THE DALLES, Ore— A Dallas car dealer paid more than $6 million Friday for 84 Rolls Royce left behind by guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, and the dealer said he would haul them to Texas for auction early next year.
“The collection itself is absolutely stupendous,” dealer Bob Roethlisberger said of the collection the Bhagwan’s followers had once hoped to build to 365 luxury vehicles, one for a judge ordered the guru’s followers to sell off the assets of their disbanding commune in remote Central Oregon.
Roethlisberger said the order did not affect is purchase.
Court hearings were set for next Friday on whether two temporary restraining orders against the commune, signed by Wasco County Circuit Judge John V. Kelly would become permanent.
Despite the court orders, commune officials completed the deal for the Rolls Royce which had been used by the guru to drive through his commune before he was deported to India after pleading guilty to immigration law violations.
Rajneesh officials acknowledged earlier the money would go to pay off disciples loans used to buy the cars.
“I brought two attorneys up with me and they’re satisfied that everything’s in order,” Roethlisberger told UPI Friday night, “ We have clear titles to all the automobiles.”
Article extracted from this publication >> December 6, 1985
