From Westport News.
In The Classic Car Gallery in Southport, opulence reigns supreme.
A 1999 Rolls Royce Silver Seraph valued at a quarter million dollars can be had for a mere $78,900. A few Porsche 911s are also housed in the gallery, with the prices ranging from $31,900 to $63,900. The closest thing to a clunker is a 1971 Fiat in excellent condition. That'll cost $9,900.
Anyone can tell the gallery is home to a fleet of exotic automobiles, which is why the guy who had just hauled a jet black Jeep more than 800 miles was confused as to why he was dropping it off there. The SUV was nothing special, with some small tears in the upholstery, a bit of rust on the exterior and 133,000 miles on the odometer.
"You got a lot of nice cars here," the driver told one of the employees. "Why do you want a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee?"
First of all, it wasn't for the proprietors of the car gallery. It was for a client who wanted the car stored in a safe, climate-controlled setting. Second, the car's previous owner is President Barack Obama, who was a state senator when he racked up 80,000 miles on the Jeep.
John Reznikoff had been waiting nearly two weeks for the Jeep to arrive from Illinois since he won it in an auction in New Jersey. The price came to $26,437.50 -- nearly eight times its listed value. As a man who's literally made a living off of historic artifacts, he was willing to spend a significant amount more to acquire the president's family vehicle.
Also, the humble beginnings of Obama resonated with Reznikoff.
"It shows you that anybody can be president one day," he said. "You can be driving in a Jeep one day and be president the next."
Reznikoff hasn't driven the car yet since it's unregistered, but the engine still hums and the air conditioning works, although the key sticks a little bit in the ignition.
"I bet he had to deal with that, too," Reznikoff said.
Living with history
Buying the Jeep was no lark for Reznikoff. He's been scooping up historical artifacts for more than three decades as the founder of University Archives, a Westport-based company devoted to documents, furniture and just about anything else that has historical value and can net a profit.
The Wilton resident has a network of people who scour auction listings throughout the country, but he was tipped off about the Jeep by the person running the auction. It joins his prized collection of letters written by George Washington, Ronald Reagan's rocking chair and Ernest Hemingway's typewriter, to name a few.
Recently, Reznikoff was offered the vehicles that were used in the television show "Lost," but he decided not to get them because the show simply doesn't have the long-term appeal of presidential history.
The crown jewel of his collection is an immaculately restored 1963 Lincoln Continental convertible.
On Nov. 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy rode the white-colored convertible from his hotel in Forth Worth, Texas, to the airport. Less than an hour after Kennedy landed in Dallas, he was assassinated. Reznikoff purchased the car for $17,500 in 1998. After putting about $100,000 toward restoration, the car is now available for $1.3 million. Any takers?
He's already had a seven figure offer, but he's holding out until the 50th anniversary of the assassination to see how high a price the car can fetch. That's also when the first of his four sons will be attending college.
"Half the time they think I'm nuts," Reznikoff said. "Half the time they think it's the coolest job."
His career began as a hobby. He collected baseball cards as a kid, and eventually got into stamp collecting. After some stints as a short-order cook, a mover and a lifeguard, he transformed his passion into an occupation.
Filling in the blanks
In 2000, President Barack Obama was State Sen. Barack Obama, D-13. When he wasn't in the legislature, he was a senior lecturer at Chicago Law School and a counselor at a law firm.
As his political star was rising, his family was growing. His first daughter was born in 1998 -- Reznikoff can picture the baby seat in the car. In 2001, Obama's second daughter was born. In 2004, he sold the Jeep to a used-car dealership.
With history so close and accessible to Reznikoff, he takes a great interest in learning about the events and the time period behind his possessions. He also tries to learn about the icon from the objects they owned.
As he sat in the driver's seat -- the engine wasn't running -- he looked toward the center console.
"I bet he got a lot of use out of that ash tray," he speculated.
After Obama got rid of the Jeep, an executive assistant in Naperville, Ill., bought the car after the dealer pointed out the name on the title and said, "He might be president some day," according to a story in the Wall Street Journal. She reportedly paid $15,000.
Right now, Reznikoff plans to hold on to the Jeep and see what prices the market dictates. He's open to offers, and he anticipates this is something that people will be especially interested in when the president's term draws to a close.
