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JOHN O'QUINN - DEAD IN HOUSTON - CAR CRASH

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05 Feb 2011 19:38 #19161 by alsancle
Replied by alsancle on topic JOHN O'QUINN - DEAD IN HOUSTON - CAR CRASH
A general rule of life is to start small, even if you can afford to start big. That applies to starting companies, families, clubs, car collections, stamp collections, etc. It always works out better in the end that way.

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  • Chris Summers
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05 Feb 2011 15:52 #19160 by Chris Summers
Replied by Chris Summers on topic JOHN O'QUINN - DEAD IN HOUSTON - CAR CRASH
O'Quinn gave every car that arrived at the collection a test drive. He was never accused of being a great driver - ironic, sadly - and I can think of a few that required work after the "test drive."

I was among the few, I feel, that took him and his collection seriously. He hired an archivist who did make an attempt to document the histories of all the cars. His restorations were done by the best and usually strove to make cars very accurate. He bought enough spare parts to keep his Duesenbergs running for years. I also witnessed the beginnings of an attempt to start a research library. So I do feel that O'Quinn was a bit misunderstood, and a real "car guy," albeit somewhat misinformed and, shall we say, gullible about what he was buying. I think we tend to forget that not every person who likes cars studies up on them before making their purchases, even though that is the "smart" thing to do.

Regarding the "black hole," my experience was that anyone who wanted to visit the collection, could, if they knew who to contact. I and my friend Rocky Voss were pretty much given free rein of the place for a day back in 2007. I was not alone.

Because no one took him seriously, the archivist's attempts to document the cars were usually in vain. A few weeks ago I was contacted by a gentleman who was involved in cataloging the cars for auction. He said, "Most of the cars' files just had a copy of the auction catalog entry. I asked about the Duesenbergs and they pulled out this big binder of information. I asked how they had managed to find so much on those cars and so little on the rest. They said, 'Some young guy from the ACD Club.'"

Speaking of which, it is worth mentioning that O'Quinn was a dues-paying Club member at the time of his death.

Chris Summers
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So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

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05 Feb 2011 14:49 #19158 by alsancle
Replied by alsancle on topic JOHN O'QUINN - DEAD IN HOUSTON - CAR CRASH
Brad,

Nothing wrong with "hoarding" that's how quite a few great cars lasted over the last 50/60 years. I will say I would sit at the auctions in shock at the some of the prices he was willing to pay for the cars he bought. Some very nice cars as well as some questionable ones.

A.J.

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05 Feb 2011 04:19 #19152 by silverghost
Replied by silverghost on topic JOHN O'QUINN - DEAD IN HOUSTON - CAR CRASH
I would like to see all of John O'Quinn's autos sold to collectors~~~

In my opnion he was a car hoarder~~~

Not a true car collector !

He did not really know very much about the cars that he in fact owned !

I doubt he ever drove most of the cars he bought once !

At one point his "Collection" was like a black hole sucking-up every interesting Antique & Classic car in sight~~~

Also complete collections of cars !

At one auction I attended he bought 25 cars !
The REAL COLLECTORS never had a chance to buy anything he wanted !

Price was no object for O'Quinn !

What does one man with a BIG EGO and Billions $$$ need with 1200 Antique & Classic cars ?

My father was contacted by an O'Quinn buyer representitive wanting to by his entire collection of 36 Brass-Era autos.

When Dad & I heard that it was really John O'Quinn wanting to buy these cars He flatly refused to sell him ANY cars at ANY price !

He could have made a lot of money~~~

BUT~~~ These cars mean more to us than just money !

It is my belief that ALL of John O'Quinn's cars would be better off in the hands of true collectors who would actually Drive , Show, & really Love them !

This is MY opinion of what should be the ultimate fate of the O'Quinn "car collection", gun collection, and his entire hoard !

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. BRAD HUNTER Huntingdon Valley Pa/Ocean City NJ 215 947 4676 Engineer & RE Developer Brass & Classic Auto, Antique Boat, Mechanical Automatic Music Machine, & Jukebox Collector

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04 Feb 2011 22:49 #19149 by Greg Riley
Replied by Greg Riley on topic It just keeps on rolling!
Yes, I am the author.

