Robert O'Brien - mystery man...

... abducted by aliens!

Sorry, couldn't resist!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by fines
[B]... abducted by aliens!

May have well been. His office was three miles from my house, but no one knows anything about him.

Originally posted by Simon Davis
Somewhere at the start of this thread, many years ago, and before I gave up reading it, someone expressed surprise that an American would race at the Grenzlandring.

I am not so sure. The Grenzlandring was in a part of Germany occupied by the British Army after WW2. My father recalls attending a race there in the early 1950s as it was close by. He was by no means a motor racing fanatic. So I think the circuit had a reasonable profile amongst serving British soldiers at the time and it seems possible that word could have spread to the Americans. So our mystery man O'Brien could quite reasonably have heard about the circuit, even without involving any CIA conspiracy theories.;)

entered not clear if ran
#130 Robert O'Brien - Ecurie Walckieres - Gordini T15

Just a little snippet about Robert O'Brien - I noticed he was entered for the sports car race at the Nurburgring on 3 August 1952 in the 3000cc class in an Aston Martin entered by Vicontesse de Walckiers. He was a dna. I don't think this has been mentioned before.

Thanks, John. Another piece in the jigsaw.

I just spotted Robert O'Brien driving a Cooper in a NY Region Formula B event in 1965. Does this help - or hinder?

Have we considered the possibility of "our" Robert O'Brien being the writer Robert Leslie Conly who used the pseudonym Robert C O'Brien when writing children's books in the 1960s. He was born in Brooklyn, New York (in 1918 or 1922 depending on what you read) and was a writer for National Geographic magazine through the 1950s and 1960s a job that - according to Wikipedia - took him around the world.

This is the author Robert O'Brien...;



I don't think he looks much like the Robert O'Brien who's picture was posted on the first page (since been removed).

I find in the Louis Rosier's archives, this business card.

Excellent - so there's little doubt now that THE Robert O'Brien was from Hackensack... Good stuff, Hugus, what an excellent debut post!

The same information as in post 182, posted back in 2007.

I've not gone through each post, so please forgive me if any of this this is redundant. Goiing quickly through what has made it into my computer:

Robert Q. O'Brien - Teaneck, NJ (USA) entered a Jaguar XK120 in the Convair Trophy Races (Allentown, PA) of 1951. Might be your guy? Went on to race 1952 in Ferrari 0054/M partnered with Richard Cicurel at Sebring and then a Connaught at Bridgehampton, NY. I spoke with Richard Cicurel a few years ago. He might know something about European exploit of this particular O'Brien? Cicurel lived and worked in Paris for a time during the 1950's.

Robert C. O'Brien - Northern California, raced Stanguellini FJ 1961 & 1962, then a Cooper FJ in 1962 which became a Cooper-Alfa by 1964. No indication he ever went to Europe. I spoke a few years ago to a racing friend of his.

A certain R.J. O'Brien had a dealership 1954 in St. Petersburg, Florida that carried Renault, MG and Morris Minor.

A distraction could be a William O'Brien of New York who owned a Frazer-Nash and entered it at the Targa Florio 1952 but did not appear.

I have loved reading through this topic and am amazed at the level of research to try to sort out the actual story. Research that would make the CIA proud!
Of more interest to me is the crossover to topics of great interest to me that is XK jaguars and also I am carrying out research on motor racing in scotland to try to sort out the history of various scottish sold XK's.
An "O'Brien" noted as R. O'Brien I believe ran or more precisely entered a silver coloured XK120 that was driven by John Bentley at Watkins Glen in 1951 race number appears to be 77 but this is easily checked rego plate is [W over R 55 T] probably a trade plate. It is not the best pic as it is a pic of Meyer Spl #41 with the XK in the background.
I am always interested in pics of Jaguar XK's racing in the US or for that matter anywhere in the world.
terry

Edited by terry mcgrath, 03 March 2012 - 05:28.

