Artbay Gallery owner Pauline Bianchi recently said she had always wanted a vintage car and had thought about buying a classic London black cab - until she browsed an online auction site in July and was captivated by the stately Daimler, which she bought "for a reasonable sum" from a wedding car rental company in Mt Maunganui.
Husband Pedro Bianchi set off with a trailer the same day and brought back the vintage jet-black motor to its new home in Queenstown.
He lovingly restored the vehicle, overhauling the engine, reupholstering and recarpeting the interior, polishing the chrome and adding the gallery logo to the doors, Mrs Bianchi said.
"The original purpose was to have an interesting delivery vehicle. With the old doors nearly 1.2m high, it fits a lot of the bubble-wrapped and supported art in the back.
"It's been great for business exposure and I've always been interested in vintage cars. My father's a car collector, so it's in the blood. I've sent him photos and he said she's a beauty.
"She just looks like a girl and we affectionately named her Doris. Not only was it a popular name at the time, but after Doris Lusk, the late contemporary painter," Mrs Bianchi said.
Public response had been huge and Doris encouraged people to seek out the gallery in the Mountaineer building, she said.
"It really is a completely new experience, driving a vintage car. The speed not only slows you down on the road, it slows life down to more enjoyable pace.
"She's great to drive on the open road. She does get up to 100kmh without a problem, but parking is a wee bit of a challenge and a bicep-builder, with no power steering."