[url:3b1xg76d]http://garagedlx.blogspot.com/2011/02/oquinn-situation-greg-decider.html[/url:3b1xg76d]

Greg Riley

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02 Nov 2010 21:21 #18317 by Greg Riley
Replied by Greg Riley on topic More info if interested
More info on my blog site if anyone is interested. Darla Lexington's 10/15/2010 petition is most interesting reading. Funny how things have evolved in the last year.

[url:31xqvtl5]http://www.garagedlx.blogspot.com[/url:31xqvtl5]

Greg Riley

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16 Aug 2010 02:13 #17659 by alsancle
Replied by alsancle on topic JOHN O'QUINN - DEAD IN HOUSTON - CAR CRASH
The 540k is going in the wrong direction. This is the 3rd time it's been sold in the last 5 years. An interesting car with the non-Mercedes grill.

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15 Aug 2010 22:10 #17651 by Chris Summers
Replied by Chris Summers on topic JOHN O'QUINN - DEAD IN HOUSTON - CAR CRASH
Greg wrote it.

I watched the sale online and saw three of the "lawsuit cars" sell:

> 1938 Talbot-Lago = $4.2 million (bought by Judge Cassini, who was the unhappy underbidder when O'Quinn bought it)
> 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K = $830,000
> 1965 Corvette = $95,000

Chris Summers
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So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

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15 Aug 2010 19:27 #17644 by mikespeed35
Replied by mikespeed35 on topic JOHN O'QUINN - DEAD IN HOUSTON - CAR CRASH
Greg, Who is the author of this? I couldn't find a name.
CORDially Mike

Mike Huffman

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12 Aug 2010 02:40 #17573 by Greg Riley
Replied by Greg Riley on topic My latest opinions on the subject
[url:2iotqvw6]http://www.garagedlx.blogspot.com[/url:2iotqvw6]

Greg Riley

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04 Nov 2009 15:17 #14854 by Chris Summers
Replied by Chris Summers on topic JOHN O'QUINN - DEAD IN HOUSTON - CAR CRASH
Glad to hear it. Good luck to them.

Chris Summers
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So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

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04 Nov 2009 03:08 #14851 by Greg Riley
Replied by Greg Riley on topic JOHN O'QUINN - DEAD IN HOUSTON - CAR CRASH
This evening Darla reiterated to me that the museum will go forward. This is an almost verbatim quote, "don't believe what you have been reading in some of the press...we plan to go forward with the museum as John wanted."
Okay, now all of the speculators and sharks can stand down!
Greg

Greg Riley

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04 Nov 2009 02:57 #14848 by
I just returned from the visitation at the funeral home. It was very nice, and well attended.

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  • Greg Riley
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02 Nov 2009 13:33 #14837 by Greg Riley
Replied by Greg Riley on topic RIP John O'Quinn
John O'Quinn is the last of the larger than life Texans...please read the link below. It says that Darla intends to move forward with the museum. When I last spoke to her three weeks ago, she told me that the museum was to be John's enduring legacy, and I'm hopeful it will become a reality.
Although John was not without controversy, at his core he was always the auto mechanics son who loved cars. I admired him for his brilliance, tenacity, and willingness to take on anyone for what he believed in.
I will be driving my Corvair to the visitation and funeral. I suggest that other car guys who intend to attend drive their collector cars too. I have no doubt that John would approve.
Greg
[url:1iudzpkj]http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/houstonchronicle/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=135267434[/url:1iudzpkj]

Greg Riley

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02 Nov 2009 01:07 #14835 by Mike Dube
Replied by Mike Dube on topic JOHN O'QUINN - DEAD IN HOUSTON - CAR CRASH
Judging from the photo of him above, he looks like a man who enjoyed life. Very sorry to hear this sad news.

