“NO smarter car ever graced the highways than the Chrysler 65 Coupe,” claimed the car’s advertising brochure from the late 1920s.

“The interior finish and upholstery are particularly noticeable. Rumble seat, of course. And note the golf club compartment opening from the side.”

A 1928 Chrysler 65 was one of more than 300 exhibits at last weekend’s Hurworth Classic Car & Motor Cycle Show, which is the largest of its kind in this area.

The vehicle is now embarking on what will probably be its longest journey since the Second World War – a 514 mile trip to the Netherlands.

That is a long way to go in a “rumble seat” – an American name for an open-air seat that folds out of the boot to give additional capacity. In this country, a rumble seat was known as either a dickie seat, or a mother-in-law seat.

The Chrysler was made in Ottawa in Canada so that it would attract lower duties coming from within the British Empire than it would as an American car entering this country. It was shipped without lights, so it could be classed as an incomplete vehicle, again avoiding taxes.

The Lucas lights were added in this country and the car was bought in 1928 by potato merchant Ralph Ostler, of Cawood, near Selby. He seems to have done most of its 93,000 miles before it was laid up during the Second World War in a quarry at St Trinians, between Richmond and Brompton-on-Swale.

There it stayed until 20 years ago when it was bought by Tony Gray, of Low Coniscliffe, who restored it.

“Its wheels have steel rims with wooden spokes, which were popular in America until after the war,” says Tony. “The spokes are made of hickory – when we got it, there was woodworm throughout, but not in the hickory.”

Tony and his son, Ben, will drive to Rockanje in the Netherlands, along with 40 other members of the Teesside Yesteryear Club, to take part in its vintage vehicle event. As the Grays have only done 2,000 miles in two decades, the 1,000 mile roundtrip in the 91-year-old vehicle will be an adventure.

“It seems pretty reliable,” says Tony. “It’s three speed and quite easy to drive. It cruises at about 45mph, but it does the wrong side of 20mpg.”