Am I imaging it but less people seem to be reading these posts these days?
terry

Am I imaging it but less people seem to be reading these posts these days?
terry

Yes you are imagining things Terry...keep in mind, that Historical Research is non-fluffy. If you feel there is more to discover, then bump the thread back up to the top with a question or three...Cheers, Mick

Gentlemen,

 

I stumbled across this search of a Robert O'Brien. I believe there were two Robert O'Briens involved in road racing.

I knew Robert Chester O'Brien. Bob was a friend and racing buddy of mine in California in the fifties and sixties. I first met him at the San Francisco Sports Car Club about 1955 or 1956.

 

Bob was born in 1931 and enrolled in the Merchant Marine Academy in 1947 to follow in his late fathers carrier as a merchant seaman. He was drafted by the Army while at sea and served until his discharge about 1955 and then returned to his home in San Francisco.

 

Upon his return he became very involved with sports cars and accepted a job with a start up foreign car parts company, BKE Int.. A year or so later he was approached by Bjorne Qvale, Kjell's brother, to come to work for him and manage his foreign car parts company, BAP. This company grew and by the middle sixties had become BAP/Geon, a national company.  Bjorne asked Bob to move to their eastern headquarters in New Jersey and handle the eastern part of the company. Bob moved to New Jersey and managed BAP/Geon until his wife became ill and wanted to move to southern California for the warmth.  They moved to Huntington Beach and Bob assumed control of the L.A. branch of Geon. At some point Bob had the opportunity to purchase an automotive business from a late friend and sold his shares in Geon.

 

In the late eighties Bob was diagnosed with cancer and died in 1992.

 

While in San Francisco he raced SCCA races in California and Nevada. I recall him racing an Austin-Healy 100, an Austin-Healy 100S, a Stanguellini F/J, two different Morgan +4's, and a Cooper F/J. He was a close friend of Leon Mandel and raced his C type Jaguar a couple of times. After he moved to New Jersey he raced in SCCA races in a Cooper-Alfa formula car. Neither I or his sister can recall him racing in any international or foreign races during his carrier.

 

While in San Francisco he was also an announcer for the San Francisco Region, SCCA.

 

CT

 

 

 

Thanks for this - interesting that R C O'Brien also has a New Jersey link, which made me wonder if he was THE man, but the picture of the Robert O'Brien who raced at Belgium almost certainly isn't 24 years old. I wonder though if some of R C O'B's details have interspersed with R (Belgian GP) O'Brien?

Richard,

 

I am sure that Bob O'Brien from San Francisco, New Jersey and Huntington Beach is not the Robert O'Brien who raced in the Belgium Grand Prix as he would have still been serving in the US Army in Korea at that time.

 

However it seems clear to me that some of Bob's sports car history has intermingled with the history of the Belgium GP O'Brien because of the common fact that they both had resided in N.J. and at least one or both raced there.

 

CT

Good Afternoon,

 

I know this post is old but I was wondering if anyone has come up with any more info on Mr. O'Brien? I have acquired his personal collection of badges and plaques as well as a very nice framed photo of him with his car. I acquired these items from a local estate sale of Deborah O'Brien and was wondering the relationship between them, wife, sister or daughter? I have some trophy plaques with dates and places that are not listed on these race sites. Maybe what I have will help to add some information? I don't have any way to post the pictures but if someone would post them for me I can send thru email. Any info would be helpful, like an obituary........

 

Thanks,

Roger

Email them to me at jrichardarmstrong (at) gmail.com

Okay, here we go ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To me it seems that this is not the collection of the mysterious Robert O'Brien but the one of the NY-born Robert Chester (Bob) O'Brien (1931 - 1992) from California.

RFairman,

 

The items you aquired at the estate sale of Deborah O'Brien are those of Robert C. O'Brien.

Deborah was his younger sister and passed away in December of 2015 in Texas.

 

CT

An attempt to present some recent findings concerning Robert O’Brien.

