Jay Leno has driven just about everything worth driving, but even he sounded genuinely stunned after getting behind the wheel of one prewar Packard most enthusiasts have probably never heard of. In the latest episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, Leno checked out a 1930 Packard 734 Speedster Victoria Coupe, a factory-built performance luxury car that he described as feeling more like something from the 1960s than the early Depression era.That alone would make this Packard interesting, but what makes it newsworthy is that this exact car is believed to be the only known surviving example of its kind. A Forgotten Packard That Was Built Like A Factory Hot Rod Leno featured the car with his guest Cameron Richards, and they made it clear almost immediately that this was not some prewar barn find. Richards then explained that Packard only built 113 examples of the 734 line in total, spread across five body styles. This Victoria was one of two believed to have been built, and today it stands as the only known survivor.Jay Leno's Garage / youtube For a company usually remembered for luxury and prestige, this Packard is a strange but also fascinating detour. Leno called it Packard’s version of a Mustang, which sounds almost ridiculous until you hear what made the 734 special for 1930. It used a 385 cubic inch straight 8 engine… yes, an inline 8. It also has four-wheel brakes and packed performance figures that separated it from the rest of the brand’s lineup. Richards said output was rated at 145 horsepower, which was an enormous number for the time, and enough for Packard to advertise the car as capable of easily exceeding 100 mph.That might not sound outrageous now since modern performance cars can go 200 mph, but in 1930, it was a completely different universe. This was an era when most cars made a fraction of that power, and this particular Packard cost around $6,000 new. Leno pointed out that most cars were under $1,000 back then, while even a decent house could be bought for around $1,200 to $1,500. In other words, it was an absurdly expensive “statement car” built right as the Great Depression was tightening its grip. Why Jay Leno Thinks This Packard Was Ahead Of Its Time Jay Leno's Garage / Youtube That is part of what makes the 734 Speedster so compelling today. Leno framed it as more of a banker’s hot rod, a car with genuine speed and power, but with a little more refinement. Richards agreed, describing it as the perfect mix of hot rod character combined with luxury and elegance.“A lot of cars in this era, you’ve got to work to keep up to the speed limit. This, you’re going over it all the time.” - Jay LenoInstead of feeling like an old car that needs constant correction and patience, Leno said the Packard accelerates like a car from the 1960s. Richards backed that up, saying it was so easy to drive that it had become one of his favorite picnic and touring cars. Leno went even further, saying he could drive it every day. He praised its torque, nimble feel, and surprising refinement, while Richards noted that even the chase car had trouble keeping up when he drove it over.Jay Leno's Garage / YoutubeThe driving impressions are what really sell the 734’s forgotten place in American performance history. Leno said the car felt solid, comfortable, and remarkably modern in the way it delivered speed. Even with old tires and mechanical brakes, he came away impressed by how composed it felt. At one point, he joked that it felt like the kind of car John Dillinger would have used as a getaway machine, calling it either a banker’s car or a bank robber’s car, which honestly might be the most perfect description possible. This Rare Packard Might Be More Than Just A Museum Piece Jay Leno's Garage / Youtube Richards also revealed something else that adds to the Packard mystique. This car had reportedly sat for nearly 30 years before being brought back into service, yet when the Nethercutt team got it running again, it fired right up with almost no drama. That kind of durability only reinforced a point both men kept circling back to throughout the episode. For all the glory attached to names like Duesenberg, Packard might have actually built the better all around car.That is a bold claim, but Leno did not exactly seem to disagree. While he acknowledged Duesenberg’s outright performance edge, he repeatedly praised Packard for its balance of engineering, reliability, and modern performance. Richards went even further, saying that if one dead American luxury brand deserved revival, Packard would be his pick.And for modern enthusiasts, that is what makes the 1930 Packard 734 Speedster Victoria Coupe more than just some Pebble Beach level collectible. It shows that America understood the formula for a luxury performance car long before the muscle car era, long before AMG sedans, and long before anyone started talking about the idea of a factory hot rod as if it were a new concept. Packard was already there and ahead of the game, yet almost nobody even noticed. And now only one known example is left to tell the story.