option on the 740.

Coachbuilders were given the opportunity to clothe the 740 and 745, including LeBaron, Brewster, Rollston, and Dietrich. There were eleven body styles for the 740 and eleven for the 745. Thus, the Seventh Series Packards were more than capable to satisfy a wide variety of customers' needs.

This Packard 740 Custom Eight Sport Phaeton is finished in two shades of deep red and has a low-slung tan top. The interior is tan leather and there is a wood-grain dash. There are many accessories such as driving lights, a radiator stone guard, wind wings, fully enclosed dual side-mounted spares with mirrors, a rear luggage rack and chromed wheels mounted with tall white-wall tires. The Adonis mascot can be found on the hood, a very desirable ornament and one of the most desirable to adorn the Packards.

It is believed that the car was given a restoration in 1978. It was purchased by its current owner in 2006 from the Sterling McCall Old Car Museum. It has an Antique Automobile Club of America badge from 1979.

In 2009, this 740 Custom Eight Sport Phaeton was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. The car was estimated to sell for $200,000 - $300,000. The lot was sold for the sum of $192,500 including the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible Coupe

This Packard is the recipient of a complete, body-off, frame-up restoration performed in large part by its current owner. Only the paint, trim work, and chroming were outsourced.

Three Packard models were available for 1930 - its Seventh Series - the 733, 740, and 745. The 740 and 745 models shared Packard's venerable 384.5 cubic-inch straight-eight motor that developed 106 horsepower.

New for 1930 were a four-speed transmission and Detroit Lubricator updraft carburetor. Parking lamps were now fender mounted and all glass was shatter-proof. The side-mounted spares and disc wheels were optional.

Sport Phaeton
Chassis number: 181777
Engine number: 181644

This Packard Custom Eight 740 is a well-used example that wears an older restoration but still shows well in modern times. The restoration work was completed in the early 1960s and upon completion, it earned an AACA National First in 1965, a CCCA Premier Senior Award and first place at a Packard Automobile Classics National Meet. It is finished in maroon and red livery and fitted with side-mounted spares, driving lamps, wind wings, C.M. Hall lamps, See-Rite mirrors, a mounted trunk, and the classic 'Goddess of Speed' mascot.

Recently, all six chrome wire wheels have been restored, trued, and mounted with fresh whitewall tires. It is powered by a 384 cubic-inch L-Head eight-cylinder engine fitted with a single Detroit Lubricator Updraft carburetor. There is a four-speed selective-sliding gearbox and four-wheel mechanical drum brakes with a vacuum booster.

In 2010, this Sport Phaeton was brought to Gooding & Company's Scottsdale Auction where it was estimated to sell for $250,000 - $325,000. As bidding came to a close, the lot had been sold for the sum of $203,500, inclusive of the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Phaeton

The first Packard was produced in 1899. By the time the Great Depression passed, America was still experiencing the worst economic condition in its history. It was the U.S. automobile industry that got hit the hardest.

The Packard Eight was produced between 1930 and 1938. And, by this time, Packard had an impressive lineup of automobiles. Packard had been the top-selling luxury brand for six years straight.

New for 1930, Packard introduced a four-speed transmission, fender-mounted parking lights, and adjustable driver's seat and steering wheel. Dual-mounted spare tires were an option on the 740. The wheelbase measures 140 inches.

Powered by a 384.8 cubic-inch straight-eight engine that produces 106 horsepower, this large powerful car recently competed in the Packard Joy Ride in the Adirondack Mountains in New York.

In the 1930s, Packard was known for their quality and also offered a number of different designs. Packards were priced from $2,500 to close to $5,000 depending on the model. The factory list price for the 740 Super 8 Phaeton was $3,190 but was later reduced to $2,690.

This Packard 740 Phaeton was purchased by the present owner for $900 in Farmington, CT, in 1963. The owner restored the car at his father's farm and painted it using a Sears diaphragm air compressor. Completed in 1966, the auto was driven for approximately 25 years by the owner and was probably the most photographed Packard Phaeton in the USA during those years.

Following the Packard Club National in Ashville, 14 years ago, the car was old and tired. The owner, again, was going to repaint the Phaeton and restore it in six months.

Starting with every part being removed and restored, including new wheels, pilot ray lights, spotlights, and wind wings, the restoration was completed in 14 years!

This Packard attended the very first Concours d'Elegance at Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester, Michigan in 1979, in addition to being shown at the 30th Anniversary and the 40th. It is owned by a 'Founding Father' of the Meadow Brook / St. Johns Concours, Don Sommer, who started the Concours with a group of his friends.

