1930 Packard 745 - 745 Deluxe Eight Roadster

A superb example of one of the most desirable Classic Packards

Reportedly purchased new by Philadelphia sporting icon John Shibe

Formerly owned by noted collectors Mark Smith, Robert Thayer, and Joseph Cassini III

Award-winning restoration by RM Auto Restoration; extensive cosmetic freshening in 2022

Two-time winner at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

A CCCA Full Classic

In many ways, Packard’s Seventh Series models of 1930 represent some of the company’s finest offerings. At the top of the line was the 745 Deluxe Eight, riding on the longest available 145 ½-inch-wheelbase chassis, and propelled by a straight eight-cylinder engine that ran on seven main bearings while producing 105 brake horsepower and massive amounts of torque—perfect for smooth, quiet cruises through the countryside.

This opulent chassis could be had with a wide array of coachwork, 11 styles in all, with among the most desirable being the two-passenger Roadster. The Roadster on the 745 platform created an open sporting car of remarkable proportions, with an exceptionally long hood and relatively small passenger compartment; it looked the part of a powerful, expensive gentleman’s automobile, and it was. Because these machines were so incredibly costly, relatively few were produced, and the survivors are savored by their owners.

The 745 Deluxe Eight Roadster offered here is widely recognized as being an authentic original and correct example. It was reportedly originally delivered to John Shibe, a wealthy Philadelphia sporting goods manufacturer, son of the inventor of the automated machine used to stitch baseballs, and part owner of the city’s Athletics baseball team. Oral history passed with the Packard suggests that it was given by Shibe to Cornelius McGillicuddy, a.k.a. Connie Mack, also a part owner of the Athletics and their manager for decades, and that at one point, an original registration in McGillicuddy’s name was found with the car.

In the mid-1950s, the Packard was acquired from a Philadelphia-area salvage yard by a farmer, a Mr. Dallet. It was reportedly stored outdoors at his farm under a lean-to in the cow pasture, and there remained until the mid-1980s, when it was sold by Dallet’s heirs to Mark Smith of Virginia. Photographs of the car as-found, included in the history file, show that while well-weathered throughout, it remained largely intact aside from some trim and damage to its fenders, which cattle had frequently leaned upon over the years!

Mr. Smith subsequently sold the car to RM Sotheby’s co-founder and Packard aficionado, Mike Fairbairn. In 1996, Robert Thayer of Georgia finally succeeded in acquiring it after years of pursuit, and undertook a full restoration in the hands of RM Auto Restoration, lasting three years and some 6,000 man-hours, with the goal of producing a strong competitor for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. They were successful in that goal: the car was awarded 1st in Class at Pebble Beach in 1998, followed by a Primary First, with a perfect 100-point score, at the CCCA Midwest Grand Classic. The car went on to be shown at Hilton Head in 2005, aptly receiving People’s Choice honors, and in 2015 at Amelia Island, winning an Amelia Award in its class.

When Mr. Thayer dispersed his collection in 2021, the Packard was purchased by the late, great and much-missed collector and enthusiast, Joseph Cassini III of New Jersey, who returned the car to RM Auto Restoration for a fresh cosmetic restoration, in this striking livery of black over dark green interior. At completion it returned to Pebble Beach in 2022, receiving 2nd in Class in the always fiercely contested Packard class. More recently, in the hands of its present owner, himself a dedicated and passionate enthusiast of prewar automobiles, the car was an award-winner at both MODA Miami and The Amelia in 2026. It has recently been freshly serviced by RM Auto Restoration and would be well-suited both to continued concours exhibition, or to enjoyment as the fine road car that a superior Deluxe Eight is and has always been.

The result is one of the finest surviving examples of a scarce and iconic Senior Packard.

To view this car and others currently available, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/ps00/.