Mike
8-100A

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01 Nov 2009 21:40 #14828 by balinwire
Replied by balinwire on topic automobilia
What a collection to have built in such a short few years. The cars do get the attention. This is a reader comment from the article, I was impressed buy the three celebrity signed Harleys and model cars in his office, along with all the garage stuff hanging on the walls, floors and celings. The Tucker showroom with all Fabulous Duesenbergs lined up door to door were not even the center of attention. Maybe there is a chance the museum will materialize like a Graceland tribute.

"reader comment",,,,
Cars weren't the only collection he had.
I worked on his home and was lucky enough to be invited in to see another collection right after he had bought it and brought it home.
I was taken upstairs to one of the front bedrooms in his huge mansion and there, spread across the bed and dresser , and tables and chairs and anywhere there was room, was the greatest, grandest , and biggest collection of famous firearms the world had ever seen.
He had Wyatt Earp's Buntline Special , along with Wyatt's badge from the Tombstone/OK Corral days.He had Bat Masterson's cane, shotgun and pistols.
There was Billy the Kid's Colt 45s and rifle from the famous picture.There was Annie Oakley's trick shooting rifles and pistols.Some of her buckskin clothes.
Wild Bill Hickok's pistols.I can't remember all of the names of people he had guns from.
Plus there was enormous amounts of memorabilia such as Wanted Posters, handcuffs,cell keys from famous jails, wallets , pictures, etc., etc.
The list goes on.
His plan was for a museum for that stuff also.
It's people like John O'Quinn who make our world a richer place for us, by using his wealth to buy collections of things like this and put them in a place where we, the average folk, will get a chance to see, dream, and learn about such things.

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01 Nov 2009 20:34 #14827 by Chris Summers
Replied by Chris Summers on topic JOHN O'QUINN - DEAD IN HOUSTON - CAR CRASH
Also a huge collection of original clay styling models, tapestries, neon signs, and every imaginable form of automobilia. I remember seeing a Packard wheel hub-shaped rosary in a display case.

Chris Summers
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So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

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01 Nov 2009 19:02 #14826 by balinwire
Replied by balinwire on topic museum plans
Mr O'Quinn generously had our ACD club group tour his facility. There were plans to display the collection to the public in a museum. I was unaware he was also going to include a collection of historic collector firearms. link below,
www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hot ... 97096.html

win video after short commercial, dsc.discovery.com/videos/million ... -lago.html

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30 Oct 2009 11:42 #14799 by oldbanger71
Replied by oldbanger71 on topic JOHN O'QUINN - DEAD IN HOUSTON - CAR CRASH
Quite a morbid way to anounce that a fellow ACD-member and car- collector was killed in a tragic accident. i feel sorry for the family and friends that are left behind. :(

The more i know, the more i realize that i don't know enough.
812 310 121 S

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30 Oct 2009 06:44 #14796 by 1930 Jordan
Replied by 1930 Jordan on topic JOHN O'QUINN - DEAD IN HOUSTON - CAR CRASH
:( The loss of another car-collector is a shame, but to go this way is just not right. We should all go to Old Age!! God Bless to the families. <!-- s:cry: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_cry.gif" alt=":cry:" title="Crying or Very sad" /><!-- s:cry: -->

1930 Jordan"G" line 90,1953 Plymouth,1951 Chrysler Saratoga,1975 Dart,1974 Schwinn Collgate,1978 Schwinn Continental,1971 Honda 500"4",1973 Honda 350"twin",1975 Honda 500"twin",1955 Norton,1988 Honda Shadow custom,05 crossfire roadster.

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29 Oct 2009 17:51 #14793 by acdclubadmin
JOHN O'QUINN - DEAD IN HOUSTON - CAR CRASH was created by acdclubadmin
One of the world's richest attorneys and perhaps the largest Car Collector in the world is dead today. John was an ACD Club member.

John O'Quinn who made over a billion dollars in the 90's tobacco settlement with the government, was killed today in a one-car crash on Allen Parkway in Houston, TX. He and another passenger were in a black GM Suburban travelling at a high rate of speed. The truck was nearly cut in half when it hit a tree.

VIDEO HERE:

www.khou.com/video/news-index.html?nvid=410428


Bill Hummel - Webmaster - ACD Club

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