Vehicle Description
By the time 1930 had rolled around, Packard had become a major force in America’s luxury car market. Over half of the high-end American cars produced at the point in time were Packard’s. Packard’s only knock against them was that they were not known for great speed. In 1929, Packard’s chief engineer, Colonel Jesse Vincent, decided to change that statistic. During that year, he had a prototype speedster built that was much lighter and more aerodynamic than many previous Packard’s. His prototype proved to be extremely quick, as the car reached a top speed of 109 miles per hour, a very impressive achievement for its day. The car made such an impression on Packard’s boss, Alvan Macauley, that he slotted the car for production in 1930.
Powering the sensational speedster was Packard’s famous 385 cubic inch straight eight engine. The stock motor managed 106 horsepower, but after Packard fine-tuned this workhorse, it was capable of 145 horsepower. This improvement along with the lightweight body gave the Speedster enough gusto to become a true 100 mile per hour car. Unfortunately, the 734 Speedster was born into the automotive world during the worst time possible; the beginning of the great depression. The 734 Speedster was only produced for one year with a grand total of 113 cars ever being completed. Four different body styles were offered; Phaeton, Victoria, Sedan, and the most famous, as well as the prettiest, the two passenger boattail Speedster Runabout. Not only rare, but when Packard was building the 734, the car was hardly advertised, making it one of Packard’s best kept secrets.
The 1930 Packard on offer is fitted with a faithfully and accurately recreated steel Speedster Runabout body that is true to the original cars. The details are all correctly done, down to a correct Speedster exhaust manifold. Even though our Packard was restored in the late 1980’s, the car retains an excellent presentation, proving that the restoration was top-notch and that the car has been properly maintained. The highly detailed work gave this car AACA National First Prize Award honors in 1988 and can continue to be shown today. Beautifully finished in blue with a light blue beltline, beige top and sumptuous dark blue leather upholstery and carpeting, the car is simply stunning. The elegant appearance of the Speedster is complemented by its wide whitewall tires, dual side-mounted spares, chrome wire wheels, chrome radiator stone guard, dual Pilot-Ray driving lamps, and the legendary Goddess of Speed hood ornament.
The Speedster is one of Packard’s sportiest creations of all time, and they rarely come to market. This is a fabulous opportunity to acquire a fully restored example that it is only a fraction of the cost compared to an original Speedster, while retaining the same sexy lines and wonderful performance.
