To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' The Guyton
Collection event, 4 - 5 May 2019.
Estimate:
$800,000 - $1,100,000
- Among the greatest, rarest American performance cars of the
Classic Era
- One of five surviving 734 Phaetons; known history since
new
- Extremely original and never fully restored
- Widely considered to be the ultimate Packard of its era; a
Duesenberg competitor
- Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) Full Classic
THE SPEEDSTER EIGHT
The 734 Speedster Eight of 1930 was a new breed of Packard. It was
graceful, quietly elegant, and beautifully engineered, all the
things that the company stood for - but rather than pure silence
and smoothness, it was built as a performance machine, representing
the most power that could be run from the famous Packard Eight.
Given more or less carte blanche to "see what you can do,"
Packard's engineering wizard, Colonel Jesse Vincent, set about
boxing a 733 Eight chassis for rigidity. It was crowned with an
extensively modified engine, featuring a Detroit Lubricator
dual-throat carburetor; hemispherical intake and exhaust outlets,
at a 45-degree angle, maximizing the larger manifold openings and
separating the exhaust and intake manifolds, creating a
larger-capacity and free-flowing exhaust system; and a
high-compression 6:1 cylinder head. The exhaust manifold was
finned, as were the specially forged iron brake drums that allowed
for a two-inch-wide braking surface. Available rear axle ratios
allowed the car's 145 hp to propel it above 100 mph in top
gear.
Packard did not want to be viewed as a performance automaker, even
in a world in which, with the introduction of the Duesenberg Model
J and the Cadillac V-16, they somewhat had to be. They advertised
the Speedster Eight as minimally as possible, running a single
eight-page brochure on the model - and that was that. The lack of
advertising almost made the car more desirable; it was a special
"hot little something" that only those in the know could pick
up.
That remained true even after the model was out of production.
Those who saw a Speedster Eight on the street would usually just
accept it as "another old Packard" - until this factory hot rod
outran them. Among the cognoscenti, however, it continuously
remained desirable, in an era when few of the future "Full
Classics" really were; it was recognized as superlative as early as
the 1940s, and Smithsonian transportation curator Smith Hempstone
Oliver created the first registry for the model in the 1950s.
In 1959, Tom Mix, one of the earliest appreciators of Full Classic
Packards, saw fit to travel from Massachusetts to Buffalo, just to
add one to his collection. It was one of the five survivors of some
32 Phaetons built. He would never sell it; it passed from his
estate to Fred Guyton, who, too, would only be parted with it by
his passing.
It took a special man to own a Speedster Eight - and once he bought
it, he kept it. Nearly 90 years on, that is still true.
THE GUYTON SPEEDSTER EIGHT PHAETON
The Guyton Phaeton was originally delivered by L.R. Mack, the
Packard agency in Rochester, New York, on 17 May 1930. According to
information in the file, the original owner was Sanford Cluett, of
Cluett-Peabody, manufacturers of Arrow Shirts; Mr. Cluett was the
inventor and namesake of the Sanforizing anti-shrinking process,
which was one of over 200 patents in his name. The car was next
acquired for $300 in 1951 by Victor Mion of Schenectady, then in
1958 by James H. Kellogg Clark of Buffalo. In 1959 the car was
purchased from Kellogg Clark by Tom Mix, owner of Boston's famous
Foreign Motors dealership, and among the most avid early Packard
enthusiasts in this country. Mr. Mix built a superb collection
focused on coachbuilt rarities, including numerous Darrins and
various one-off models.
Correspondence from Mrs. Mix, which is on file, indicates that the
couple toured extensively in the Speedster Eight Phaeton, and that
it was one of her husband's favorite automobiles. Photographs
survive of it, in the cream and maroon it then wore, on display at
an event at the Larz Anderson Museum in 1960, as the most modern
car displayed amidst a fleet of Brass Era machines - yet clearly
and unmistakably, already something special. Mr. Mix owned the
Speedster Eight for the rest of his long life, eventually
commissioning a new paint scheme of dark red with black fenders
late in the 1990s.
In 2006, Fred Guyton was thrilled to acquire the car from the Mix
estate, writing in glowing thanks to Mrs. Mix, to reassure her of
his good intentions to maintain and enjoy the car as her husband
had. He proceeded to do so, and enjoyed driving the Packard many
times, while continuing to carefully preserve its originality and
restore it only as necessary.
For instance, the leather upholstery finally became unusable, and
new upholstery was fitted several years ago as a result, along with
a tonneau cover for the rear seat. Peek under the hood and under
the car, however, and the original green it wore for Mr. Cluett is
still visible on the undersides of the fenders and on the frame
rails. The car is running a non-original carburetor, which
functions well for driving, but is offered with a correct
reproduction carburetor on a stand.
Inspection of the various numbered mechanical components shows that
nearly all are numbered within 20 digits of one another and,
therefore, are surely original to the car; the exceptions are the
front axle, the number boss on which is blank, and the gearbox,
which is a replacement unit. All of the stampings are correct,
clean, and original, including the Special Order or "S.O." number
on the frame and the original firewall tag; removing the trim at
the top of the doors reveals even the original factory number
stampings on the brightwork.
Lovingly cared for its entire life, this car still displays the
fingerprints and evokes the careful attention of its five owners,
and will soon add those of a fifth who should drive it, enjoy it,
and share it. Its new owner will join the proud fraternity of those
who know just what a powerhouse this is.
That is the tradition, after all.To view this car and others
currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/gc19.