WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — September 2026 — John J. O’Leary IV has been selected for inclusion in the official MvVO ART Gallery, presented in conjunction with the 2026 MvVO ART SHOW at the historic Waldorf Astoria New York. O’Leary’s photograph, 1926 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Piccadilly Roadster at Reuter’s Coach Works, Bronx, NY, will be featured in the official gallery from September 14 through November 30, 2026.
The photograph captures a remarkable piece of New York City automotive history: a 1926 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost photographed at Reuter’s Coach Works, 4067 Boston Road in the Bronx. During the twentieth century, this modest family-owned workshop developed an extraordinary reputation among automobile collectors for meticulous body restoration, painting, upholstery, and woodwork.
O’Leary has a personal connection to this history through his wife’s family. Her grandfather, German-born craftsman Gustav “Gus” Reuter, founded the shop in 1929, and it went on to serve some of America’s most prominent automobile collectors and enthusiasts. Among its clients were James Melton ‘America’s Favorite Tenor’, Henry Austin Clark Jr. (Long Island Automotive Museum), Alec Ulmann, Briggs Cunningham, Ken Purdy, Arthur K. Watson, and Nelson Rockefeller, as well as historic automobiles associated with former Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Reuter’s Coach Works was known for its painstaking approach to restoration. Traditional materials and techniques were combined with an extraordinary attention to detail, reflecting a philosophy that preservation required patience, craftsmanship, and respect for the original automobile. Gus Reuter passed this knowledge to his sons, Richard and Robert, creating a family tradition of craftsmanship that continued across generations.
For O’Leary, the photograph is part of a larger effort to document and preserve the history of Reuter’s Coach Works. As the archivist for the Reuter family collection, he has spent years researching the shop and preserving photographs, correspondence, restoration records, and other materials that illuminate its role in automotive history and the history of the Bronx.
“There was a time when this small workshop on Boston Post Road was known around the world by automobile collectors,” O’Leary said. “Today, many of the automobiles restored there are found in museums and important private collections. Through photography and archival research, I hope to preserve the story of the craftsmen and the Bronx workshop behind them.”
The MvVO ART SHOW brings together artists and creative work in one of New York City’s most iconic settings. O’Leary’s inclusion in the official MvVO ART Gallery provides an opportunity to introduce the story of Reuter’s Coach Works—and its connection to New York’s history, craftsmanship, immigration, and automotive culture—to a broad contemporary audience.
The official MvVO ART Gallery will be presented from September 14 through November 30, 2026, in conjunction with the 2026 MvVO ART SHOW at the Waldorf Astoria New York.
About John J. O’Leary IV
John J. O’Leary IV is a historian, writer, educator, and researcher whose work explores automotive, cultural, and local history. His research and photography have appeared in publications and exhibitions, and he has presented his research at historical and automotive conferences. His ongoing work documenting Reuter’s Coach Works combines family archives, photography, oral history, and historical research to preserve the legacy of a remarkable Bronx institution.