Roadster

At the start of the Classic era, Packard was among the leading luxury marque. This all changed during the early years of the Great Depression when Packard sales began to drastically decline. In 1930, the first year of the Depression, Packard sold just 28,386 cars. This was down dramatically from 1929. By this time Packard was one of the oldest car companies in America, with the first Packard built in 1899. The company was founded as the Ohio Automobile Company in Warren, Ohio. It became the Packard Motor Car Company in 1902 and moved to Detroit in 1903.

They 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 and better fuel economy, and the inline configuration was compatible with the 'long hood' design themes that would be characteristic of the Classic era. The Model 740 rode on a 140-inch wheelbase chassis and was powered by a 385 cubic-inch straight eight-cylinder engine offering 106 horsepower. It was priced at $3,190 and only 6,200 was produced.

This car has been owned by the current owner for 62 years, acquiring it in 1949. It was the first car to be awarded a perfect score, 100 points, in judging by the Classic Car Club of America.

Sport Phaeton

This Packard is the first automobile to be awarded 100 points (a perfect score) by the Classic Car Club of America. Although that award was received more than five decades ago, the car remains in beautiful condition today.

The car's owner, Margret Dunning, turned 102 years old in 2012. She has been a member of the Classic Car Club of America almost from the beginning and has been an active member of the CCCA's Michigan Region during that time.

The current owner (Ms. Dunning) purchased this car in 1949. It had been through 'Boot Camp' at several Army bases during World War II and had not been pampered. After being purchased by Ms. Dunning, it underwent a full restoration with the help of some of her friends. Sixty-four years later, the 82-year-old car and 102-year-old owner, are still going strong and she is still enjoying it.

It has a cigarette lighter, map light, and glove compartment on both sides of the dash. With the smooth power of the straight-8 Packard engine coupled to a 4-speed manual transmission, Ms. Dunning still drives it with what she refers to as 'Armstrong Steering.'

The Packard 740 was powered by Packard's legendary in-line eight-cylinder motor that developed 106 horsepower.

Sport Phaeton
Chassis number: 185458
Engine number: 185645

It is believed that this car was originally delivered in Southern California, as it wears an original Earle C. Anthony service plate. It was formerly part of the Robert Gottlieb collection and remained there for at least ten years. It has most recently been part of an eastern U.S. collection. The car was re-finished several years ago and is currently finished in two-tone aquamarine and features a matching leather interior with varnished woodwork, polished chrome disc wheels, covered side-mounts with pedestal mirrors, dual Pilot Ray driving lights, wind wings, a radiator stone guard, a rear-mounted luggage rack with a period trunk, and Packard's Goddess of Speed radiator mascot.

by Dan Vaughan

Phaeton
Chassis number: 188034
Engine number: 188030

Packard's new Seventh Series was introduced on August 29, 1929, and ushered in a new sportier design with sleeker lines and fenders that flowed gracefully into the body. A wide range of custom bodies from independent coach builders was available, although the vast majority of customers selected factory models which were well-engineered, well-appointed, and very comfortable. Several new mechanical features accompanied the seventh series including an improved cooling system with a redesigned water pump, dual fan belts, and the first use of the Detroit Lubricator updraft carburetor. New low gear was added to the transmission creating a four-speed, and the Bijur Lubricator was considered standard equipment.

By the 1930s, the gap between open and closed-bodied cars had shrunk considerably and more customers were selecting the closed-bodied option, thus larger phaetons, while stately and elegant, were losing their appeal and adding to the rarity in modern times.

This Phaeton wears a design by Dietrich. It has its original Detroit Lubricator carburetor and it is believed that the motor may be original to the car. It was given a cosmetic restoration several decades ago and the body appears solid with no major issues. It has its original headlamps supplied by C.M. Hall with the Depress Beam indicator jewels visible to the driver. There is a tan canvas top and black leather seats.

by Dan Vaughan

Phaeton

This 1930 Packard 740 Super Eight Phaeton was recently owned by the same gentleman from Pennsylvania for the past three decades. It has a well-maintained, older restoration.

by Dan Vaughan

Sport Phaeton
Chassis number: 185083
Engine number: 185113

Packard introduced its Seventh Series on August 20th of 1929. Innovations for the new models included revised styling, a four-speed gearbox (replacing the previous three-speed), a new water pump driven by dual fan belts, and safety glass. Before Black Tuesday and the Wall Street Crash, more Americans held stock in Packard than in any other listed company save General Motors, and Packard strongly held the lead in luxury car sales. Post-Wall Street Crash, Packard faced a 34-percent decline in sales, yet its monied audience hung in there, enough so that the company outsold Cadillac-LaSalle six more times during the decade.

For 1930, Packard models included the Standard Eight, the Custom Eight, and the luxurious Deluxe Eight. Differences came in wheelbase, trim, upholstery, engine size, and hood design.

