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For the Love of Old Cars: The Jack Passey Story
For the Love of Old Cars The Jack Passey Story Author:Ken Albert Jack Passey has had a lifelong love affair with old cars. In 1932, at the age of 6, he could identify every make of car on the road. By age 19, Jack owned a 1927 Essex, a 1928 Buick and a 1936 Ford Convertible Coupe. By his mid-twenties, Jack had acquired a 1923 Lincoln Phaeton, a 1912 Cadillac Speedster, a 1925 Stutz Brougham, a 1931 Pierce-Arr... more »ow, 1930 and 1933 Cadillac V-16s, a 1937 Packard V-12 and a 1934 Dietrich Packard V-12. He did all of this while attending college and operating a one-man auto repair business. So began his lifelong quest to save fine old cars from the wreckers.
By 1958, at age 32, Jacks collection had swelled to 90 cars, plus 30 or so parts cars. To safely store them all, he single-handedly converted an enormous abandoned chicken coop into a weather-proof storage garage.
Jacks encyclopedic knowledge of old cars and his photographic memory has lead to a five decade-long concours judging career at such events as the Lincoln Owners Club, the CCCA Grand Experience and the Pebble Beach Concours dElegance. Jack has judged at the world-renowned Pebble Beach show for the last 35 years.
In 1951, Jack went on his first Lake Tahoe Tour put on by legendary casino owner and car collector Bill Harrah. Jack knows first hand that old cars bring people together. And its the people, and the lasting friendships, that are most special.
The mose fabulous ride of my life began for Jack in 1996 when he received a phone call from lifelong friend and retired publisher of the Los Angeles Times, Otis Chandler. Otis asked, How would you like to help me put together a great museum of classic cars? This simple request resulted in a collection of superb classic and antique automobiles with a 2006 value of $36 million.
In his lifetime Jack has owned almost 200 antique and classic cars, including 92 Lincolns, 36 Packards, 15 Cadillacs, five Duesenbergs, 16 Pierce-Arrows, five Locomobiles and three McFarlans.« less