For many, the 1934 model Packards, which the factory dubbed the Eleventh Series, represent the height of the company’s pre-war efforts, and the Super Eight Coupe Roadster is among the most desirable of that year’s offerings. Its lines were inspired by a “semi-custom” design provided by LeBaron in 1931, including a convertible top that folds flush with the body. Engineering and build quality were excellent; its inline-eight produced 145 smooth horsepower, and with a 142-inch-wheelbase chassis fitted with Ride Control suspension and Bijur automatic lubrication, these Packards were as wonderful to drive as they were to look at—something understood by buyers of the era, as well as more recent connoisseurs.

Dr. Barbara Atwood was one such connoisseur. An esteemed collector of high-quality automobiles with a focus on Full Classics, she owned the best…and did not hesitate to use them. Indeed, this 1934 Packard was the Atwood Racing Team’s ride for the 1985 Great American Race, the transcontinental time-speed-distance rally. Atwood had purchased the Packard, which had been fully overhauled by restorer John Sanders (earning Junior and Senior AACA National Firsts in 1981), from Sanders’ business partner in 1984. It was Sanders that proposed the idea of running the car in the event; he, as well as John Godfread, John Classen, and Bob Purdin formed the team, with Atwood serving as patroness.

The Packard and its crew finished 1st outright in the festive-but-challenging event (after handicaps were applied, their official score was 2nd), proving the quality of the car, the skill of its restorer, and the mettle of the team—as well as Atwood’s ability to choose a winner.

Acquired from Atwood’s estate by the consignor in 2009, the Packard still wears the high-quality restoration in which it competed in the Great Race, and it retains the reliability-enhancing additions (including that pressurized cooling system and external canister oil filter) that made it a contender. In the care of the consignor, it has been maintained as-needed and benefits from the addition of a newer convertible top in black fabric—beautifully complementing the blue exterior—plus wind wings and four newer wide whitewall tires. Exhibiting patina from years of careful enjoyment, the car remains highly presentable today.

A Classic Car Club of America Full Classic, the 1934 Super Eight Coupe Roadster is a rare car by any measure; perhaps 20 are known to have survived. Yet it is even rarer still to find a Packard with such a fascinating history of enthusiastic use. This would be an ideal car for Packard club gatherings and, after routine servicing, touring events…just ask the man—or woman—who owns one!