Spotlight on Mark II Histories

[Pat Marshall]

In this thread I will highlight the histories of selected Mark II's presented in out Registry History Forum.

The Registry Histories are a unique and rich resource available to Mark II Forum members. In reviewing the number of members who view the histories, it is clearly an under-utilized resource, also,

Hopefully, we can generate more interest in our extensive histories.

[Pat Marshall]

In the September-October 2021 Issue of Lincoln and Continental Comments LCOC Member George T. Lyons presented an article about Mark II #3694. This car was sold new to Francis S. Yenowine of Terre Haute, IN who immediately had the car customized by adding fins from a Chrysler Motors car of that era. (they look like a '57 DeSoto to me). The modification also included the addition of lower quarter panel side moldings similar to those on the Cadillac El Dorado.

Yenowine died shortly thereafter, and the car was immediately purchased by Tony Hulman who became famous for saving the Indianapolis 500 and turning it into the event that it is today, Hulman died in 1977, but the car remained in the possession of the Hulman Family until last year.

The car had been privately stored at the Speedway Museum for four decades and was never put on display.

George Lyon's article presents the history of the car, and the events leading up to his purchase of it last year from the Hulman Family. The article presents excellent photos of the car. I am contacting Mr. Lyons to obtain permission to present his photos of 3694 in the Forum.

This is the only Mark II that I know of that was taken from the Dealer's Showroom to a body shop to be modified. The workmanship was excellent as is the condition of the car. Of course we'll get responses from our cadre of modification haters, and I sure gasped when I first saw the photos. But Mr. Lyons in his article said "...I am sure that in 1957, just as today, the alteration of the beautiful lines of the Mark II was met with some criticism, but custom work such as this was not uncommon in the era and is part of this car's extraordinary history."

Here is the link to 3694's history in our Registry - https://www.markiiforum.com/showthre...highlight=3694

[Mark II Seeker]

Pat,

Do you have any pictures of 3694 after it's "customization"?

[Barry Wolk]

Pat, when was the Derham car with the diving platform made? Was that made from a newly purchased car?

[Milsteads Garage]

There are a few histories I would like to bring to light. First, Henry J Kaiser owned two of them. I find this unremarkable until I put this piece together from a book I read. When they were testing the 1958 Lincoln, they hit a pothole or something pretty drastic in the road and completely destroyed the uni-body on a prototype. They then got their hands on a Rambler and disassembled it to see how it was built. Was there a trade for the second car for the Rambler they dissected to get the uni-body right? The second car built went directly to a dealership owned by the Kaiser corporation. Sounds like a pretty awesome trade not to mention the 58-60 Lincoln looks a whole lot like a Rambler.

The second, I remember reading this one years ago and I don’t remember a whole lot of it. The main suspect of the unsolved Black Dahlia murders owned a Collins convertible if I remember right. All of his information along with the vin number of his car is something we should have on file.

[Milsteads Garage]

Car 2828- This owner stands out to me. Read and you’ll figure out why.

[Pat Marshall]

Barry - Good catch - 1083 was a factory fresh Introductory Unit when purchased by John Barnes of Oserville, Massachusetts and sent to Derham for cistomization.

Morgan - Dahlia Murder suspect Dr. Patrick O'Reilly bought 2730 new in 1956 in Glendale CA. This was decades before Collins began convertible conversions. Here is the most recent photo I have of 2730.

2730 7-11-15 Vicari Auctions New Orleans_1.jpg

[Knickoliss Iv]

It is great to read the histories Pat. The colorful ownership of these cars adds to the whole story behind them.

[Pat Marshall]

Knick, thank you for your kind comments!

Morgan, since you brought up 2730 & the Black Dahlia murder, that's going to be the next one!

[Pat Marshall]

The initial owner of 2730 was Dr. Patrick S. O'Reilly DO, Glendale CA who was a suspect in the infamous 1947 Black Dahlia murder. Charlie Thomas owner of many automobile dealerships and the Managing Partner of the Houston Rockets was a subsequent owner.

Elizabeth Short - The Black Dahlia - Source Wikipedia

2730 The Black Dahlia.jpg

Elizabeth Short (July 29, 1924 - January 15, 1947), known posthumously as the "Black Dahlia", was an American woman found murdered in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Her case became highly publicized due to the graphic nature of the crime, which included her corpse having been mutilated and bisected at the waist?After the discovery of her body on January 15, 1947, the Los Angeles Police Department began an extensive investigation that produced over 150 suspects, but yielded no arrests.

