[00:02] the '60s. >> It sounds great, too.
[00:15] >> Yeah. >> Baby Face Nelson or one of those guys. >> Definitely a bank robber's car. >> Banker or bank robber's car. >> Could you drive this car every day? >> Oh, it's so easy. It's so incredibly
[00:28] easy. I think this car is the perfect mixture of like a little bit of hot rod, mixture of like a little bit of hot rod, but with luxury and elegance.
[00:41] Garage once again being visited by automotive royalty from the fabulous Nader cut collection. This is an unbelievable car. This is a 1930 Packard unbelievable car. This is a 1930 Packard 734 Speedster Victoria Coupe. This car
[00:54] is fascinating to me because Packard was always building great cars. Now they're performance, you know, they were never hot rods, but this would be their Mustang for lack of a better word to use. This is a sportier version. They
[01:08] made a 745 with a two-seater that had the staggered seats. That was kind of the young cat's car. That was kind of the cool car. This has all those features, but it is a two-door coupe. It's just the sexiest car, I think. It's
[01:21] just a great looking car. Four-wheel brakes. I know this doesn't seem like a big deal, but it was by the time the '30s came along. Most cars had adapted four-wheel brakes. Four-speed transmission, most with three. This was
[01:34] a performance car and boy, just a good looking car. I mean, this is a factory bodied car. They did a lot of custom bodies, but this is a factory bodied car and it just sits right. You know, when you look at the proportions of a
[01:47] Packard, you know, I notice like from here to here to here is kind of proportioned the same from here to here to here. If you want to see something that doesn't work, you look at replica and go there's
[02:00] something off about that. You can't tell what it is. But when you look at this, this is done exactly right. There's a lot of work goes into making this look like it's sitting flat, but it's not. There's a little bit of a curve. It's
[02:12] just brilliant. It's just brilliant. You got your louvers here to get the heat got your louvers here to get the heat out of the engine. This has a 385 cubic to take it out and drive it a little bit, but first let's meet the man who is
[02:25] Richards, come on in Cameron. How you doing my friend? >> Now recently a married man, so he's got that big smile on his face. >> There you go. Well, good for you. Well, she's beautiful. Congratulations.
[02:38] >> Thank you. I told you she was real. >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. She moved down, but [laughter] going to say that's good for you. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. >> Yeah, thank you for the wedding video that uh that played on the special day.
[02:51] married up, but you couldn't say the same for her, so I don't mean to repeat myself. Well, congratulations. >> Very happy for you. Very happy. But let's get back to this thing.
[03:03] >> Now this is uh They didn't build a whole lot of these. >> No. This is our 12th times doing your show together and it's been an extreme brought you a Packard before and Packards are my favorite. So, we have a
[03:19] very very special one here today. This is a 734 Speedster Victoria. One of about two to be believed ever be built. This is the only one known to survive. This is the only one known to survive. They built 113 734 Packards in total.
[03:32] However, they came with five different body styles. So, the Victoria being the most expensive one that you see here was a whopping $6,000 US dollars new. It also came with a Phaeton, Runabout, Sedan, and Roadster versions, so
[03:48] >> Yeah, I mean >> This is when the depression would hit happened in '29. Full force happened in '30. >> Right. >> This was $6,000 when a Model T was 260
[04:01] >> This was $6,000 when a Model T was 260 or 350, something like that. Most cars were less than a thousand dollars, even pretty good, you know, pretty fancy cars. This would be the equivalent today of maybe a Maybach or even a
[04:13] Rolls-Royce, I think. >> Yeah, and you know, with Packard having more of a luxury to it, this basically what you see is a factory hot rod done really weird demographic that they were chasing for the the era.
[04:30] >> yeah, I was going to say I mean I I don't know who had the money to buy these, but boy, they they certainly made a wise choice. It's Look at I mean, just the detail work, the paint work, I mean, it's just unbelievable, unbelievable.
[04:45] This is still 6-V, correct? Yeah. >> Yeah, 6-V. I almost electrocuted myself yesterday. I get things backwards sometimes, so 6-V get a little tricky, but the battery box is right here on the fender. And yeah,
[04:59] still 6-V system, non-synchromesh, so you get that great straight-cut gear whine when you drive on the road. >> Well, Phil Hill, who was America's first >> Well, Phil Hill, who was America's first world champion F1 uh driver, he was a
[05:11] certified Packard mechanic. And he he loved the These really were the best >> They America had the three P's: Peerless, Pierce-Arrow, and Packard. And with you, but Pierce-Arrow versus Packard,
[05:27] by 1930, I think Packard has surpassed Pierce-Arrow. Pierce-Arrow stuck to the >> um you know, but they're still great cars, very conservative, powerful, fast,
[05:39] car that by um Pierce-Arrow. >> 824 cubic inches, I believe. >> Yeah, 26, I think it is. Yeah, 14 and 1/2 L six with three spark plugs per cylinder.
