Page 31 - Experience Magazine Spring 2022

A DRIVING PASSION

THIS SELECT George Shinn is an American businessman best known for his

OFFERING SELLING former ownership of several professional sports teams. He is
WITH NO RESERVE also an author and motivational speaker. A self-made man,
he now dedicates much of his time and resources to helping
FROM THE GEORGE others. In 1973, he created the George Shinn Foundation,
SHINN COLLECTION which is committed to “furthering the work of churches,
SHOWCASES A ministries, missionaries and non-profit organizations.”
LIFELONG LOVE OF Over his lifetime, Shinn built several car collections, each
COLLECTOR CARS comprising original to Resto-Mod vehicles spanning the
1950s to early ‘70s as well as modern supercars. Now, Shinn is
offering his collection with No Reserve at the 2022 Palm Beach
Auction, held April 7-9 at the South Florida Fairgrounds.
In an exclusive Barrett-Jackson video, Shinn shares that his
love for cars began while working as a child at his father’s Gulf
Service Station washing cars. He recalls when a man came in
with “one of the prettiest Fords” Shinn had ever seen. It was a
1955 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria (top left) — much like the
car he plans on selling. “He said, ‘I want my windows so clean
that when you look out the window, you don’t know if the
window is up or down,’” Shinn recalled.
Shinn obliged and cleaned the window so well that the man’s
mother didn’t realize the window was up when she tried to spit
out her chewing tobacco. The man had returned to tell Shinn
what an excellent job he had done and gave him a $1 tip.
The Crown Victoria offered from the collection is an example of
one of the most imaginative cars of an innovative decade. The car
followed the era’s rules: the roof was lower, flatter and longer.
The second half of the 1950s was heavily influenced by the
futuristic Ford Mystere concept car and is reflected in every
Ford model’s fins, quad headlights and taillights in 1957.
Two examples from the collection that showcase the influence
include a 1957 Ford Fairlane Sunliner convertible (center
left), a 1957 Ford Thunderbird convertible (bottom left) and
a 1959 Ford Thunderbird convertible (next page, top).
Additionally, the collection offers a Resto-Mod 1964 Ford
Galaxie 500 convertible (next page, center) powered by a
Kenne Bell supercharged dual overhead cam 4.6-Liter Cobra
engine. The car is joined by a 1967 Shelby Cobra re-creation
(next page, bottom left).
Also included in the collection’s Ford offerings are several
Mustangs. It’s difficult to overstate the impact the Mustang had
on Ford, the auto industry and popular culture. It was more
than a car — it was a phenomenon. Few cars are so instantly
recognizable, or as widely adored, as the first-generation Mustang.

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