In The News
A Very Special Anniversary
Torn between his car being partially disassembled, and unsure whether the snow would be flying in mid-February, Wendell Smith was naturally a bit apprehensive about committing his Classic Rolls-Royce to an anniversary event, even for an iconic company in town...and rightly so. For many of us, our Classics are put in hibernation for the winter months until the spring thaw, and maybe, just maybe, on an Indian summer day we get them out for a spin. But Wendell’s car, especially the year it was built, was of special significance to this particular event, for it was an anniversary for both the company and the car. You see, Bissinger’s, a well known chocolatier in St. Louis, and Wendell’s 1927 Rolls-Royce were both celebrating a 90 year milestone.
The event was held on Friday, February 17, 2017, at a beautiful St. Louis home, and as luck would have it, Wendell was able to get the car ready in time, and together we drove to the party, each of us decked in dark suits for the occasion, one of us looking the part of a chauffeur, and the other his footman.
Upon our arrival, the car was carefully positioned center stage with bright lights beautifully illuminating her glamorous lines, and as the evening sky grew darker, the scene was absolutely spectacular. And the weather was picture perfect!
As the guests arrived, all in period 1920s era dress, they were photographed in front of the Classic Rolls-Royce before joining the party. It occurred to me that this may have been what a Gatsby party was like back in the twenties.
As the night wore on, and content that all of the guests had arrived, Wendell quietly and without fanfare slipped the car gently down the long driveway, joyful that his Rolls-Royce had been the centerpiece of an extra special evening. How sweet it was……Happy Anniversary!
Author’s footnote:
In appreciation for the appearance of Wendell’s Rolls-Royce at their Anniversary Event, Bissinger’s Chocolatier is donating chocolate confections to our Annual Meeting next November.