Harry Yeaggy
Harry Yeaggy (born 1946) is an American banker and car collector.
Yeagy is the owner with Louis Beck of the Cincinnati based Union Savings Bank and Guardian Savings Bank, a subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp.[1][2] Beck and Yeaggy were born at the same hospital a few days apart and subsequently became business partners in the 1980s.[2] In 2008 Yeaggy was a director of Janus Hotels & Resorts following their merger with Beck Hospitality.[2] Yeaggy has held a major stake in Beck Hospitality, and served as chief operating officer.[2]
His car collection is displayed at a private museum in Ohio.[2] It is still largely unknown, in 2008 he said that he " ... should have more people in, but I just don't do that sort of thing".[3] In 2022 Yeaggy lost a legal case against the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals regarding sales tax and was ordered to pay $950,000 in use tax, plus penalties and interest. The board stated that "there is far more evidence in the record that he uses the cars to advertise his status as a successful businessman rather than advertising the vehicles for sale to others".[4]
Yeaggy has 25 cars in his collection and sells a car before he acquires a new one.[3] He said that "When I buy a car, I get rid of one. So that means whatever I buy I have to like better than what I have. But the problem is, when you have 25 cars, you don’t drive everything as much as you think you do". His family could not afford a car when he was a child. He started to collect cars after acquiring a 1937 Packard and restoring it. Yeaggy then bought Dusenbergs and believes that they were the "best American car ever made".[3]
His garage was profiled by Phil Berg in Autoweek magazine in April 2008.[3] Yeaggy said that he had "never dreamed" of such an interview, having read the magazine since 1970.[3]
Notable automobiles owned by Yeaggy
[edit]Notable automobiles owned by Yeaggy have included:
The Mormon Meteor. It won the Best of Show at Pebble Beach in August 2007.[3][5]
In 2010 Yeaggy bought the Aston Martin DB5 that was driven by Sean Connery in Goldfinger and Thunderball at RM Auctions in London for £2.6 million.[6][7] Yeaggy said after the auction that "I thought a European would buy it. But I guess they didn't appreciate Bond as much as we do" and said he planned to drive the car on the streets of London.[7] It was one of only two surviving DB5s from the film, the other example having been stolen in 1997.[7]
In 2006 Yeaggy bought a 1956 Cadillac parade car that had been used by the American presidents Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson at auction for $400,000.[8] It was believed to have been the car that was travelling directly behind Kennedy's car during his assassination.[8] Yeaggy also owns a 1962 "bubbletop" Lincoln that Kennedy used when president.[8]
Yeaggy owned the 1956 Chevrolet Corvette C1 SR nicknamed "The Real McCoy" which came 9th overall at the 12 Hours of Sebring race of 1956 driven by John Fitch and Walt Hansgen.[3] He sold it c.2011.[9]
The No. 1076 Ford GT40 which was one of the three cars to finish in the 1-2-3 place tie for 1st at the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours race.[3]
Yeaggy bought the 001 chassis Shelby Grand Sport Cobra with a 427 "big block" engine in 2002 for $4.2 million.[3][10]
In 2008 he owned a Ferrari F40, F50 and Ferrari Enzo.[3] He also owns a 1967 Ferrari 412 P which was once displayed at the Cincinnati Art Museum.[2]
His 1929 Duesenberg J/SJ Convertible won the Best in Show Concours d'Elegance Trophy at the 23rd Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in 2018.[11] It was restyled by Bohman & Schwartz and formally owned by Edward Beale McLean.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ "Cincinnati area banks settle discrimination claims". Cincinnati Enquirer. 28 December 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Nicholson, Chris V. (28 October 2010). "Low-Profile Banker, Meet High-Profile Car". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Garage Profile: Harry Yeaggy". Sports Car Digest. 7 April 2008. Archived from the original on 6 November 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ Dodge, Matthew T. (20 September 2022). "Ohio Rules Against Owner of Collectible Cars". Hill, Barth & King LLC. Archived from the original on 23 May 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ Schorr, Martyn L. (2009). Motion Performance: Tales of a Muscle Car Builder. p. 176. ISBN 978-1-61673-044-4.
- ^ "James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 fetches $4.2M". CBC News. 28 October 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ a b c "James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 fetches $4.2M". BBC News. 28 October 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ a b c Kurtz, Dave (28 February 2006). "Presidential cars boost bidding". KPC Media Group. Archived from the original on 25 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ Draneas, John (16 June 2016). "'Real McCoy' Races to Judgment". Sports Car Market. Archived from the original on 1 August 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ Draneas, John (4 January 2021). "Cars We Remember column: Shelby Cobra and Corvette Grand Sport: One you could buy and one you couldn't". The State Journal-Register. Archived from the original on 1 August 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ a b "Duesenberg and Ferrari win Best of Show at 23rd Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance". Old Cars Weekly. 12 March 2018. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2025.