 

I found the obituary for the Robert O’Brien considered to be the racing driver, born 1908 in Lyndhurst and passed away 1987 in Hackensack. It informs that he had been a salesman for Bradford Dyeing Ass. in NY. and had only lived his last 10 years in Hackensack.

 

So I began to wonder if this in fact was the correct person.

 

I went back to see what we actually knew about this mysterious driver, and I think the best clue in all this is his business card, that Adam Ferrington managed to obtain, that tells ”Robert O’Brien, The Original Airline Supply House, 337 Second Street in Hackensack NJ.

 

So I began searching, first in various passenger lists, which gave:

 

Robert Q O’Brien with wife Hazel, debarked at Nassau 26/4 1948. Born 7/9 1915 in Chicago, Illinois. Address in W. Englewood, NJ.

Robert Quinn O’Brien, from Amsterdam 8/4 1950. 337 Second Street, Hackensack, NJ. Passport number 3740. Illinois. Fl. Engineer.

Robert Q OBrien, to Madrid 24/6 1950. 337 Second Street, Hackensack, NJ. Passport number 3740. Illinois.

Robert OBrien with wife Hazel, from Bermuda 22/3 1951. Passport number 3740.  Illinois. Address in Teaneck, NJ.

Robert Quinn O’Brien with wife Hazel Gertrude, to Lisbon 15/6 1951. c/o address in NYC, T.A. Inc. Passport number 3740. Place of birth: Illinois.

Robert O’Brien, to London 10/4 1952. 337 Second Street, Hackensack, NJ. Passport number 45777. Illinois.

Robert O’Brien, from London, May 1952. Passport number 45777.

Gertrude O’Brien with Robert O’Brien, Roberto(a?) and Mary Joyce, from Brussels 24/9 1952.

Robert O’Brien, from Brussels 10/11 1952. Passport number 45777.

Robert Q O’Brien, from London 14/2 1956.

 

Born 1915 seems unlikely though, but there is a Robert Quinn O’Brien, born in Chicago 7 Sept 1919.

His mother Charlotte Quinn was born 1901 and married Robert N O’Brien 21 Febr 1919.

 

Robert Quinn O’Brien and Hazel (Boyles) got married in Manhattan 22 Febr 1941. Occupation: Aircraft Mechanic. They divorced in Florida 1953.

 

He passed away in San Mateo, California, 1 June 1973.

 

His Draft Card from 16 Oct 1940 has his address as Broad Street, Newark, NJ, and employer as Brewster Aero Corp, Newark Airport.

 

Hazel passed away in 2004. Her obituary mentions children: Mary Joyce, Roberta and Robert.

She had worked as a purchasing agent for East Air Corp, Hackensack, until 1988.

And their address is... East Air Corporation, 337 Second Street, P.O. Box 628, Hackensack, NJ.

 

Could this perhaps be the mysterious driver we are looking for?

 

Robert Quinn O’Brien, born 7 September 1919 in Chicago, Il, died 1 June 1973 in San Mateo, Ca.

Sounds very good, but why the change in passport number? Any explanation for that?

No, and that is a mysterious part. A new passport in late 1951 early 1952? Does an US passport get a new number when renewed?

No, and that is a mysterious part. A new passport in late 1951 early 1952? Does an US passport get a new number when renewed?

I don't know about US passports, but British ones certainly do get new numbers.  I expect it's the same for US ones.

I think that is an excellent piece of research Dan.

There is an obituary for Robert O'Brien in the June 6, 1973 edition of the San Mateo Times. Unfortunately, I can't clip it, but...

 

He is listed as 53 years of age, a native of Chicago, a Burlingame resident for 10 months.

 

Survivors include his wife, Bonita; a son, Robert Jr. of Hackensack, New Jersey; three daughters, Mary J. Roarke and Roberta Anderson of New Jersey, and Mari O'Brien of Burlingame; his mother, Mrs. Charlotte Jones of Burlingame and two grandchildren. He was interred at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma, California.

Great finding the obituary!

