Featured Automobile!
Packard’s creative engineers and body stylists fathered very remarkable and exceptional cars. One model was the 734 Boattail Speedster. It was designed as a fast sports car of its day: high performance, even higher rate of speed, and strong suspension to take sharp curves.
The bodies were exotic. Having a lighter weight than most roadsters and a four-speed transmission, the big eight cylinder, 384-cubic–inch straight engine with 150 horsepower, could boost the Speedster down the road at around 100 miles an hour.
Approximately only 118 of these cars were produced. The 734 Speedster Registry estimates that there are only twenty-six Packard Speedsters, in its various body styles over the years, in existence today.
This particular car, housed in the Cussler Museum, has an interesting history. In disrepair when it was sold to William Harrah, it was later restored, and ran in the Great American Race. It has beautifully shaped Woodlight headlights, with matching parking lights. The radiator is graced with the lovely Goddess of Speed mascot.
Another unusual feature are the nicely leathered seats, with the passenger side slightly offset to the rear. The torpedo bodies were very narrow and the concept was to keep the passenger out of the way of the driver’s arms as he negotiated sharp turns at high speed.
A truly magnificent work of mechanical art, this Packard Speedster 8 Runabout is featured in the Dirk Pitt adventure novel Poseidon’s Arrow.
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