COMIC GENIUS’S RIDE SUITED TO HIGH ROLLER
A PIECE of Hollywood history is up for sale on the Gold Coast.
Jerry Lewis’s dark blue, 1977 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith could be yours – for the right price.
The American comedian, known best for his slapstick humour in film, television, stage and radio, bought this beauty new.
But for the past 10 years it’s been housed on the Gold Coast after an agreement between the comedian and his mate, Gold Coast identity Lou Cerantonio.
“I always had my eye on the car,” Mr Cerantomio said.
“I kept at him as a joke – ‘when are you going to give me the car?’ – then he missed my 50th birthday.
“I rang him and said ‘happy birthday’. He said ‘it’s not mine’, I said ‘yeah I know, it’s mine’.
“He apologised for missing it and said ‘how can I make it up to you’. I said, ‘give me the Rolls’ … and he did.”
The pair met 20 years ago when Lewis toured his comedy show at Melbourne’s Crown complex. At the time, Mr Cerantonio was the entertainment manager who booked the Hollywood Walk of Famer, and the pair became lifelong friends. Mr Cerantonio said he was selling the vehicle, albeit reluctantly, due to a lack of storage space. He and the auction house are tightlipped on what they expect the car to sell for, but experts say Lewis’s celebrity status will add significant value. Jerry Lewis died of natural causes at the age of 91 in his Las Vegas home on August 20 last year. “It’s the one thing that keeps me close to Jerry, since he passed away,” Mr Cerantonio said. “It’s something really close to me. He was like my stepdad, he took over when my dad passed away.
“Just to drive it, brings back great memories of Jerry.
“But the problem now is we’ve gone from owning a house to a unit – so there’s nowhere to store it.”
Mr Cerantonio’s son Anthony said he would be sad to see it go.
“But the car itself is so ahead of its time. It’s one of the best I’ve ever driven – it just glides on the road. You really feel like you’re in something special,” he said.
The car is up for sale with Lloyd’s Auctions in Carrara. Bidding can be made online, with the auction date July 29.