This Model 7-40 Custom Eight had a base price of $3,490, quite a sum of money in post-Depression America. It rides on a 140.5-inch wheelbase and is powered by a 385 cubic-inch, 106-horsepower inline eight-cylinder engine.

Sedan Limousine
Engine number: 185286

After enjoying the company's most successful year to date, Packard followed this up with the Seventh-Series Packard's introduced on August 29th of 1929. Styling was overseen by designer Ray Dietrich, and the bodies were lower with sleeker lines, new headlamps repositioned from the cowl to the front fenders, and flowing front fenders. The Seventh Series is fondly remembered for the introduction of the 734 Speedster with innovative features that included a performance rear axle ratio, and a high compression cylinder head. The new low gear to the three-speed gearbox created a smooth-starting four-speed. Packard did not build its own carburetor, instead, it selected an outsourced dual-throat Detroit Lubricator updraft unit to feed its eight-cylinder engine. The slightly sloped grille was given thermostatically controlled shutters, and cooling was improved by a redesigned water pump with dual fan belts. For the 1930 models, five more lubrication points were added.

Although a wide range of custom bodies was offered, most were production cars. This changed when Alvan Macauley advocated bringing custom coachbuilding in-house and 1931 was the year his plan was implemented. His reasoning was that Packard's body-building was unmatched and the quality of its in-house work was equal to, if not better than, independent coachbuilders. Additionally, it would allow better coordination between chassis construction and custom coachbuilding, increase Packard's efficiency, and improve the operating margins.

The 1930s were a difficult time for the economy as the Great Depression's grip on America tightened into a stranglehold. Packard remained at the top of the luxury car segment but its future, like many of its competitors, was tenuous. Packard responded with its full managerial, technical, and financial power resulting in the introduction of the new Twin Six V12 and the lower-priced Light Eight. Both would debut as Ninth Series 1932 models.

The Super Eight series would continue the evolution from the successful Sixth series, with more elegant and better-integrated lights, modern coachwork, and attractive wheels. Powering the 740 Series was an L-head inline eight-cylinder engine displacing 385 cubic inches and offering 106 horsepower. It was backed by a four-speed manual transmission, had a 140.5-inch wheelbase, and braking was handled by four-wheel mechanical drums. The front had a solid axle with the back being a live axle, with suspension comprised of semi-elliptic leaf springs.

This particular 1930 Packard Custom Eight Limousine was ordered from Packard and delivered for final assembly to Leonard Williams and Co. of London, the Packard distributor for the whole of Britain. After receiving modifications for the British market, the car was sold to a Mr. William Selkirk, through the Williams dealership. The car would be with Mr. Selkirk at his Colwood House until his death in 1960. Since then, the car has remained in the care of three private collections, on both sides of the pond.

This is a right-hand-drive example with trafficator turn signals and 'Boa Constrictor' horn. The burled-wood dash retains its Leonard Williams dealership plaque. It has its original interior and on the outside is most of the original paint, original glass, and optional dual side-mount spare tires. It has an original accessory trunk with fitted luggage.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster
Chassis number: 187037
Engine number: 188365

The 1930 Packard 740 Custom Eight Roadster had expansive seating for two and auxiliary space for two more in the rear rumble seat. This particular example was acquired by the current owners in 1989 from Canadian enthusiast Aldo Bigioni. It wears a period shade of dark green over dark red leather and was given a major mechanical service in October 2020. The work included the installation of an electric fuel pump and new overdrive unit, servicing the braking system, restoring the radiator, and rebuilding the starter motor.

Beneath the bonnet is a 385 cubic-inch L-head straight eight-cylinder engine, and period features included the wire wheels, Goddess of Speed radiator mascot, and spotlights.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible Coupe
Chassis number: 183919
Engine number: 183661

The Packard Chief Engineer Jesse Gurney Vincent and his team created a powerful and durable engine that was nearly free of vibration. The 385 cubic-inch straight-eight cylinder unit was rated at 106 horsepower, and for 1930, it was given a Detroit Lubricator updraft carburetor, dual fan belts, and mated to a four-speed sliding-gear manual transmission. 1930 was also the first year that safety glass appeared on all windows.

This 1930 Packard 740 Convertible Coupe resides on a generous 140.5-inch wheelbase and has been given a recent full restoration. It wears a maroon exterior with black fenders and beltline over an all-new dark red leather interior. There is a black fabric convertible top, twin polished Landau bars, and maroon disc wheels wrapped with Firestone wide whitewall tires. Optional accessories include dual side-mounted spare tires with accessory mirrors, a Goddess of Speed radiator mascot, and Trippe driving lights.

by Dan Vaughan