1966 Cadillac DeVille Sedan

When the Henry Ford Company faltered in 1902 Henry Leland arrived to sift through the remains. He saw enough to convince investors to keep the doors open. It was rechristened Cadillac in honor of the French explorer, Detroit founder, and distant Leland ancestor.

Cadillac joined General Motors in 1909, and Margaret Dunning was born a year later.

Cadillac became GM's prestige division best known for elegance and precision manufacturing. By 1966, crisp lines and vertical headlights replaced the iconic tailfins. The DeVille had variable-ratio steering, reclining seats and AM/FM stereo. Its power came from a thunderous 429 V8 with 480 lb-ft of torque that pushed the nearly 2.5-ton behemoth to 117 mph. All this size and power came at a price though as mileage was just eight MPG. In 1966 192,000 Cadillacs were sold; three-quarters of them being DeVilles.

But back to Margaret Dunning. She was driving when FDR was giving fireside chats. And during the Great Depression. And, during the Roaring Twenties too. She learned on a Model T on the family farm and had been licensed since age 12. She knew Henry Ford too, as a family friend who lived minutes away. 'Dad would say, 'Henry's outside and I've asked him to stay for dinner.' He always wore a hat with a sizable brim and he'd push it off his face when he talked to you, and look you right in the eye.' Margaret has owned a passel of classic cars. This one has been in her care since the 1960s.