What may very well be the most valuable automobile in a Wichita car collection, Lawrence Smith's 1930 Isotta Fraschini Drop Head Coupe kept tour participants buzzing. The massive machine finished in subdued hues, was, like all of those on display, in concours condition.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Lawrence Smith, at right, in leather jacket, discusses some of the vintage motorcycles included in his amazing collection with visitors during last weekend's tour of three of the top `car barns' in the area.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The formal lobby of the Smith collection gave visitors a glimpse of the variety of machines they would see in two oversized garage areas beyond the entryway.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Appreciative viewers scan the interior appointments of a 1954 Talbot 4.5 Litre Grand Sport coupe, one of the newer European exotic cars housed in the collection.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Regal in deep maroon livery, a pair of Bentleys and a Rolls Royce line one wall of the main display area.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Some tour participants were surprised at the vivid color schemes seen on some of the luxurious European cars, like the bold blue and gray paint on this 1934 Bentley 3-1/2 Litre D/C Tourer.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Street rods, like this mid-1930s Ford in deep metallic emerald green, share space alongside classic luxury cars in the Smith collection.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Automobiles aren't the only focus of Lawrence Smith's collection: Here, a vintage Wurlitzer jukebox spins tunes with a soothing neon glow next to a Royal Enfield motorcycle/side car combo.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Smith enjoys collecting cut-glass radiator ornaments for his immaculate fleet of vintage autos. But the sculpted rooster seen here is always removed before the cars are taken on the road, just in case, he says.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Check out the boat tail styling on this 1915 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Labourdette and you'll understand why this model was designated a `Skif.'
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Host Lawrence Smith visits with Tom Devlin, center and Jim Winter, a local collector of '55-'56 Ford Crown Victorias during the first of three stops on Sunday's car barn tour.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Who knew that Rolls Royce turned out such sporty models as this gorgeous 1931 Phantom II in a flamboyant red paint job?
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Another massive beauty in the Lawrence Smith collection is this pewter-colored 1929 Bentley Speed 6 6.5 Litre Drop Head Coupe; note the miniature copy displayed next to it.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Among the unusual American iron in the collection is this beautifully rendered 1955 Pontiac two-door in bright orange-gold and white.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The mechanical workings under the hood of this 1926 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Town Car are just as amazing as the profile of the car, which features cane-style basket weaving on the rear of the body.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
A good portion of Smith's collection hearkens back to his early hot-rodding days. This beautifully customized early '50s Chevrolet half-ton pickup has all the right touches: modern V-8 power, billet wheels and a low-down stance, plus a flawless pearl two-tone paint job accented with flames.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Car builders John Belford, right, and Chuck Grauel, center, exchange views with master upholsterer Scott Downey, left.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Tom Devlin, another of the hosts of the Sunday afternoon car barn tour, chats with Lynn Moore alongside Lawrence Smith's 1946 Delahaye 135 M Drophead Coupe, backdropped by automotive artwork and vintage signage.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Hot-rodder Lynn Moore strolls along the rows of classic cars that make up a large portion of the Lawrence Smith collection.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Lawrence Smith's automotive interests run the gamut, from Craig Breedlove's 1969 Spirit of America rocket-powered dragster designed as a proof-of-concept vehicle for a 1,000 mph Land World Speed Record car, to the scaled-down Lamborghini and a showroom quality 1956 Chevy Bel Air 4-door hardtop.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Print edition: Subscribe | Manage Account | E-Eagle: Digital Edition
