Your Incredible Neighbors: GV man owns large fleet of small autos

As the owner of nearly 400 cars, Rick Cayne isn’t worried about the cost of gas these days. His fleet consists of model cars - everything from a 1917 Reo to a late model Corvette.

Only six cars short of an even 400, Cayne undoubtedly will find room to keep adding to his collection. One room in his Green Valley home, which he calls his “carport,” glistens with his gleaming cars that include hardtops and convertibles in all the cool colors of the era when the cars were popular.

The models are built to 1:12, 1:18 or 1:24 scale, but the majority are built 1:18 scale.

In the auto business since age 17, Cayne recalls building his first model. “It was a 1931 Model A Hubley… my wife Emily and I were dating; she used to hand me the parts as I put the car together. I like to say we built that model together;” he said.

Not only was the 1931 Model A their first model car, it was also their first real automobile.

Of his near 400 models, some were purchased ready-made; others Cayne assembled from kits.

His stand-out favorite is a 1948 black Cadillac convertible. “It has genuine leather seats and all the gold is 24-karat sprayed gold… Emily bought that for me for our 50th anniversary,” he said.

Another favorite is a 1934 silver and red Duesenberg convertible. Cayne said Clark Gable and Gary Cooper each owned similar cars.

As a decades-old hobby, Cayne said, it’s simply a pleasure to put model cars together and to have this as a hobby.

“I’m never in a hurry,” and it shows.

Whether bought or built by hand, he takes pride in each and every car in the stunning collection. He said a few weeks ago, local men who are members of the Corvette Club came to see his collection. “All the guys came in their Corvettes,” Cayne said.

Looking closely at a two-tone 1952 Hudson coupe, the hood, doors, glove compartment, gas tank and trunk each open. Inside the trunk is a polishing cloth and an advertisement that reads, “Look at a Hudson outside and inside.”

Convertibles and two-tone cars were both cool and popular in the 1940s and 50s; usually the body of the car was a light color and the roof darker. Emily said Rick likes to collect the hardtop and convertibles models of the same car so he has a set.

Cayne recalled a time when he and Emily were in Estes Park, Colo. They spotted a 1947 Ford Fairlane convertible in the window of an antique shop, and while they were ready to move on, they hung around for three days waiting for until the antique shop to re-open so they could buy the model for their collection.

On order now is a 1932 Mercedes convertible that Cayne hopes to have in June. But even without the Mercedes, the collection appears so complete. A series of station wagons called “Woodies” have genuine wood doors. There’s a 1936 Chevy and models of a ‘49 Ford and Mercury.

Calling attention to themselves are several pink cars, a popular car color in the 1950s. Cayne pointed to a pink and white 1955 Ford Fairlane, which he said Elvis Presley purchased for his mother.

Knowledgeable about what celebrities owned particular cars, he pointed to a 1953 pink Cadillac convertible that President Dwight D. Eisenhower was driven around in by a female driver.

A 1940 black Cadillac Fleetwood has open rear doors on the driver’s side so the cigar-smoking figure sitting on the back seat—Al Capone—is clearly visible. Standing outside is a security guard with one hand ready on his gun.

Also in the vast collection is another 1931 Model A complete with side vent windows, a running board and rumble seat. There’s a limousine with Mariachi players beside it, a Lincoln Continental, a variety of Chevys, Fords, Buicks and Cadillacs—cars that had their heyday in the middle of the 20th century.

Reminiscing about earlier decades, Cayne said he remembers when gas was 11 cents a gallon — about 1946 to 1948. Not only was gas cheap, but he recalls getting premium gifts such as a mug when buying gas.

Today, the Caynes own a 2007 Ford SUV and a 1994 Elente Motorhome. Given today’s gas prices versus those of 60 years ago, Cayne said, even with high gas prices he prefers living in these times; “It’s an easier life now,” he said.

Ellen Sussman is a freelance writer for the Green Valley News.