Liz Murphy, 45, said she did not discover that her 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee had previously belonged to Obama during his final years as an Illinois state senator until she went in to sign papers with dealer Paul Gossett, The Naperville (Ill.) Sun reported Wednesday.

Murphy said Gossett showed her a copy of a title with Obama's name written all over it. She said she did not initially recognize the name but became excited after learning the young politician was running for the U.S. Senate.

She said her excitement was rekindled when Obama joined the race for the presidential nomination and she now plans to sell the vehicle after the November elections. Murphy said she hopes that if Obama becomes the new occupant of the White House she will be able to sell her Jeep for more than its regular trade-in value.

As for the Democrat's driving habits, Murphy said the Jeep came with the mark of a left hand slightly to the left of the 12 o'clock position on the steering wheel.

"Every once in a while I'll run my hands over the top of the steering wheel and say, 'Wow, this guy had a grip,'" she said.