Thursday

COLLECTOR JOHN O'QUINN.....1941 - 2009

John O'Quinn, who has graced these pages before, lost his life in a car accident this morning. Divorced with no children, O'Quinn's father had taken him to 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.

O'Quinn had an extensive collection of cars, with a total value of over $100 million to buy 618 cars,[3] 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.

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).


The center 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. O'Quinn paid €690,000 for the car October 2005.

In late 2006, O'Quinn found cars 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.


Monday

ENGLAND ON THE 30TH


1904 DE DION BOUTON


1904 CADILLAC


1901 ARGYLL

1902 PANHARD-LEVESSOR

VETERAN MOTOR CARS
by Bonhams
101 New Bond Street
London, United Kingdom


+44 (0) 20 7400 5801

ENGAND ON THE 29TH


1922 FIAT 501

1949 VINCENT


COLLECTORS CARS AND MOTORCYCLES
by H & H Auctions
Haynes International Motor Museum
Sparkford, Somerset
United Kingdom


+44 (0) 8458 334455

1957 NORTON

1928 PONTIAC

ENGLAND ON THE 28TH

AUTOMOBILES OF LONDON
by RM Auctions
Battersea Park
London, United Kingdom

http://www.rmauctions.com/

+44 (0) 20 7851 7070

ENGLAND ON THE 26TH


1971 JAGUAR E-TYPE

1966 MERCEDES 280SL


CLASSIC COLLECTORS AND SPORTS CARS
by Barons
Sandown Park Exhibition Complex
Esher, Surrey
United Kingdom


+44 (0) 8454 306060


1960 JAGUAR MK.II

1955 MGA

Wednesday

ITALY ON THE 24TH

AUTO MOTO D EPOCA
by Coys
Padove, Italy

www.coys.co.uk

+44 (0) 20 8614 7888

MISSOURI ON THE 24TH

'57 HEAVEN MUSEUM AUCTION
by Mecum
Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater
Branson, Missouri

www.mecum.com

1-815-568-8888

Sunday

FORMULA ONE IN BRAZIL

Well, I had hoped that my computer would be able to cough up some pictures by this time. No luck! But it was a great race anyway with all the Formula One circus hoop-la. Mark Webber ran a great race winning from second position by never giving up an inch. Second place went to Robert Kobica from BMW which is nice to have since this is the team's last year. Plugging away at a steady pace was Lewis Hamilton to bring up third.

Not to take away from Webber's win, there was another decision in Brazil, that Jenson Button was the World Champion. He ended up 17 points ahead of the next contender which couldn't be made up by anyone in the last race coming up in two weeks.

With only one race to go it is late to have so many drivers unsettled as to where they are going next year. It will be a whole new learning process for the fans as to who is who and where. More cars, more teams, new drivers, and new rules so all in all it should be an interesting season.

Friday

MiISSOURI ON THE 17TH

St. Louis Fall Classic & Exotic Car Auction
by Manheim and Motoexotica
Manheim St. Louis Auto Auction
13813 St, Charles Rock Road
St. Louis, Missouri

www.motoexotica.com

1-636-600-4600

U.S. DEALER WOES

While your local auto dealer is still reeling from wholesale closures and slow sales, dealers face a new hurdle in the form of federal legislation discussed this week that would enact oversight of their financing practices.

A consortium of consumer protection groups proposed the measure to the House Financial Services Committee, saying that what they see as predatory lending in the lightly regulated world of dealer financing. The group, which includes Consumer Federation of America, NAACP and Center for Responsible Lending, would like to see the Consumer Financial Products Agency, recently proposed by President Obama, given oversight over this market. Oh, boy! Well, I guess it won't affect me because I will never have another car on credit, but it sure will hit a lot of people. Remember, these people won't be happy until we are back in the horse and buggy.

In the middle is U.S. Representative Barney Frank, House Financial Services Committee chairman. With lobbying from the National Automobile Dealers Association, Frank had already penned language for the CFPA that specifically exempts dealership lending from the same sort of legislation that governs banks and other financing institutions.

TOO BAD

The Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Journal Sentinel has reported that Harley-Davidson is dropping its Buell sportbike brand, as well as divesting itself from its recently acquired MV Agusta brand.

In a news release, Harley said it would discontinue its Buell brand, based in East Troy, and divest the Italian MV Agusta brand. The Buell decision will result in the loss of about 80 manufacturing jobs in East Troy and about 100 salaried positions.