 

-Died June 1 at Peninsula Hospital after an illness.-

 

Then we should write: passed away in Burlingame, San Mateo Co. where Peninsula Hospital was/is located. (Mills-Peninsula Medical Center today)

Sounds very good, but why the change in passport number? Any explanation for that?

Yes, the number of a US passport is changed upon renewal.

There is an obituary for Robert O'Brien in the June 6, 1973 edition of the San Mateo Times. Unfortunately, I can't clip it, but...

 
Let's have a go:
  

 

 
The Times (San Mateo, California)  Wed, Jun 6, 1973, Page 41  - Newspapers.com

 

https://www.newspape...brien-obituary/

While I was in newspapers.com I thought I'd have a search around for "our" O'Brien and quickly realised what other people will have found before me: Robert O'Brien is a very common name in the US!
 
However, I did find this:
 

 
https://www.newspape...obert-q-obrien/

Valley Times (North Hollywood, California) Mon, Nov 10, 1958 


And this, which I see Dan A had already found:


 
https://www.newspape.../clip/62233059/
 
The Record (Hackensack, New Jersey) Fri, Feb 16, 1951

Allen, thanks for posting the obituary. Unfortunately, that never seems to work for me, especially since I use the free library version.

 

Yes, Robert O'Brien isn't an uncommon name in the U.S.

love to see the pic regards terry tmcgrath@bigpond.com 

 

Mr. O'Brien? I have acquired his personal collection of badges and plaques as well as a very nice framed photo of him with his car.

Good Afternoon,

 

I know this post is old but I was wondering if anyone has come up with any more info on Mr. O'Brien? I have acquired his personal collection of badges and plaques as well as a very nice framed photo of him with his car. I acquired these items from a local estate sale of Deborah O'Brien and was wondering the relationship between them, wife, sister or daughter? I have some trophy plaques with dates and places that are not listed on these race sites. Maybe what I have will help to add some information? I don't have any way to post the pictures but if someone would post them for me I can send thru email. Any info would be helpful, like an obituary........

 

Thanks,

Roger

love to see the pic regards terry tmcgrath@bigpond.com 

 

Mr. O'Brien? I have acquired his personal collection of badges and plaques as well as a very nice framed photo of him with his car.

It's an MG ... https://postimg.cc/gallery/97wrCBR

thats a shame so close but so far

These items relate to a different Robert O’Brien, not ‘our man’, who was Robert Q. O’Brien - the Q standing for Quinn.

This is probably of no help but in '63 or '64 we drove over to this small shop in
in New Jersey (I don't remember the town) to pick up parts for my friends Alfa.
Tom O'Brien also owned a Type 268SP that he had purchased from Luigi and
raced it in several events on the East coast in 1964.
Coincidence, or might he be related to your mystery man?


.
.
.
.

 

Wiliam Kane:

In 1959 he started racing in

the U.S., driving a TR3. Late

in 1960, he joined the Alfa

Romeo racing stable of Allan

Jacobson, Albany, and Tom

O'Brien, Paterson, N.J. He

wound up the 1960 season with

several victories and started

off the 1961 season with a

dramatic victory at Daytona,

Fla.

Extract from The Times Record, Troy, N.Y., Tues Eve, 21 Jan 1964, Page 7

 

There is an obituary of Miles Collier, with photograph, in Sports Car, May-June 1954.

 

RGDS RLT  

Charterhall International, 11 October 1952

Even further behind came the

rest of the field—Connaughts,

Cooper-Bristols, a lone Jaguar

and the yellow Gordini of

Johnny Claes, the Belgian

champion.

But Johnny wasn't at the

wheel. He had been rushed to

Edinburgh Royal Infirmary

with eye wounds caused in the

earlier two-litre race when a

flying stone thrown up by the

wheel of another car smashed

his goggles.

Subsituting for Johnny was

an American friend, Bill

O'Brien. 

Daily Record - Monday 13 October 1952, Page 7

 

Claes ran the earlier race as #28.

 

RGDS RLT    

Edited by Rupertlt1, 25 April 2022 - 19:36.