The 1930 Speedster Eight squeezed 145 hp from the same straight-eight block as the regular Custom Eight's 106 hp — no extra bore or stroke, just better breathing.
Lead trim: Speedster Eight 734 (145 HP at 3400 rpm)
Packard Eight734 · 1930–1930
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Packard Eight yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe 1930 Speedster Eight squeezed 145 hp from the same straight-eight block as the regular Custom Eight's 106 hp — no extra bore or stroke, just better breathing.
The Packard Speedster Eight Model 734 was a performance-oriented passenger car line offered for the 1930 model year (7th series) only, on a heavily modified Standard Eight (733) chassis with narrower and lower coachwork. Its straight-eight is derived from the 740 Custom Eight's with valve and manifold revisions, a Detroit Lubricator dual updraft carburetor, a vacuum booster pump and a ribbed exhaust manifold, and delivers 145 HP at 3400 rpm (the 740's is 106 HP) with no increase in bore or stroke (3½ x 5 in). The Speedster has four speeds instead of three, a choice of rear-end ratios at no extra cost, fender-mounted parking lights and the senior car's hood with a ventilation door. Prices started at US$5,200 for the Boattail Speedster, Runabout Speedster and Phaeton Speedster and US$6,000 for the Victoria and Sedan Speedster; only 113 were built. Body styles: #422 Boattail Roadster, #443 Sedan, #445 Phaeton, #447 Victoria, #452 Runabout.
Collectors Spotted in the Packard Eight Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Packard Eight yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speedster Eight 734 (145 HP at 3400 rpm) | 1930–1930 | Inline-8 | 145 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Packard's senior Eight nameplate had already been retired when it was brought back for one final year in 1938 - wearing a smaller, cheaper engine borrowed from the junior 120 model.
The 1930 Speedster Eight squeezed 145 hp from the same straight-eight block as the regular Custom Eight's 106 hp — no extra bore or stroke, just better breathing.
The Packard Eight took the top spot from the Twin Six in 1924 and came back for one last year in 1938.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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