Harley, the world's largest manufacturer of heavyweight motorcycles, has been restructuring as it has sought to cope with weaker sales. The company has cut more than 1,000 jobs, implemented temporary production shutdowns, and is considering closing its assembly plant in York, Pennsylvania.

Thursday

MINNiSOTA ON THE 17TH

CLASSIC CAR AND VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE AUCTION
by Mid-America Auctions
AutoMotorPlex Minneapolis
8200 Audubon Road
Chanhassen, Minnisota

www.midamericaauctions.com

1-800-473-2324

AUSTRIA ON THE 17TH

OLDTIMERS AND MOTORCYCLES
by Dorotheum
Dortheergasse 17
Salzburg, Austria

www.dorotheum.com

+431-515 60-0

Saturday

INDYCAR IN FLORIDA

I am still grappling with a non-functioning computer. If I could have down loaded the picture of Dario Franchitti that would have said it all. A smile from ear to ear at his win of the final race of the year for Indycar. Not to mention that he also became the champion. Since my computer isn't working well I could not watch it, but I did get to hear it a internet radio. Boy, I love the internet.

The first caution-free race in IndyCar Series history was the bane of the Team Penske driver, Ryan Briscoe, and played into the late-race strategy of Target Chip Ganassi Racing and Dario Franchitti, who claimed his second series championship by accomplishing the only thing he needed to do -- win the race.

Briscoe, the race leader who led in points with seven laps left in the 200-lap race on the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway, had to pit for a splash of ethanol because of the blistering pace of the Firestone Indy 300 (201.420 mph average; second-fastest in series history).

Franchitti, who was 24.9643 seconds back as Briscoe's No. 6 Team Penske car hit the pit lane, moved to the front as Briscoe hit the acceleration lane. Though Briscoe was more than a mile per hour quicker on the final two laps, Franchitti went on to win by 4.7888 seconds. Dixon, the 2008 series champion and Franchitti's first-year teammate, finished third. The final points: Franchitti (616), Dixon (605), Briscoe (604).

So, on the 10th day of the 10th month, the No. 10 car won it all. It also was the 10th victory of the season for the team, split evenly between the drivers. In this fuel-mileage race, Franchitti hit all the right numbers.

CYPRUS MOUNTAIN RALLY MOVES TO THE 21ST CENTURY

Nicos Marangos has been racing cars since the year 2000, and has entered more than 20 rallies, but today’s Troodos Rally will see him racing with on-board cameras for the first time.

While this equipment might not be unusual in other countries, Cyprus is lagging behind with its 3G technology.

Marangos has won numerous rally cross competitions and was the first choice driver for company, ’Track and Talk,‘ to try out the special on board cameras.

Last night all 34 four competitors met in the centER of Yeroskipou to show off their cars. Drivers from many countries including Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai are taking part.

The on-board cameras will aid the rally driver when he watches the footage back, showing him how and where he can tighten up his performance.

The cameras are positioned between the driver and co-driver on the inside roll cage and the dashboard. One camera takes shots inside the car and the second one takes footage of the road ahead outside the speeding vehicle.

Racing will continue tomorrow.

The live footage of driver Nicos Marangos will be available to view on the Troodos Rally official website www.caa.com.cy on Saturday and Sunday.

Thursday

ALABAMA ON THE 10TH

2009 BABER VINTAGE MOTORSPOSTS MUSEUM FESTIVAL
by Bator International
Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum
6030 Barber Motorsports Parkway
Birmingham, Alabama

www.batorauctions.com

1-805-646-9566
1-805-798-1803

MISSISSIPPI ON THE 9TH

LET'S CRUISE
by Vicai Motorsports and Kruse International
MS Gulf Coast Convention Center
Biloxi, Mississippi

www.vicarimotorsports.com
www.kruse.com

1-886-495-8111

Tuesday

ONLY IN AMERICA

In November 2005, I wrote a column entitled “The Punch of Deferred C/4 Maintenance... And How I Leaned Into It,” regarding a 365 GTC/4, s/n 14965, that we had sold to Hawaii and bought back 21 years later. This C/4 was a poster child for deferred maintenance, and we paid the price when the repair estimate climbed from an expected $8,000 to a painful invoice of $16,781.85. Unfortunately, this story now advances to an all-new and truly egregious stage.

