Car used by Roosevelt as governor to be repaired
The state-owned vehicle, a Packard Phaeton, served FDR during the time he spent in Albany.
ALBANY, N.Y. >> A state-owned car used by Franklin D. Roosevelt while he was governor of New York is heading into the shop for some repairs.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo was at the State Museum in Albany on Tuesday as workers prepared the Packard Phaeton for shipment to an antique vehicle expert in Connecticut.
Cuomo, an automobile enthusiast, said the vehicle was important to the fellow Democrat, who served as governor from 1929 until his election as president in November 1932.
“I think I owe it to FDR, as an obligation within the society of governors, that I look after his baby,” Cuomo said.
FDR, who lived and is buried in Hyde Park, bought the car for use while he was in Albany. After he moved to the White House, the car became part of the state fleet. State Museum officials say the Packard was rarely used after 1942.
“The odometer shows 40,000 miles, so she’s hardly broken in,” Cuomo said. “She has a lot of life left in her, and it’s something we’re excited about.”
Cuomo plans to use the car for ceremonial occasions, such as the scheduled 2018 opening of the new Tappan Zee Bridge.
Cuomo said the repairs will not alter the paint, wheels or upholstery, and will instead focus on basic preservation.
Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi said the project will cost an estimated “few thousand dollars” drawn from state tourism funds.