New Hampshire Woman Hopes to Recover Late Father’s 1937 Ford Before Her Wedding

UPDATE: The car has been found in Florida and is intact. Chelsea and her family are now coordinating with the owner to bring it home in time for her wedding - a remarkable turn in the search.

Imagine being a bride-to-be, just months away from your wedding, and searching for one very special piece of your past: your late father’s bright green 1937 Ford.

Why This New Hampshire Bride Is Searching for Her Late Father’s 1937 Ford

That’s exactly where Chelsea Hermann is right now, and she and her family are hoping you could be the one to help bring that car home.

Will the New Hampshire native find it before the wedding?

I crossed paths with Chels many moons ago when we were both in our early 20s at Dean College in Franklin, Massachusetts.

Back then, life was all about chasing dreams and figuring it all out as we went. I was always in awe of her talent, especially when she played Janet Colgate in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Her presence hit you the moment she stepped on stage, and her voice was unforgettable.

But what’s always stood out to me even more is who she is offstage.

Chelsea is the definition of a true New Hampshire native: full of heart, incredibly humble, and deeply connected to her family.

She grew up in Dover with her five siblings: Lorri, Eddie, Beth, Kelley, and Jimmy. Some of her most vivid childhood memories are in the garage with her dad, Paul, sitting in his bright green 1937 Ford.

At the time, it was just a "shell of a car," as she describes it, and "his final passion project". It only had one seat, but she can still remember exactly how it felt to sit in it.

That car became more than just a project. It became a piece of her dad that she could hold onto.

After Paul passed, the car remained in the family and was even used to carry his urn to the burial site (though the driver had to sit on a milk crate to make the trip).

Sometime between 2004 and 2006, a close family friend named Buck asked Chelsea’s mom if he could buy the car and finish it in Paul’s honor. She agreed.

And from what they’ve been told, he did. The owners (a father and son) of Garland’s Garage in Madbury, New Hampshire, say they saw the car often after Buck took it on, which gives Chelsea and her family comfort knowing it may have been completed and enjoyed (just like her dad would have wanted).

But then, Buck unexpectedly passed away.

And that’s where the trail of the car disappears.

As Chelsea prepares to marry her fiancé, Sam, this October, she can’t help but wish her dad were there beside her, to walk her down the aisle, to dance with her, and to share in the moments she’s dreamed of her whole life.

And then, in a way no one could explain, something happened that gave everyone chills.

A Dream, a Wedding, and One Emotional Mission to Bring Her Dad Along

According to Chelsea, her sister Beth had a dream about her father. In the dream, he said, “Track down the car. Once you find it, drive it from the house to the venue, and that will be my way of walking Chelsea down the aisle.”

And somehow, it all feels bigger than coincidence.

READ MORE: This Classic Corvette Was Hidden Away in a Maine Grocery Store for 27 Years

Chelsea is getting married at Hackmatack Playhouse in Maine, a summer stock theater where she performed as a child. Theater has always been a constant thread in her life. It’s what brought Chelsea and me together all those years ago, and it’s something she shares deeply with her fiancé. While they didn’t meet at the playhouse, their shared love for performing and storytelling is a huge part of their relationship.

So this is where we ask for your help.

How You Can Help Find the Missing 1937 Ford

Chelsea and her family believe her father’s car is still out there. If you’ve seen it or know someone who has, please help them bring it home before her wedding.

That bright green 1937 Ford is hard to miss, and Chelsea and her family truly believe it could still be somewhere local.

Because this isn’t just about finding a car.

It’s about giving a bride a way to feel her father beside her on one of the most important days of her life.

Let’s help Chelsea get that ride.