1934 Packard model 1101 custom by Rollston

I found this car in Florida in 2011. At that point, it hadn’t been seen publicly since 1968. I got it running and driving again and sold it in 2012.

Fourteen years later, I’ve managed to acquire it back. In the years since, tens of thousands of dollars have been invested in properly rewooding the body by expert craftsman Ray Belcito.

But the history is what makes this car so fascinating.

This was Grace Vanderbilt’s car, and she continued using it until 1952. Just picture this enormous old Packard still navigating the streets of New York City in the early 1950s, surrounded by comparatively modern cars. It must have been quite a sight.

After Grace Vanderbilt’s passing, the car was donated to a church. It eventually found its way to a collector in the late 1960s, where it remained for decades. I acquired it from that collector’s estate in 2011, bringing it back into the light after more than 40 years.

And now, somehow, it has found its way back to me again.