Short attention spans

The story begins in late 1984, when the shop I then owned, European Auto Restorations, located and did a pre-purchase inspection on 365 GTC/4 s/n 14965 for a Los Angeles-based client. We sold the car to that client (Client #1). No pre-existing problems were noted during the inspection.

After driving 1,518.5 miles, Client #1 tired of the car, and in May 1985 we bought the C/4 back and sold it to Client #2 in San Francisco. Prior to shipment to Client #2, our shop installed a new clutch and overhauled the gearbox. Nothing unusual was noted during the work. While in San Francisco, the C/4 was serviced by a respected local shop. Like any shop anywhere, that shop would cheerfully sell any additional needed work, but found no pre-existing problems that deserved mention.

A long vacation in Hawaii

Client #2 also had a short attention span, and in late 1985 we bought the C/4 back and sold it to Client #3 in Hawaii, who had the car from 1985 until 2005, driving it 4,563 miles. At that point, we bought it back, in partnership with Fantasy Junction. As already mentioned, we had the car serviced in Hawaii. Had the Hawaiian shop seen any other work they felt was needed, it would have been mentioned.

Back to San Francisco

In 2006, the C/4 was shipped to Fantasy Junction and sold “as-is, where-is” for $65,000 to Client #1, who wanted it back for nostalgic reasons. The Ferrari world is small, and so Client #1 had a pre-purchase done by the same San Francisco shop that had serviced the car in 1985, some 24 years earlier. The pre-purchase inspection was $300 and included a compression test, which showed excellent compression, most likely as a result of the car being test-driven by the mechanic in Hawaii, and putting it through several short heat cycles. A leakdown test was not done, as any rings that might be sticking would probably be freed up by further usage and heat cycles.

Once the car was re-purchased, Client #1 had the San Francisco shop rebuild the front and rear suspension at $5,190.53, (of which this author and Fantasy Junction paid $1,554). The C/4 next went to a paint shop for a high quality paint job, which took three years to accomplish. Once painted, the C/4 was back to the San Francisco shop for a largely cosmetic engine-, transmission-, and differential-out service, with white ignition wires, powder coating, a rebuild of the heating/cooling system, etc., for a total of $18,956.91.

When the engine was out and cleaned, the San Francisco shop noticed that the block had a patch, about one inch in diameter, on the upper right front oil pan casting. This indicated that some time prior to our records in 1984, and three owners and many thousands of miles earlier, it had probably thrown a rod. The San Francisco shop didn’t mention this to Client #1, as damage from decades ago that didn’t need attention or affect anything didn’t seem relevant.

Creating work for shops and lawyers

The C/4 then went back to the paint shop and later on to an L.A. shop that did yet another inspection and found that while the compression was within limits, the leakdown was high. While it would not be unusual for a shop to suggest that the owner put a few hundred miles on the car, which usually frees the rings and cures the problem, in this case Client #1 gave his okay for a rebuild. Once the LA shop had the engine out they found the one-inch patch, and the finger-pointing began. Client #1 now claimed that he would never have bought the car had he known it had chucked a rod some time prior to 1984 (although he had owned it and driven it previously without problems, just as Clients #2 and #3 had).

A well known professional expert was called in for an inspection and valuation, and I was quite surprised at his estimate of $45,000 for the alleged diminution in value. After all, the patch had been on the block for decades, before the current owner had first owned the car in 1984–85, and a $45,000 claim on a $65,000 purchase price was, in my opinion, absurd.

Enter the lawyers

If the expert’s estimate of $45,000 for alleged diminution in value was ludicrous, the Southern California law firm now involved jumped on this bandwagon with both feet. Their demand letter was mind numbing, demanding a refund of $86,000 (for a $65,000 car), another $51,000 in repair costs, $25,000 for an interior that was not yet done, and $20,000 in parts, for a simply stupid total demand of $182,000 on a car that might be worth $100,000 if it were completely restored—on a good day. And all of this over a one-inch patch on a block that had gone unnoticed for decades.

Back to the real world

When I first heard of this lawsuit, I called the shop in San Francisco and offered to mediate the madness for free.

