At the Wheel
A car made to go the distance
words & photography by justin stailey
A forward view from the cockpit of a 1928 Packard Custom Speedster, where hand-formed metal, minimal instrumentation, and a split windshield speak to an era when driving demanded both skill and attentiveness.
Built when endurance defined both machine and driver, the 1928 Packard Custom Speedster represents American motoring at its most purposeful. Long, lean, and unapologetically mechanical, it was engineered to cross vast distances with composure and grace.
Now returned to competition in Hemmings’ Great Race, Charles “Chuck” Harris’s Packard reconnects past and present—where craftsmanship, concentration, and the romance of the open road still matter.
The 1928 Packard Custom Speedster at rest, its long proportions, exposed mechanics, and race-prepared stance recalling a time when American automobiles were engineered as much for distance as for beauty.
Charles “Chuck” Harris at the wheel of his 1928 Packard Custom Speedster, acquired to compete in Hemmings’ Great Race.
Wheel hub detail from a 1928 Packard Custom Speedster, reflecting Packard’s tradition of precision craftsmanship.
For additional Packard content from Justin’s shoot, visit justinstailey.com
