In the early 1900s, James Kline was enticed by local businessmen to Virginia to create the Kline Motor Car Company. Located on what is now Arthur Ashe Boulevard in Richmond, and later on Cary Street, the Kline Company produced about 2,500 vehicles before closing in 1923.
Only two of these Virginia-made cars are known to exist today. One of them, and the inspiration for this ornament, is a 1918 Kline Model 6-38 touring car, which was purchased in 1919 by prominent businessman and philanthropist Alfred D. “A.D.” Price, Sr. It passed to Price’s son, and then, after its engine failed, it was stored for decades at the Price funeral home on Leigh Street, in Richmond’s Jackson Ward neighborhood.
This special car began its long restoration journey thanks to Tim Crowder, who later brought it to the VMHC. From 2020 to 2022, its restoration was completed by White Post Restoration in Winchester. After a century, this rare vehicle now sits proudly in VMHC’s new Commonwealth Hall.
The ornament is now available for pre-order.
This ornament is the fifth in a series of collectible ornaments featuring history and culture in Virginia.
The 2019, 2020, and 2021 ornaments are still available in limited supply.
The purchase of the ornament helps support the mission of the museum, including funding educational programs for students across the Commonwealth.
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Virginia Museum of History & Culture continues work to restore Kline Kar
LAST UPDATED: 08:53 AM, 3 FEBRUARY 2022
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Crystal Graham
