The 1934 Packard Twelve Runabout Speedster

This classic car is a kin to the Packard Sport Coupe found elsewhere in this volume. It therefore follows that it shares many characteristics with that car, down to its rarity; while 10 Sport Coupes were made, only 4 Runabout Speedsters were built.

Setting this particular Runabout Speedster apart from the others (all of which still exist) is that this car was ordered by actress Carole Lombard for her husband and fellow Hollywood leading light, Clark Gable. These two stars enjoyed romantic drives in the Duesenberg JN Roadster detailed in the next chapter. A lowered windshield, a rear-mounted spare tire, and spun disc wheel covers were among the distinctive custom features of Gable’s Packard.

Like the Sport Coupe, the body of the Runabout Speedster was built by LeBaron at the direction of Edward Macauley, director of design and the son of Packard president Alvan Macauley, and possibly with some input from Dietrich, another coachbuilding firm with which Packard worked. Following lessons learned since introducing its first 12-cylinder engine in 1916, Packard installed a 445 ci V-12 engine to provide ample and smooth power.

Surrounding this impressive engine was a long hood, the appearance of which was extended by an unbroken beltline that reaches from the color-keyed grille surround all the way back to the rear of the car. Six identically sized vents are spaced evenly on the hood side, each graced with a horizontal chrome spear.

A seventh, identical vent in the cowl scuttle, combined with a suicide-door cutline that mirrors the edge of the hood side, provides additional design continuity to the side of the car. The skirted rear fenders taper to the rear and down to a point, as does the rear deck behind the intimate cockpit.

The Packard Model 1106 was designed to show off the high level of quality and style the automaker could produce. The fact that the 1934 Packard Twelve Runabout Speedster remain so highly prized is proof this goal was reached.

Runabout Speedster

Runabout Speedster Specifications

Engine : 67-degree V-12, modified L-head, 445 ci/7.5 liters
Horsepower : 160 bhp at 3,200 rpm
Torque : 322 lbs-ft at 1,400 rpm
Brakes : Cable-operated drums with vacuum assist
Transmission : Three-speed synchromesh
Wheelbase : 1347⁄8 inches/342cm