It has been an issue that has niggled Peter Kitching for some years after buying his 1936 Rolls-Royce Park Ward Limousine in 1985.
While he managed to find out about most of its past, its whereabouts and owners between 1939 and 1975 are still a mystery.
Now Peter has asked for the help of the P&J to try and track down the missing information.
It was a passing comment to a friend that led him to discover the car in the first place.
The 72-year-old, who lives near Middlesborough, said: “I found it tucked in the corner of a large private garage in Redcar, a seaside resort near the mouth of the River Tees in 1985.
“This was following a lead from a man I met at a vintage car rally. I was at this rally with my 1935 Ford model Y – my first restoration project.
“I mentioned to this friend that my father had owned a 1925 Rolls-Royce during the 1930s and that I would love to restore a classic. He put me on to this friend of his who had owned the car for two years, but as it needed so much work to get it roadworthy it was left in his garage.”
It was not the first vintage car that Peter has owned, having previously had a 1938 Ford C, then a 1930 Austin Seven two seater, a 1932 MG J2, a 1931 Morris Eight, a 1938 Vauxhall 14, and many more cars of the fifties.
Through his initial research Peter discovered the car once belonged to John Crombie of Dyce, the owner of the Crombie Mills, Woodside, Aberdeen.
He bought the car with a Park Ward seven-seat limousine body painted dark blue at the end of July 1936.
It was delivered to Claud Hamilton (ABDN) Ltd at 254 Union street, Aberdeen, before delivery to the Crombie family.
“The car was sold during 1939 and I have not been able to find what happened to it until it turned up in Darlington during 1975 as unfortunately the original log book has been lost,” Peter said.
“I did manage to trace one of John Crombie’s daughters and she was in her 80s then. She sent me a letter saying that they had the car from 1936 when it was built for them until 1939.
“She said the car wasdark blue then and that’s why I kept the upholstery the same at the front. I kept it the same colour blue and I’ve still got the same carpet from 1936.”
He said as the car had a nice background and had “a little bit of provenance to it coming from Crombie’s,” he thought he would try and fill in the gaps if he could.
“I wondered if there was still anyone out there, maybe related to the family’s chauffeur, who still lives in the area and might remember what happened to it.
“I am very proud and privileged to own this car. I feel I have brought it back to life having found it in such poor condition.
“Restoring it was like eating an elephant (you can do it if you eat a little at a time). The work took me seven years to complete and it still was not finished, although I could then drive the car and attend a few vintage car rallies.
“When I pass it on, if it’s to my sons or if they decide to sell it, at least I can sell it with its full history. At the moment I can’t because there’s a big blank area and that’s always been a niggle with me.”
If you know anything about this car, registration number AV8692, please contact yourcar@ajl.co.uk