No thread about the Lawyer John O'Quinn???
10-29-2009, 04:52 PM
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No thread about the Lawyer John O'Quinn??? He passed away this morning in an Auto Accident.
This guy has one of the finest automobile collections in the world, if not the BEST one.
Quite a few has been added.
Really sucks. The book "King of Torts" is basically about him. Bad dude, that is for sure.
This guy has one of the finest automobile collections in the world, if not the BEST one.
O'Quinn attended an exhibition of Duesenberg's as a child at the Sam Houston Coliseum, to see what his father called "the greatest car ever built." In 2003, O'Quinn saw a 1932 Duesenberg Durham Tourister for sale at a Houston auction, at which he bought 14 cars that day including the Duesenberg for $405,000.[4]
O'Quinn maintained an extensive collection of cars, with a total value of over $100 million to purchase and maintain 618 cars,[7] including: seven Duesenbergs; the 1911 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost featured in the film Titanic; John F Kennedy's 1962 Lincoln Continental Bubble Top limo; a 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante.[4]
In September 2006, he bought: a 2005 Lamborghini Gallardo covered with 33 celebrity autographs ($500,000); the Batmobile used in the filming of Batman Forever ($335,000), a 1941 Packard limousine used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt ($290,000), a 1938 Talbot-Lago ($3,350,000); and a 1938 Town Car used by Pope Pius XII ($250,000).[4]
The centre piece of the collection is plain grey 1975 Ford Escort GL, once owned by Polish priest Karol Wojtyla - before he became became Pope John Paul II. Bought at the Kruse auction at SEMA, the car was sold by the Pope at auction for charity to Chicago restuaranter Jim Rich in 1995, who paid $102,000 for the car.[8] O'Quinn paid €690,000 for the car October 2005.[4]
In late 2006 O'Quinn discovered that several cars were missing from his collection, including a Ferrari 575M and a 1965 Ford Shelby Mustang GT350. O'Quinn tried to get in touch with Zev Isgur, a 32-year-old ex-con whom he'd befriended and entrusted with the management of his collection of classic cars. Isgur was later convicted of embezzlement.[4]
O'Quinn maintained an extensive collection of cars, with a total value of over $100 million to purchase and maintain 618 cars,[7] including: seven Duesenbergs; the 1911 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost featured in the film Titanic; John F Kennedy's 1962 Lincoln Continental Bubble Top limo; a 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante.[4]
In September 2006, he bought: a 2005 Lamborghini Gallardo covered with 33 celebrity autographs ($500,000); the Batmobile used in the filming of Batman Forever ($335,000), a 1941 Packard limousine used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt ($290,000), a 1938 Talbot-Lago ($3,350,000); and a 1938 Town Car used by Pope Pius XII ($250,000).[4]
The centre piece of the collection is plain grey 1975 Ford Escort GL, once owned by Polish priest Karol Wojtyla - before he became became Pope John Paul II. Bought at the Kruse auction at SEMA, the car was sold by the Pope at auction for charity to Chicago restuaranter Jim Rich in 1995, who paid $102,000 for the car.[8] O'Quinn paid €690,000 for the car October 2005.[4]
In late 2006 O'Quinn discovered that several cars were missing from his collection, including a Ferrari 575M and a 1965 Ford Shelby Mustang GT350. O'Quinn tried to get in touch with Zev Isgur, a 32-year-old ex-con whom he'd befriended and entrusted with the management of his collection of classic cars. Isgur was later convicted of embezzlement.[4]
Really sucks. The book "King of Torts" is basically about him. Bad dude, that is for sure.
10-29-2009, 05:19 PM
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Gray, I was going to post up one, but haven't been on today. Anyhow, I had the opportunity a few months ago to tour his collection. It was TRULY remarkable.
Its really sad that he and his assistant were killed. That area of Allen Pkwy is a dangerous place. A lot of folks have had accidents in that area.
Its really sad that he and his assistant were killed. That area of Allen Pkwy is a dangerous place. A lot of folks have had accidents in that area.
10-29-2009, 08:39 PM
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6600 rpm clutch dump of death Administrator
As it says in Mark. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Mr. O'Quinn was a powerful force in the legal world. Outside the court he was a pretty regular guy from what I understand from mutal friends. He'd show up in traffic court for a speed ticket just like anyone else, and sit there with the other attorneys and hang out just like a "regular guy".
He didn't come across as a billionaire. I've met his wife and his step-daughter. They were nice "normal" folks as well.
As for the collection. When I spoke to the currator of the collection Mr. O'Quinn was setting up the collection to become an automotive museum. They had hoped to open a museum with the vehicles here in Houston in the next few years.
Honestly I don't think Jay Leno has enough money to purchase the collection. In fact I don't think there are many folks who have the cash to purchase it. Think about it this way. The muscle cars alone are enough to be their own Barrett-Jackson or Haggerty auction. Then you get into all the Duesenbergs, the Talbot Lago, and several other cars.
I think its too early to say with any certainty what will happen, but I count myself as very lucky to have had to opportunity to visit the collection before this unfortunate incident...
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10-29-2009, 09:42 PM
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6600 rpm clutch dump of death Administrator
My co-worker was on one and came over a wake wrong, and smashed his face into the windshield on one, and split his face open on it. My father-in-law flipped one end over end in Mexico and and broke his back.
Neither were smiling afterward...
10-30-2009, 05:06 AM
#11
Collection 
I have toured the building where most of his cars were stored and it is truly incredible. Unbelievable car collection but he did not have a 69 Trans Am. Some very rare cars there,,,some are one of a kind.
10-30-2009, 08:26 AM
#12
6600 rpm clutch dump of death Administrator
Some pictures are in this thread which was posted on another site.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=176925
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=176925
and of course didn't say anything about his car collection. 
11-02-2009, 07:29 AM
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I don't know how many Zev Isgur's are out there, but I had a Zev Isgur that lived 2 houses down from me when I was growing up. He was about 4-5 years younger than me and was always getting in some type of trouble. Not saying it is him at all, but the funky name is the same.
11-02-2009, 05:41 PM
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Good maybe my stepmom will finally get paid on the lawsuit against him that he has appealed many many times. He ripped her and MANY others off on a very substantial amount of money, he lost the judgement and has been stalling it all up in the courts for a couple years.