1929 Minerva AK Town Car

Sylvain de Jong began producing bicycles in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1883. The transplanted Dutch citizen also produced motorized bicycles, a forerunner of motorcycles. The Minerva Motor Company began car production in 1902. During World War I, they produced cars used by the allies to perform hit-and-run attacks on the Germans. Luxury cars became the company's focus after the war, and the marquee became a favorite of the Kings of Belgium, Sweden, and Norway. A major market was England where Charles S. Rolls of Rolls-Royce fame was a dealer. The company fell victim to the Great Depression, and production ceased in 1934.

The AK featured a six-litre, six-cylinder sleeve valve engine. They were capable of 70 mph and were very expensive, costing over $20,000. Hibbard and Darrin bodied this model in aluminum, a very expensive metal at the time. It featured mahogany running boards and ostrich leather seats in the chauffeur's compartment.

The original owner of this car is unknown, and this is how it made its way to the United States. Pacific Auto Rental owned it in the 1930s. It purportedly appeared in about a dozen movies. It is the only known survivor with this coachwork on a Minerva chassis.