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JOHN O'QUINN - DEAD IN HOUSTON - CAR CRASH
- alsancle
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- Chris Summers
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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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- alsancle
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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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- silverghost
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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 !
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- Greg Riley
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[url:3b1xg76d]http://garagedlx.blogspot.com/2011/02/oquinn-situation-greg-decider.html[/url:3b1xg76d]
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[url:31xqvtl5]http://www.garagedlx.blogspot.com[/url:31xqvtl5]
Greg Riley
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- alsancle
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- Chris Summers
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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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- mikespeed35
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CORDially Mike
Mike Huffman
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- Greg Riley
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Greg Riley
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- Chris Summers
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Chris Summers
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- Greg Riley
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Okay, now all of the speculators and sharks can stand down!
Greg
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- Greg Riley
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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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- Mike Dube
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- balinwire
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"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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- Chris Summers
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Chris Summers
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- balinwire
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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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- oldbanger71
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The more i know, the more i realize that i don't know enough.
812 310 121 S
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- 1930 Jordan
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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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- acdclubadmin
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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
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