"This hobby of collecting cars has become a 'lifestyle' and I love it"

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Duesenbergs, Cadillac V16s, Flying Merkel racers; Dick Shappy from Rhode Island loves, restores and collects them all and has done so for over thirty years.

He told us: "Growing up in New England (Providence, Rhode Island) in the 1950s and 1960s was very inspiring to me as a teenager, as I was surrounded by the older boys returning from the war in Europe and then Korea to form groups dedicated to hot-rodding, restoration and collecting old cars. At the time, I had a deep passion for all of this, but I didn't have the funds or the time to dedicate to it. I joined the army in 1964 and I spent most of my time in France and Germany as a soldier in the US Army.  After I left the army in 1967, I was able to save enough money to buy my first antique car, a 1931 Ford Sedan. It was then that I began a life of car collecting and restoration with my new wife and son. I never dreamed that I would be lucky enough to have the collection of beautiful cars and vintage motorbikes that I have today.

"I remember that in the early days of my passion, I had to drive many miles and hours to see a Duesenberg up close, and I certainly didn't think I would ever be lucky enough to own one. After hard work, determination and a lot of luck I was able to buy my first 'barn find' Duesenberg and am now the proud owner of six different ones. My passion for early multi-cylinder Cadillacs has also inspired me to purchase and restore many 1930 to 1933 Cadillac V-16s and I have become a major parts supplier for these cars. The collection has grown so large over the years that a few years ago I decided to put most of these cars up for sale. This hobby of collecting cars has become a 'lifestyle' and I love it."

More information on the cars and motorbikes offered for sale by Dick Shappy can be found here. For all his projects, check out his website.

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