[05:51] >> Pistons are like paint cans. >> Yeah, exactly. This is a straight eight, be the smoothest engine. >> Oh, they're they're buttery smooth. Now, this one produces 145 horsepower.
[06:04] >> 145 or 106? I thought it was 100 >> 145. So, with the 734 speedsters with the custom bodies built in house by Packard, they also bumped up some power >> Um so, I mean this thing scoots. It goes down the road really well. It hauls and
[06:20] and I 100% agree that Packard was the best. Um this might be like fighting words, but if you were to revive any American car company, I think Packard would be the choice. And I personally think that
[06:34] Packards were better than Duesenbergs as far as build quality goes because this car actually We brought it to Pebble Beach a few years ago and it it won a wonderful day, but we try and drive our cars as much as we can and this was one
[06:50] the cracks and was sitting for almost 30 years and when we got it up and running, it just on the button right away. >> Um and and nothing does that like a Packard does.
[07:02] >> Well, it's interesting that you say that with Duesenberg. Duesenberg was was a performance-oriented car just out. And you had supercharged 306 horsepower with you had supercharged 306 horsepower with crazy for the time. They were noisier,
[07:17] louder exhaust. Packard was thought of the banker's hot rod. It's what the guy didn't want to make a big fuss. You know, I mean the best way When I worked at Foreign Motors in Boston, um I think I've told this story, but we
[07:30] got a red Rolls-Royce convertible in and it sat for like almost a year. We sent it to California and sold it in 2 weeks. Duesenberg was the same thing, loud, flashy, almost like a bling car would be today you know people go that's not my
[07:45] dad's very conservative so that you went with the Packard so when Packard decided to go just from pure luxury to performance they went with [snorts] this >> Yeah and I think it it's a great example of mixing the two
[07:58] of mixing the two the car is really fun to drive and driving like Packard 12s you know you get out of a Duesenberg or you're kind of like amped up >> Right.
[08:10] >> like Packards you get out and it's like a Zen state you're nice and relaxed this one not so much this one is pretty fun double clutching and all it's it's interesting I just checked with Wikipedia and it said 106 horsepower I
[08:23] thought well that doesn't seem right but 145 does sound better cuz that that was a huge leap. >> the horsepower of the average American
[08:35] >> Yeah and and this car is relatively small I mean when you sit in it you kind of feel like you're at like F-150 height which is great for visibility but it's only 134 and a half inch wheelbase it's it's a small Packard.
[08:47] >> Yeah and when you realize you could buy a house for 1200 to 1500 dollars in 1930 a house for 1200 to 1500 dollars in 1930 a nice house this was $6,000. >> Yeah it's it's unbelievable and even some of the early early Packards we have
[09:01] you know those were like 9000 in the 19 teens so automobiles before they were for the rich. >> You know it's interesting Packard kind of think went downhill when they decided to make a less expensive Packard I don't
[09:16] six cylinder and it so oh I got a Packard but then you Packard they I think it hurt the whole line let's open the hood let's show them >> Well I think this is the prettiest side to start isn't it?
[09:30] >> Yeah so it's if you'll notice the hood latches it's the exact same ones on your double. >> Right.
[09:42] It's just unbelievable. Here's your carburetor right here. You know, she got a a flame retardant, I guess you call it right there. That's in carburetor. No way I clean it cuz the air was obviously much cleaner back in
[09:56] >> much cleaner back in 1930. You still have a an updraft carburetor. The reason they do this is carburetor technology was still kind of not in its infancy, but what would happen was if if if the carburetor was up, you'd think, "Oh,
[10:09] shouldn't it be up here?" So, the gas gravity feed down. Trouble is when you shut it off, gas would stay in the float bowl. If the car sat for a while, the cylinder, and you could blow your engine apart because obviously you can't
[10:22] you have a full thing and boom, you could blow the whole motor. So, the idea is it would just drip harmlessly into the ground where it'd go back to Mother they used to think in those days. This is your Autovac. This this is kind of
[10:37] like an electric fuel pump. It It It holds gasoline in here so you can start a a pump that, you know, could kind of replenishes it from the the gas tank. Distributors, but look how easy
[10:51] everything is to get to. Everything is to access. It's interesting. I love the cooling fins right here on the on the exhaust manifold. >> Everything's right there in front of you. Um I'm no mechanic at all. I won't
[11:03] pretend like I am. But, we pulled this car from our Grand Salon yesterday morning and I got it running all on my own. It's It's really minimal. Everything's you know, the spark plugs are right there. Take the radiator cap
[11:15] So, they're they're really, really user-friendly. of these, they would give you one of these. this little >> Oh, wow, look at that.
