Roger Morrison's special lady

SALINA — Roger Morrison’s first two words were “car” and “truck.” His fascination with cars started at an early age. 

 As a youngster, he would lie in bed on a summer night with the window open. As cars passed, he tried to identify the brand by the sound of the engine. At the last second, he would pop up and look out the window to see if his guess was right.

 Morrison’s car hobby has blossomed into an eclectic collection of wonderful vehicles. It all stemmed, he said, from a 1960 Road & Track magazine article about a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II.

 “I sat here in Salina, Kan., and wondered if I could ever ride in one. My ultimate dream would be to own one,” he said. Today that dream has wheels, and he and his wife, Sissy, own a 1929 Rolls-Royce Springfield Phantom I Riviera Town Brougham with a body by Brewster. The Riviera’s coach-built body was placed on a chassis built in Rolls-Royce’s Springfield, Mass., factory. The factory was in existence from 1921 to 1931. 

 The rear half of Morrison’s Riviera looks like a horse-drawn carriage while the long hood and sweeping fenders convey power and speed. This magnificent vehicle was the pinnacle of the Roaring 20s, and it was delivered to Mrs. Irene M. Carman, New York City, on Dec. 12, 1929. Trimmed with gold and inlaid with delicate wood, it cost well over $20,000.

 The Riviera survived the Depression and World War II intact as its owners resisted the temptation to send it back to the factory or sell it for scrap. Morrison bought the car from a friend about eight years ago.

 Rick Hamlin of Rick’s Auto Restoration in Wellington, Kan., completed a stunning restoration. One thing he carefully preserved is the hand-painted canework on the rear of the body. The faux caning is an art carried over from carriage days. It took two to three months for an artisan to apply the horizontal, then vertical and then diagonal lines by squeezing thickened paint through a funnel much as a pastry chef decorates a cake. The caning is in remarkable condition given its age.

 Hamlin’s restoration has resulted in numerous awards. The Riviera was judged first in its class and awarded the J.B. Nethercutt trophy for Most Elegant Closed Car at the 2003 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. In 2004 it was named Most Outstanding Rolls-Royce at the 2004 Amelia Island Concours.