O'Quinn and his longtime partner, Darla Lexington, spent the last 10 years assembling one of the most fabulous collections of classic cars. At 800 plus, it was arguably one of the best in the world. In an interview with Eyewitness News, O'Quinn talked about his vision for a museum that would house it.
"The car is a big part of American history, transportation, the car is a big part," he said. "Right now, kids don't know about these cars."
But O'Quinn would not live to see his dream. In October, his life was cut short after a deadly crash on Allen Parkway. What's more, the impressive collection is now being broken off into pieces. Several cars have already been auctioned off, much to the dismay of Lexington.
Lexington's attorney, Jimmy Williamson, says it's a matter of economics.
"The estate is on solid ground, but, of course, there are settlements out there," he said. "There are claims against the estate. There are debts, just like any person who has assets has debts and all of those have to be accommodated and dealt with in a responsible fashion."
While it's not to say a museum won't happen, Williamson says it certainly won't be on the scale they had hoped for.
Williamson says Lexington is fully supportive of the executor's efforts to keep the estate on solid footing. More cars from the collection will go on sale next month at an auction in Florida and some more a few weeks after that.