[11:27] room. >> Yeah, you would have one of these. Look, you will get a shot. Little Packard watch. This is from just a little period these kind of accessories. But people had these cars are very proud of them.
[11:41] You know, I just like this you know, the sex as for man who owns one. You see sex as for man who owns one. You see that's the idea. Well, that? >> I'm not sure, but but it was a sort of a
[11:54] a gift the dealer would give to his top salesman, you know, rather than a raise >> And you're a family member now. You don't get a raise, but you get a watch and >> Yeah, the jelly of the month club.
[12:06] thing. But it's just notice how clean the engine compartment is. So even the rear I mean the front tire can't throw water and muck up under the motor. Let's show them how quiet it is. Can you start it
[12:20] >> Yeah, we could do that. So unlike most Packards, it is a little bit beefier of >> Does it have an exhaust cutout? >> Uh no, no exhaust cutout. >> That'd be a little too hot roddy. >> Little too much, yeah. But it's just
[12:34] >> Little too much, yeah. But it's just turn key and the button on the floor. But there's nothing that runs like a
[12:47] But there's nothing that runs like a Packard.
[12:59] you just one generation away generation away from pop pop bang pop pop bang car. road and were all over the place. Just to have this kind of this was state of the art technology in a car. They knew about overhead valves at the time cuz
[13:14] Duesenberg had it and overhead valves were performance, but most people wanted reliability and dependability, you know, unlike Europe America we had these great distances to cover and you wanted something that wasn't going to leak oil
[13:26] that was easy to work on, and dependable. And the big flathead, you know, I was on a giant cruise ship and went into the engine room. And it had flathead, and I thought, "How old is this engine?" They go, "No, it's pretty
[13:39] flatheads are easy to work on, smooth. It's not a high >> Yeah, but dependability, yeah, pretty neat, pretty neat. Let's close the hood neat, pretty neat. Let's close the hood up here.
[13:54] ride. >> Yeah. the Nethercutt's history with this car, we got it from the Harrah auction in '84, one of, I don't know, 50 cars we bought from the Harrah auction.
[14:08] And uh we restored it in the late '80s. I think it was completed in 1990, and been to Pebble a couple times, and >> Yeah, it's just a great car. My favorite thing is the little clock right in here.
[14:23] Only on that side, though, not on the other, which is strange. >> And these seats don't adjust back, but they do fold forward. So, you can >> Oh, okay, yeah, yeah. >> And I love the little kink in the
[14:37] >> Yeah, yeah, it's fun. Oh, very good. >> Let's do it. >> Let's do it.
[14:54] >> It really is. Got some extra padding in these seats. >> Yeah, they are fixed. >> So, is this a handbrake? starter's right there on the floor. >> Yeah.
[15:10] >> On the button. >> Right on the button.
[15:26] clutch out and >> Oh yeah, we're driving it over here was so fun. Just rolling in third pretty much the entire way.
[15:42] many of the cars at our place, but Packards have to be my favorite and this torque. We always have a chase car when we come over here, but you know, they were having trouble keeping up with me with
[15:56] >> Boy, they just they just quick. I can feel it. feels solid. >> Yeah, and you know, the the tires aren't
[16:08] exactly new, but there's no they're not trying to find a groove in the road. I >> Right, right. >> So yeah, they made 113 of these total and I think what we talked about with how ridiculous the price was, that's why
[16:22] none of them really got built. This might be the only one ever built of the Speedster Victoria. I'm not sure how many overall exist between the five body styles, but they started at $5,200 and then this one
[16:36] being 6,000. Usually at a red light I'll just blip Usually at a red light I'll just blip the throttle so kind of resets. >> Yeah, so this was one of the another picnic cars cuz it's so easy to drive.
[16:52] So the signals yeah, they're useful and they still work.
