Passions

The world of luxury automobiles and those who drive them seemed a distant place when a young Richard J. Solove saw his first Rolls-Royce cruise by in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

While growing up the son of working-class Russian immigrants in a family of seven, Solove dreamed of owning such a fine vehicle. That dream survived long hours spent working in a pharmacy to earn his tuition to Ohio State University. It survived even as he studied toward earning his Ph.D., interned in a tuberculosis hospital, developed a deep interest in curing disease and, eventually, opened his own chain of pharmacies.

Solove, now 82, parlayed his small pharmacy business into a formidable commercial real estate development firm, Columbus Realty Investments Ltd., which employs 500 people in seven states. He has a jet at his disposal and a luxury box at the Buckeyes’ Ohio Stadium. He also maintains his profound concern for medicine and eradicating dreaded diseases. And he never lost his enthusiasm for the impossibly elegant car he fantasized about as a boy. Now his two passions are converging as he prepares to sell his prized cars to fund research at a cancer facility that bears his name.

Solove bought his first Rolls-Royce, a 1931 model, 34 years ago for $30,000—and then spent another $175,000 restoring it. He keeps it garaged at his Bay Colony Estates home in Naples, along with 13 others he has since purchased. His Rolls-Royce collection, which includes a 1907 Rolls-Royce, just three years after the first company car was built, is regarded as one of the finest in the world. His collection includes cars previously owned by Charles Rolls, with a special apparatus to carry the automaker’s hot air balloons; the King of England; and 1930s playboy Tommy Manville, who married 13 women in quick succession.

Solove expects his automobile collection to fetch from $12 million to $15 million at auction, all of which will go to fund cancer research and treatment, he says. "What I want ultimately is to see [that facility] used for something else," Solove says. "That will mean cancer has been cured."

Solove recently hosted a party for 85 Rolls-Royce enthusiasts from around the world. None knew that the cars would be offered for sale a short time later. But Solove knew. It was a show to whet some appetites, he admits. The Rolls-Royce world, he says in understatement, is about to be rocked.

There is sadness in Solove’s eyes and a hitch in his voice when he talks about selling his beloved Rolls-Royces. Touring his garage, it quickly becomes clear that these aren’t just cars. Each has a story. Each is special—to the automotive world and to Richard Solove. He pauses and adjusts his tinted glasses. "It is very difficult for me to sell my cars. This was a major decision."

Difficult as it is to part with the prizes of a 34-year pursuit, now is the time, he says. He believes it’s time to turn metal into money; to let go of a boy’s dream and trade it for an adult-sized vision to help humanity. "I have no desire to be the richest man in the cemetery," Solove says. "But I’m not doing this just to be acknowledged. Everyone is affected by cancer. We all know someone who died from it. I feel very strongly about this."