This imposing formal Packard, one of the final “catalogue customs” produced by Rollson of New York City, was ordered by Colonel Ezra Parmalee Prentice for his wife, the former Alta Rockefeller, daughter of Standard Oil baron John D. Rockefeller, the wealthiest American of his era. Colonel Prentice enjoyed fine automobiles and amassed numerous fine examples; this was, rather amazingly, one of two Rollson-bodied Nineteenth Series (1941) Packards he ordered. As in the fashion of his Waterhouse-bodied Marmon Sixteens—one of which is also being offered here at Hershey—one car was for the Colonel and the other for Mrs. Prentice.

The only known Nineteenth Series All-Weather Cabriolet by Rollson, Mrs. Prentice’s was based upon a factory Town Sedan body shell, extensively modified by the coachbuilder, and thus had a Town Sedan vehicle number. In fact this was, by its vehicle number, the first Town Sedan produced for the Nineteenth Series.

In the conservative fashion typical of America’s most socially prominent families in this era, the Prentices seldom sold an automobile. Indeed, the couple’s custom-bodied Full Classics, including this one, accumulated at the couple’s estate, Elm Tree House, in the Berkshires. Eventually many were passed to Winthrop Rockefeller, Mrs. Prentice’s nephew and Governor of Arkansas, when Governor Rockefeller established his Museum of Automobiles at Petit Jean Mountain.

Following his passing in 1973, Governor Rockefeller’s collection was sold en masse to the famed Harrah’s Automobile Collection of Nevada. The Rollson Packard was sold by Harrah’s several years later. It eventually made a journey all the way to New Zealand, where it was restored under the supervision of the present owner and resided for some time in a museum of Packards in that country before returning to the United States in 2010.

Well-presented in a very attractive and appropriate livery of Packard Green with leather front seat upholstery and tan cloth to the rear, this unique Rockefeller Packard shows superbly with fine-quality finishes throughout. It would be ideal for enjoying in any number of Antique Automobile Club of America or Classic Car Club of America events, where its unique history and stature will be warmly welcomed.