The commodity traders, who are from Carmel in California, were driving around the city in their 1948 Packard woody station sedan.
"It's the only one in Australasia," Lee (73) said.
The Garlingtons took the $100,000 car on a South Pacific Packard Owners Club rally around the South Island last year, before having it refurbished by Ettrick car restorer Alistair Stevenson in December.
They intend to sell the vehicle in the US and bring back an even rarer - and at $150,000, even more expensive - 1941 Packard all-weather cabriolet.
The couple believe New Zealand is one of the world's most liberal and progressive countries and want to make their home here. They first visited in 2000.
"We came here the first time for a week. Then we came back for two weeks. Then it was three weeks. Now, we're applying for residency," Lee said.
"It's such a great place to live. New Zealand is so liberal and inclusive of everybody. You're the nicest bunch of people we've ever met."
"We see America as a declining empire," Paul (46) said.
"New Zealand is a land where people have been raised right. It's like people were raised in the 1950s in the US. The thing I really enjoy here is the people. You're a very civilised country and you treat everyone as a friend."
