He was born in Baltimore, MD on Sep 2, 1905 and died Feb 13, 1978. Nikola Janjanin became Nick Jenin and began a career as a race car driver. In 1946, Nick Jenin along with his brother Pete, took over ownership of Chicago’s Raceway Park, a ¼ mile stock car track, located on 130th St. and Ashland Ave. in Chicago. Nick and Anne (b. 10/9/1914, d. 12/5/1976) Jenin purchased a home in the Lauder Del Mar subdivision of the City of Fort Lauderdale in 1948 converting it to a B&B under the banner The Pillars by the Sea Hotel and Pool, 111 N. Birch Road, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304. They have a daughter Sandra Jenin who was born in 1943.
I understand he may have owned a hotel in the Detroit area as well as other property. He also rented space under the Michigan State Fairgrounds for many years in the late 50s until the mid 60s to store his car collection. He and his family traveled to England in 1953 for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth on the USS United States. On the trip with him were Walter Cronkite and Jackie Bouvier who later that year married Jack Kennedy and went on to become First Lady.
Jenin traveled the country with his Fabulous Tuckers show in the late 50s and early 60s. His collection of cars and memorabilia was second to none. By 1964 his interest in the cars began to fade and he put the collection up for sale. He offered the collection "complete", all 10 cars for $38,000. He could not find any buyers. The famed Harrah's collection in Reno thought it was, "far too much for a bunch of cars that will never amount to anything". He finally sold the cars off one by one selling his final car, #1026, along with some other Tucker items to Dave Cammack in 1974 for a reported $6,500.
For those of us who live, breathe, and sleep Tucker he will always be an amazing person to study. Without the efforts of Nick Jenin there might be a lot less Tuckers around for us to enjoy today.
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