I'm wondering about Cecil Rhodes who was evidently a boat builder in
the mid-west (presumabley the Great Lakes area)circa the 1950's. All
my searches come up with only information on Cecil Rhodes of the De
Beeres diamonds / Rhodes Scolar fame. Can you tell me about the boat
builder, any acolades he may have recieved and/or pictures of any of
his designs/craftsmenship?
Thank you

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Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 21 Dec 2004 19:08 PST

I came across mention of a few different Cecil Rhodes', other than
really famous one, but no one who quite fits the description of a
well-known boat builder.

Is there anything more you can tell us about your interest here?  How
did you come across the name?  What do you know of Rhodes and his
boats?  Any additional details could prove quite useful in our
searching.

Thanks.

pafalafa-ga

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Clarification of Question by jared8-ga on 22 Dec 2004 10:24 PST

My company recently purchased a 1956 Morgan Plus 4 roadster. The car
has a special body on it that is a one-off creation and was supposedly
built by a Cecil Rhodes who is supposed to have been a boat builder.
The name came from the Morgan historian. It is an assumption that he
lived in the Midwest since that is where all of the cars other known
owners have been.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Thanks

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Clarification of Question by jared8-ga on 22 Dec 2004 17:30 PST

Perhaps this is the correct Rhodes. It says in the link you left that
he was a pioneer in fiberglass boat construction. The car that we have
has a special fiberglass body. Perhaps this was a side project? Maybe
cars were a hobby of his?

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Request for Question Clarification by omnivorous-ga on 23 Dec 2004 06:23 PST

Jared --

I think thta you're referring to Philip Rhodes, well-known for some of
the early fiberglas yacht designs.  Philip was active over 5 decades,
retiring in 1970, and had ties with Midwestern companies like Palmer
Johnson.  It's also possible that it was his son "Bodie" Rhodes, who
died in 1998, and was also a boat designer.

Let me know if you want to pursue Rhodes and his ties to Morgan.

Best regards,

Omnivorous-GA

It seems very unlikely that this is your Rhodes, but it is worth
mentioning that Philip N. Rhodes was one of the most famous boat/yacht
designers for much of the 20th century.  The problems are that his
first name is not Cecil and his headquarters were in New York
(although he apparently had a national clientele):

http://astro.temple.edu/~bstavis/pr/rhodes-bio.htm

Correction:  It's Philip L. Rhodes.

jared8 --

It is indeed tantalizing that "my" Rhodes was a pioneer in fiberglass
boat construction at about the time that "your" Rhodes was designing a
custom fiberglass body for a Morgan.  After a substantial search,
though, I was unable to find a connection between Philip Rhodes or his
son Bodie (who was also a boat designer) with such a sideline.  Since
it is so tantalizing, I will look further.

markj-ga

I would be willing to bet that the person you are seeking is an
artist, woodworker, boat builder named Cecil Rhodes, who lived (and
probably still does) in the Oriental Park neighborhood of Bemus Point,
NY, on Chautauqua Lake. Although Chautauqua truly is a "great lake,"
it is not technically one of the Great Lakes, but lies about 20-miles
south of Lake Erie.

Although Cecil is a little older than I am, I went to high school with
his brother, and later when I returned to establish a summer home in
the area I recall having several conversations with his brother about
Morgans, since I hve two Plus 4's. Cecil never strove to be "like
everyone else" and I think he took some pride in driving and
automobile that was as unique as he is.

Cecil is a unique and very talented artist and craftsman, and most
people thought his small wood boats were really too pretty to be
used...
the last one I remember seeing was hanging in a local reataurant as a
decoration! Cecil maches to a bit of a different drummer than most of
us, but I think if you meet him you will agree that the tune he is
hearing is obviously a bit more like classical music than the stuff
you might hear on your car radio.

At any rate, I have his address and telephone number and would be
happy to pass it along if you are willing to promise not to harrass
him or try to sell him insurance or some other obnoxious treatment.

carguy1012, 
This indeed turns out to be the gentleman I was wondering about. The
Morgan Historical Company researched this for as well and Cecil Rhodes
of Bemus Point is the car's original registered owner. If it wouldn't
be too much trouble and if you don't think Mr. Rhodes would object, I
would love to contact him and ask him a few brief questions about this
car.
Thnk you very much,
Jared