[17:10] staggered seats, a full four-speed. This is a three-speed. >> Mhm. >> Okay, so I thought it was just I thought it was just a uh a speedster chassis with a a closed body
[17:24] on it, but it's a little bit different. >> Yeah, so it's on a shorter wheelbase. Um let's just make something ridiculous and fast. >> Yeah.
[17:39] >> getting up hills, and you you would start in second. >> Oh, it's so easy. It's so incredibly easy. What's interesting about the the
[17:54] paint scheme on this car is when we took this car to Pebble where they did the special they had all five body styles of the 734. The welcome pack and everything >> Oh, that's funny. >> pretty neat cuz this it was the
[18:08] the Packard's advertisement. >> Yeah, yeah.
[18:21] synchromesh, which was a huge thing. >> These transmissions on these Packards technically don't need to double clutch them, but but I love the straight-cut >> Yeah, yeah. You always hear that in old movies.
[18:35] Didn't understand what that was when I was little. >> They advertised the the 145 horsepower in this engine to easily exceed the 100
[18:50] mph mark, which was an impressive thing back then. >> 100 mph is still fast. >> You know, cars didn't go 200 mph now until the very end of the '80s. I think the first official car was the F40
[19:05] >> Well, I remember one of my favorite videos growing up was when you did the Indy 500. >> Oh, yeah, yeah. >> And I think that top speed was like 202. And it was just a, you know,
[19:19] >> a two-door V8. They, you know, anybody could walk in and buy a 200 mph car. >> Yeah, it hauls ass. >> Yeah, it really does. For 1930. >> I just love the visibility you get out
[19:34] Sitting nice up high. >> You know, Packard was kind of like Mercedes-Benz. See, today when you buy a Mercedes-Benz performance car, it has the Mercedes-Benz luxury features in it. Sound deadening, you know. Like when my
[19:49] McLaren Mercedes was built, I think that's where Gordon Murray clashed with Mercedes cuz I don't need an electric motor to move my butt 2 in, but Mercedes customers expect it, you know. >> Yeah. Yesterday, this car was sitting in
[20:03] >> Yeah. >> with uh solid oil in the radiator, no batteries, no gas, and I didn't doubt this thing for a second that it was >> Yeah, it's great.
[20:15] >> Yeah, it's great. >> Never doubt a Packard. >> No, no need. I just kind of enjoyed doing it.
[20:31] >> Goes right into third. >> So good. Dillinger car. >> Oh, yeah. Yeah, you could stand on the running boards, too, like in Road to Perdition.
[20:49] you being the godfather of car culture, if you had to bring back one dead automobile manufacturer, >> Well, I am a big Duesenberg fan, but Packard's my second one.
[21:01] >> Yeah, okay. I'm right there with you. Think Packard would be easier to sell in >> yeah. Well, Packard sells a complete car. Duesenberg is selling the motor and you're buying the ancillary parts, you know. With a Packard, you get you
[21:15] >> Yeah. >> I mean, Duesenberg had the exhaust and all that. Packard, oh unheard of. >> Yeah. The altimeter and the different
[21:27] brake settings, I mean, they definitely were >> Well, the altimeter was in the Duesenberg cuz Lindbergh had flown the ocean and everybody wanted airplane type dashboard, you know. That was
[21:41] dashboard, you know. That was strictly aircraft style, you know. >> Hard to beat SoCal. >> Even with these tires, it drives really shorter wheelbase. >> Oh, it's so nimble and, you know, I
[21:56] It It turns really well. You know, obviously no power steering, but at a stop and you need to move, it's it's not >> Yeah, yeah. And it's cozy inside.
[22:08] >> Not quite like our Bugatti we brought you. >> I've had more people talk to me about that episode than anything else. Just we were screaming in each other's ears, but our shoulders were on top of each
[22:21] >> Oil pressure's good. Fuel pressure's good. having more fun than you. >> Oh yeah, yeah.
[22:39] >> Okay, yeah, yeah. >> It has like the the luxury Buick >> It has like the the luxury Buick features, but not like the harsh GTO >> Or like Cougar to Mercury. >> Okay, yeah.
[22:52] >> Cougar to Mustang. Cougar was for the Mustang owner that had a few bucks more, >> Want electric windows and all that stuff. You know, a lot of cars in this era, you've got to work to keep up to the speed limit. This you're like
[23:07] >> Yeah, yeah. >> This Cadillac can easily exceed 100 miles an hour. I'm not really sure what a I mean, 40, 50 is where this thing >> Yeah, yeah. I know you want to be going 100 in this thing.