I spoke with Bruce Trenery of Fantasy Junction, my partner in the car, who summarized the situation well by saying, “I don’t think we would be having this conversation if prices were still going up.” He added that “we spent $16,781.85 to make sure the car was right. If the (Hawaiian) mechanic had thought there was a problem, he would have recommended the necessary repair. It would seem that the fact that the car had thrown a rod decades ago, had been repaired, and had multiple owners over tens of thousands of miles since, proved the pre-1984 repairs were done correctly.”

Next call was to Dennis Birkhimer, the San Francisco shop’s lawyer, who said, “This is America, anyone can file a lawsuit, they all want their day in court, but it’s very expensive to get there.” According to Birkhimer, the question was: “Is there an industry standard on what should, and should not, be done in a pre-purchase inspection, and did the San Francisco shop meet the industry standards of care.”

Next was lunch with Dave Swanson, a criminal lawyer, and Ferrari owner, who was stunned by the amount of the demand letter. He summarized by saying that, in his opinion, the real goal of the plaintiffs’ lawyers is to find out if there is insurance coverage somewhere in this chain, and if there is, make claims that are so outrageous that the insurance company will settle rather than pay the cost of endless litigation, regardless of the merits or validity of the claim. The cost of litigation will easily run some number well north of $75k per side, so the goal is to extort the insurance company to settle for some number south of that.

It’s not over

This situation could drag on for months, if not years, sucking money and energy from all but the lawyers, in yet another variation of the diminution-in-value bandwagon. What once would have been an outrageous and laughable lawsuit somehow seems normal simply because this is the new norm in the ever-expanding game of our “It’s not my fault—who can I find to blame?” legal world.

My goal was to head this off at the pass, before it got expensive for both sides… as the only winners will be the attorneys. A future column will have to wrestle with just exactly what the norm should be in a pre-purchase inspection, and just how much liability should a shop rationally be expected to take on for a $300–$500 inspection on a 35-year-old car. By the way, virtually no authorized Ferrari dealers will perform pre-purchase inspections any longer. Blame the lawyers.

by Sheehan Speaks for Sports Car Market magazine

Sunday

PENNSYLVANIA ON THE 8TH

VINTAGE MOTOR CARS OF HERSHEY
by RM Auctions
Hershey Lodge
Hershey, Pennsylvania

www.rmauctions.com

1-800-214-4371

NEVADA ON THE 7TH

LAS VEGAS 2009
by Barrett-Jackson
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada

www.barrett-jackson.com

1-480-663-6255

FORMULA ONE IN JAPAN

Sebastian Vettel convincingly won the Japanese Grand Prix to keep his slim title hopes alive but championship leader Jenson Button stayed in control.

Cool Button capitalised on an Adrian Sutil error to finish eighth, although a late safety car denied his Brawn team being crowned constructors' champions.

The Englishman now leads the title race from team-mate Rubens Barrichello, who came seventh in Japan, by 14 points.

Toyota's Jarno Trulli landed second at Suzuka ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

Saturday

MORE AUCTION SCRAMMBLING

THE prestigious international auction house Sotheby's has sold its Australian arm to a rival company headed by Sydney businessman and auctioneer Tim Goodman.

The Australian art market was reeling at the news, but the most shocked of all were Sotheby's Australian staff, who were told of the takeover only yesterday. The Age understands they were gutted by the announcement. But Mr Goodman said they had nothing to fear.

Mr Goodman, as chairman, chief executive and shareholder of First East Auction Holdings Limited (FEAL), the company that has bought the Sotheby's licence, was instrumental to negotiations.

He would not reveal the amount paid for the licence, but The Age understands it could be as little as in the low millions. The transaction will be finalised later this year.

Mr Goodman is also the current chairman and chief executive of Bonhams & Goodman auction house, but he will be breaking ties with British firm Bonhams, terminating the licence to use the Bonhams' name on December 22.

In essence, he will be ditching the Bonhams brand in order to assume the distinguished mantle of Sotheby's.

Industry observers were stunned by the takeover.

Sotheby's has been struggling in the economic downturn, and its profit and share prices have plummeted. Its shares closed in New York on Friday at $US15.66, still far below the all-time high of $US57.64 in 2007. In the wake of falling profits and share prices, Sotheby's had been reviewing its operations around the world.

Last night, Bonhams chairman Robert Brooks announced that Bonhams 1793 - a shareholder in FEAL, which has traded as Bonhams & Goodman for six years - would launch its own independent operation in Australia and was looking to expand its presence here.