1930 Packard 734 Speedster Runabout

In early 1929, Packard executives circulated a memo to distributors describing a new, high-speed sporting model to be built in extremely limited numbers for the upcoming Seventh Series and available only by special order. Built on a 134.5" wheelbase, the Model 734 Speedster has since earned a reputation as one of the finest sporting automobiles produced by an American manufacturer before WWII.

The brainchild of Col. Jesse G. Vincent, Packard’s Vice President of Engineering, the 734 was a true factory hot rod. Built on Packard’s shortest chassis, it featured 19" wheels, a high-speed 3.31:1 rear axle ratio, finned brake drums, and a specially tuned DeLuxe Eight engine. Equipped with a dual-throat Detroit Lubricator carburetor, hemispherical combustion chambers, special manifolds, a high-compression cylinder head, and cutoutequipped exhaust system, the Speedsters produced an impressive 145 hp. In 1930, only the Duesenberg Model J offered more power from an Americanbuilt, eight-cylinder automobile.

The 734 Speedster could reach 60 mph in second gear and achieve a top speed exceeding 110 mph – extraordinary figures for the period, particularly for a luxury automobile. Yet performance was only part of the story. Beautifully engineered and elegantly styled, these Packards combined effortless speed with refinement. Priced at more than $5,000 when new – at a time when a Ford roadster cost approximately $460 – each was extensively tested at the Packard Proving Grounds and delivered ready for sustained, high-speed motoring.

Never advertised and exclusive from the outset, the 734 Speedster was offered in five body styles: boattail runabout, phaeton, victoria, sedan, and the later 2/4-place runabout roadster. Bodies were built by Packard’s in-house Custom Body Works and tailored specifically to the Speedster chassis, being lower, narrower, and more sporting in appearance than standard Packards. Among them, the boattail runabout, with its minimal top and staggered seating arrangement, was the most dramatic and ultimately the most sought after. Of the approximately 113 Model 734 Speedsters built, only 39 were fitted with this runabout body style.

The 734 Speedster offered here is among the finest surviving examples and boasts a fascinating history dating back to new.

Identified by body no. 442-23, this Runabout was delivered new in 1930 to A. McClure Halley of Brooklyn, New York. Described by The New York Times as “an exhibitor and judge of dog shows and a sportsman of varied interests,” Mr. Halley was an accomplished outdoorsman, collector, and automotive enthusiast. A veteran of WWI, he later managed Giralda Farms, the celebrated New Jersey estate of Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge and Marcellus Hartley Dodge, while also becoming a respected figure in the dog-show world.

Above all, Halley was an automobile connoisseur. His collection included some of the finest sporting automobiles of the era, among them a Bugatti Type 51 Grand Prix and a bespoke Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Spider. He also commissioned the famous custom special known as “Halley’s Comet,” built by Zumbach’s of Manhattan.

Halley entrusted Zumbach’s with the care of his Speedster and personalized it with several tasteful additions. Period photographs show the Packard finished in a single, dark color and equipped with painted wire wheels, chromed spare covers, French Marchal headlamps, a radiator-cap tachometer, auxiliary lights and horns, and other distinctive details.

The striking appearance of Halley’s Speedster made a lasting impression on New York enthusiasts, including noted automotive historian Smith Hempstone Oliver. So captivated was Oliver by this particular car that it inspired his landmark 1958 Bulb Horn article, “Model 734 Packard Speedster of 1930.” Recalling his first encounter with the Runabout, Oliver wrote:

“The first such car that I ever saw was a pointed-tail specimen that was being driven by a blonde down Flushing Avenue in Brooklyn in 1932. This, I later learned, was the car of McClure Halley, an ardent enthusiast who lived practically across the street from the Coney Island Hospital on Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn. The blonde was his wife. I later saw the car parked outside Abercrombie and Fitch’s on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, and had a chance to examine it somewhat. Later I met Halley at his home, and made occasional visits there to see him and his cars.”

Prior to WWII, Halley sold the Packard to noted photographer and automobile enthusiast Leo Pavelle of Mount Vernon, New York. In 1942, Pavelle sold the car to legendary automotive author Ralph Stein. Although Stein owned the Speedster for only a short time, it clearly left a lasting impression. He featured the car in The World of the Automobile and later reflected on selling it in The Great Cars:

“The Packard boat-tail is one of the few cars I regret selling. But I had little choice. The garage operator in whose premises lay an Invicta I had bought refused to allow me to remove it unless I sold him the Packard for $300. Although the Packard looked new and ran perfectly, I was so smitten with the Invicta that I allowed him to get away with his extortion.”

By approximately 1948, the Speedster had passed to John Putch of Shreveport, Louisiana, who retained it for nearly two decades. In 1967, it was acquired by Bill Carney of Kansas and subsequently passed through a small number of dedicated collectors in Wisconsin, California, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. During this period, it was featured in The Classic Car Bulletin and preserved as an important surviving example of Packard’s celebrated sporting model.

The Speedster later joined the collection of noted enthusiast and vintage racer Tom Hollfelder, who displayed it at the Packards International Grand Salon’s Circle of Champions and drove it on the 1994 California Mille. In 2001, Hollfelder sold the car at Christie’s Pebble Beach auction to Otis Chandler, famed collector and publisher of the Los Angeles Times. Three years later, it was acquired by prominent California collector Ray Scherr, who commissioned a comprehensive restoration by Stone Barn Automobile Restoration of New Jersey.

Refinished in a rich, dark green with tan leather upholstery, the Speedster debuted at the 2006 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, where it earned First in Class honors. Additional accolades followed, including the Breitling Award for Timeless Beauty at the 2007 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and First in Class at the 2009 Kirkland Concours d’Elegance.

Acquired by its current East Coast owner in 2019, the Packard has remained in a distinguished, private collection and has been carefully maintained and regularly exercised.

Of the 113 Model 734 Speedsters believed to have been built, only 39 were originally equipped with the desirable Runabout body. According to the authoritative Model 734 Speedster Register, only 18 Runabouts are known to survive, and just a handful retain essentially original bodywork and correct Speedster components.

This beautifully restored example belongs to that select group and is made even more desirable by its exceptional provenance, which includes such notable names as McClure Halley, Ralph Stein, Otis Chandler, and Ray Scherr. Combining rarity, beauty, performance, and a thoroughly documented history, it stands among the most important surviving Packards.

Having been admired by enthusiasts and collectors for decades, this outstanding 734 Speedster Runabout merits the serious consideration of any connoisseur of great American classics.