This car once drove the Queen around British Columbia

Peachland’s Jim Carpenter has a collection of vintage cars in his garage.

One of them is a 1951 Cadillac, used to drive the Queen (who was then still a princess) and Duke of Edinburgh in Vancouver in October of that year.

Carpenter told Kelowna10 it was a previous carpool passenger who suggested he look at her dad’s old Cadillac.

“It sat there for another 30 years before I looked at it. In 2014, I went and saw it, bought it, it was rusted, worn, wet, pitted, wrong, damaged, and burned,” he said. “I took it home and brought it back to its current state.”

Over the next year and a half, Carpenter and his two sons restored it to its former royal-transporting glory, including a six-week intensive program to get it road ready. There was also cosmetic work, re-chroming and the re-upholstering of the leather.

Carpenter added there’s one special piece on the car that will forever have its powerful and proud royal connection.

“It has its Original Birks sterling silver dash plaque that was created and put on the dash in 1951 for the event and it’s still there in its exact original place and condition,” he said.

He’s taken the car around the Kelowna area for Royal Jubilee parties, other car shows, and most recently driven it in honour of the Queen.

“It’s really cool to have a car that you know the history of, that it was such enticing history and such royalty. Now that she’s gone, I have a piece of royalty,” Carpenter said. “It’s amazing how many people around Canada are really mourning the loss of someone who’s from another country so far away.”

Restoring the car has been a passion for Carpenter who is still in touch with the family he originally bought it from. He’d like the vehicle to end up somewhere where everyone can appreciate it.

“It’d be nice if it can be put in a proper museum or display,” he said. “If somebody came along with the right figure [price], I would look around and say, ‘you know what, I got a garage full of other cars that appeal to me so maybe they can have this one.’”

Carpenter said the value of the car without the historical connection could be upwards of $150,000.