YELLOW ROLLS ROYCE: The very Rolls Royce that was used in the 1965 movie The Yellow Rolls Royce just won the Lucius Beebe Memorial Trophy for the Most Elegant Car at the Concourse d'Elegance in Pebble Beach. The car resides in Saratoga, since its owner is Neal Kirkham, who bought it in 1988 from a Tampa, Fla., collector.
Kirkham took apart "every nut and bolt in that car" to begin reconstituting it to its original splendor. No small undertaking, since crafting a Rolls is three times as time consuming as working on any other kind of car: it takes 6,000 hours, estimate professionals in the field.
Kirkham restored three other cars in the meantime before resuming work on the yellow job, a Phantom II. He did all the work himself, except for the upholstering, which was done by a specialist who lives in Hawaii and who lived in a trailer parked at the Kirkhams' while at work on the Rolls.
The car was built for Belgian mega-millionaire Peter Koch deGooreynd in '31 and was lodged in a Rolls showroom in London when MGM bought it for the Terrance Ratigan script it had just purchased. The Kirkhams have corresponded with the deGooreynds' daughter and hope to meet her when next in London.
The car's distinctive elements include two cocktail cabinets: one front, one back. Two jump seats that can also serve as picnic tables are hidden in wooden cabinets in the back. On a side wall is a lady's vanity case that holds a comb, mirror, miniature deck of cards, miniature domino set. These items were found at a London antique shop.
The movie named after the car told six separate stories about the assorted owners of the vintage vehicle. It starred such luminaries as Shirley MacLaine, Rex Harrison, George C. Scott and Ingrid Bergman. In actuality the car only had one owner before MGM bought it.
In one scene, Omar Sharif had to crawl into the trunk (or the boot, as the Brits call it). "He must be small," observes Kirkham, pointing out its compact size. But maybe they used a stuntman. After all, even the car commanded a stunt car, since it rolls off the road in one scene.
In the movie, the actors generally end up in compromising positions in the back seat. Kirkham, who likes to claim to be 92 years old, quips that he's casting for a sequel. The car buff has a stable of seven, six of which are vintage cars that have been restored or are in the process. They have won half a dozen awards.
The Kirkham lineup is two Bentleys, two Rolls, one Alfa Romeo, one Maserati. The retired IBM engineer says this will be the extent of his fleet—at least, that's what he says this week. This is a big year for Rolls Royce: its 100th anniversary.
JUNIOR LEAGUE BOARD: Two local women are members of the San Jose Junior League's board for the coming year. They are Kristie Driscoll, sustaining adviser, and Annette Finsterbusch, member at large. Driscoll has been active in the organization for 12 years, has served on the executive committee, as well as the board.
Additionally, she volunteers at St. Francis High School and St. Mary's. Driscoll lives in Monte Sereno with her husband, Vince, and three daughters—Vanessa, Kara and Erika.
Finsterbusch was recently named GOLD (Graduate of the Last Decade) by SJSU. She holds an MBA in business from that school and is a founding member of the steering committee for the Exceptional Women Executives of SJSU. She works for Applied Materials in mergers and acquisitions.
Finsterbusch is on the board of the Heritage Grove Homeowners Association and lives in Los Gatos with her husband, Werner, and son Christopher.
The league's biennial fashion show, a major fundraiser, will be held Sept. 16 and 17 at the San Jose Fairmont Hotel. The number is 408.264.3402 for tickets.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Celebrate Saratoga! needs a few more volunteers to join the 200 others who are a main reason the Sept. 18 event can happen. The Children's Fun Zone and the booths that sell soda and water could use some help. And, a few more hearty souls are needed to help with setup and cleanup.
Celebrate Saratoga! runs from 5:3010:30 p.m., and volunteers are needed for the second shift, 6:459 p.m., and third shift, 8:4510:30 p.m. Carole Atkin, who volunteered at Celebrate for several years before becoming office manager at the Chamber, says volunteering is a wonderful way to feel part of the community.
"Though just being at Celebrate Saratoga! is lots of fun, feeling part of it is even better," Atkin says. People she has enlisted to help usually complain when their shift is over, she says.
FLORAL DEMOS: Assistance League will hold a flower-arranging fundraiser at Bob Gilmore Flowers 'N Things on Sept. 23, 69 p.m. Demonstrations and advice on self-made arrangements will be included, and the finished products can be purchased via bids.
The contact is Barbara Oggerino at 408.354.5394.
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By Mary Ann Cook