[23:21] >> Especially with these tires. >> No. That's our biggest problem, you know, being a car museum is finding tires and even if the mold still exists in some of them. It's it's tricky. I think this car is a perfect mixture of
[23:36] like a little bit of hot rod but with luxury and elegance. >> Yeah, Johnny Moore, a little hot rod and a little rock and roll. All the cars eventually get a nickname. >> It does feel nimble though. I mean, it's
[23:52] piloting it, you know, you feel like you're driving it. drive over this morning was just effortless.
[24:09] warms up, look at that. It shifts it just slides in. when it doesn't have syncros. But like I I taught my wife how to drive
[24:21] >> That'll test a marriage. >> Right. Yeah, they say road trips and teaching how to drive stick, I guess. But no, she Cooper we have. I got no, no, no, you're going to learn in this car and I taught
[24:34] her in a 1936 Ford Super Deluxe. And I was like this is going to be the easiest picked it up right away. >> You know, I always like closed cars in this I might like the open cars too. But you just especially on a day like today,
[24:48] it's a little bit cooler out and you just feel it's like nice and toasty in >> Yeah. Well, I like it too cuz you know, we we try and take our cars all over the country to shows and you know, even if we bring a
[25:02] an open car, we bring plastic and stuff to cover, but if it pours rain, you up. This This car can get poured on all day long. You know, no airbags, no seat belts, but you kind of feel safe in this thing.
[25:16] >> Illusion of safety, yes. >> Packard, the illusion of safety. technology is. You know, cars have always been fast,
[25:29] and they could always go around corners. But I But I was a kid, guys would hit a tree at 15 mph in high school, and boom, broken neck, you know, steering column through the chest, the whole deal, you know. I mean, you see
[25:43] kids now with SUVs rolled up in a ball, "Daddy, can you come get me?" >> Yeah. Oh, it's it's incredible how safe everything is now. Well, I always got a you're about to get in an accident, just dive down by the firewall."
[25:57] >> Yeah. And here's a hammer to break the window to climb out. It's unbelievable. Lamborghini gave you a hammer for the Countach. >> Yeah, because if you got off If you got off the road upside down,
[26:11] of the scissor door. So, it came with a little hammer that would knock out the windshield, which is going to cost you a crazy amount of money. >> No kidding.
[26:26] '60s. >> It sounds great, too.
[26:41] restoring a 1935 Cadillac. It's a Victoria convertible and >> Is that a 12 >> a 12 or 16, V16? >> It's a 16. We got the original brochure and looking through it there's four full
[26:55] pages dedicated just for the smoking features in that car. It's just I get a kick out of all that old stuff. >> You know, Steve Nanini's trying to do one of those, too. I wonder if it's the same car. Are you
[27:07] >> Uh we own it. We've had it it's not our restoration. It was done sometime in the >> Oh, okay. >> Come to find out there's only like a couple of them existing. So, we're looking into it, but we've got a lot.
[27:20] We've got some new restoration projects coming up that I'm really excited about. I'd love to really put more focus on our restoration really put more focus on our restoration team again.
[27:36] >> Yeah. >> Baby Face Nelson or one of those guys. bank robber's car. >> Yeah, yeah. >> Yeah, yeah. Passes it like it's standing still.
[27:51] more refined. >> Yeah. more. I do like the power of the Duesenberg, but the refinement of this uh it's just unbelievable.
[28:04] >> Yeah, all these times been on your show I I couldn't believe looking back at it >> That's weird. >> Had to bring a good one. >> It does. >> Boy, it it does feel like a power brake.
[28:18] >> No, they're great. >> I would guess that these are hydraulic. But second gear
[28:37] at, but it gets up there. >> It's probably under 4,000. I And there's no reason to can farther than that because your torque is all at >> Well, and I just love the little kink in the shifter there. I've never seen
[28:51] >> Yeah, that's pretty cool. >> Give it Give it that speedster uh >> Well, Cameron, this is a real treat to be able to drive this car. I could drive something I would drive home. The fun part about my garage I just take
[29:06] something different home every night. And this I could drive Uh it just handles nice, it feels good. >> Thank you, Jay. >> Go to the Nethercutt Collection, check
[29:19] out their website. Got cars you've never heard of. I guarantee there'll be And you'll learn something. If you're not afraid of that, it's a lot of fun. not afraid of that, it's a lot of fun. I'll see you guys uh next week.
[29:35] a true pleasure and a dream come true. >> Yeah, yeah.