There were wide open spaces here when the Packard Motor Car Company purchased almost a full square mile of land to the west for a new testing facility. The site opened in 1928 with a high-speed 2 1/2-mile oval track with banked curves and a timing stand, an airstrip on the infield, and miles of off-road test areas. Famed architect Albert Kahn designed the elegant Lodge, Repair Garage and main gates to reflect the stature of Packard. Today, The Packard Motor Car Foundation owns and maintains the remaining 14-acre tract of the site as a landmark in automotive history. A 158-foot section of the original oval testing track remains at the west end of the site.