Short's unsolved murder and the details surrounding it have had a lasting cultural intrigue, generating various theories and public speculation. Her life and death have been the basis of numerous books and films, and her murder is frequently cited as one of the most famous unsolved murders in American history, as well as one of the oldest unsolved cases in Los Angeles County. It has likewise been credited by historians as one of the first major crimes in post?World War II America to capture national attention.


Dr. Patrick S. O'Reilly - Purchased #2730 in February 1956 from Tommie Vaughn Motors
660 E. Colorado, Blvd. Glendale, California

2730 - Dr. Patrick S. O'Reilly.jpg

From Various Sources - Dr. Patrick S. O'Reilly was born in Northern Ireland in 1900 and served in the British Army during WW I where he was seriously wounded in his foot and right chest. The chest wound became malignant requiring removal of his pectoral muscle. In 1919 he immigrated to the United States Sources, by 1923 he was an Osteopathic Physician at the Glendale Emergency Hospital, Glendale, California. Over the subsequent years he opened additional branches of the in Glendale Emergency Hospital in Pasadena, Burbank, Alhabra, Los Angeles (San Fernando Valley) and Lincoln Heights. in 1939 he was convicted of attacking an employee (See Below) and then after the 1947 Murder of Elizabeth Short (The Black Dahlia), Dr. O'Reilly was considered a suspect in the case (2). Dr. O'Reilly resided at 10015 La Canada Way, Sunland CA and died in December 1969

Extracted From Wikipidia & blackdahlia.info- Patrick S. O'Reilly - According to Los Angeles district attorney files, Dr. Patrick S. O?Reilly was a medical doctor who knew (Elizabeth) Short through nightclub owner Mark Hansen. According to the files, at the time of the murder O?Reilly was a good friend of Hansen and frequented Hansen's nightclub. Files also state that O'Reilly "attended sex parties at Malibu" with Hansen. O'Reilly had a history of sexually motivated violent crime. He had been convicted (in 1939) of assault with a deadly weapon for "taking his secretary to a motel and sadistically beating her almost to death apparently for no other reason than to satisfy his sexual desires without intercourse," the files state. Further, the files indicate that O'Reilly's right pectoral had been surgically removed, which investigators found similar to the mutilation of Short's body. (The) right breast of victim Short was removed apparently by a person skilled in the use of a surgical knife. For details see supplemental report by Investigator Morgan. For More Information See Black Dahlia Murder Website: http://blackdahlia.info/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=3

Charlie Thomas - Subsequent Owner 2730 (2007-2012)

2730 Charlie Thomas.jpg

CHARLIE THOMAS COLLECTION WEBSITE - "Mr. Thomas began his career in 1950 as a parts runner in Knoxville, Tennessee at Public Oldsmobile. He later moved his family to Texas and learned the car business with Red McCombs under the guidance of Austin Hemphill in San Antonio. His first dealership was Courtesy Ford in Baytown, acquired in 1967.

In 1970 he purchased a Ford dealership in Corpus Christi, now named Champion Ford-Mazda. In 1972, he moved to Houston and purchased Bob Currie Ford on the Gulf Freeway, now Champion Ford. He owned an interest in approximately fifty franchises operating through twenty major facilities in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The Texas dealerships, except for Galveston County, Texas, were merged into AutoNation, Inc. in 1998. The Mississippi and Louisiana dealerships were sold in 2002. He currently owns all the automotive dealerships in Galveston, Texas, a total of fourteen franchises.

His most visible activity outside the car business was managing partner of the Houston Rockets acquired in 1982 and sold in 1993. He invested in and managed a number of financial institutions during the late seventies and eighties. They included Great Southern Bank (Chairman), Houston, BancTexas, (Chairman) Dallas, First Texas Saving, Dallas, Gibraltar Saving, Houston and South Main Bank, Houston.

The Charlie Thomas collection was sold on October 12, 2012 #2730 was sold for $44,000.

The last know location of #2730 was in 2016 when it was offered for sale by Fast Lane Classic Cars, St. Charles, MO.