Mike,
I wish I could have put it as well as you did, you said it all...
See Ya' Jan...
-----Original Message-----
From: MWood24020@aol.com <MWood24020@aol.com>
To: rootes1@best.com <rootes1@best.com>; tigers@autox.team.net
<tigers@autox.team.net>
Date: Tuesday, August 18, 1998 2:21 PM
Subject: Re: REALLY BAD NEWS
>In a message dated 98-08-17 13:36:45 EDT, you write:
>
><< .the car was quickly bid up to $29,000. In addition, the
> >buyer must pay a 7% "buyers premium". The total purchase price is
> >$31,030, excluding tax and license.
> >
>
> Sadly, even though this counterfeit MK II is listed in my book as a
> conversion, someone has just taken big time. >>
>
>After following this story for the last couple of days, I feel compelled to
>express my thoughts on the issue.
>
>First, I think this makes it clear that TAC has a ways to go as far as
>acknowledgement as a standard in the car collecting world. How many in
>attendance at the mentioned auction do you think knew:
>1. that Tigers are counterfeited
>2. of the existence of an authentication process
>3. that there is an accepted registry of Tigers
>I think it is important that the various Tiger clubs pull together in
>publicizing the TAC program and the behavior which led to its formation.
>Perhaps some well chosen lobbying could result in this issue being
published
>in some of the more widely followed auto enthusiast publications? Maybe
some
>well placed ads in publications such as Hemmings? Not neccesarily, "Hey,
have
>your Tiger TAC'ed", but more along the lines of, "Considering buying a
Tiger?
>did you know..."
>
>Second, in this particular instance, I would tend to think that if the
>auctioneers were in any way reputable, they would bust the deal. The
premium
>on a $29k transaction, during one of their bigger events, is not going to
make
>or break the weekend. A number of letters to Automobile, Road&Track,
Autoweek
>etc. condemning the actions of the seller and auction house would cause a
more
>severe strain on their revenue stream.
>
>Third, there is a downside in making the auto enthusiast world more aware
of
>the Alger issue: Some who might think of buying a Tiger could be scared off
by
>the risk of buying a fake and decide its not worth the aggravation.
However,
>the net result would increase Tiger values with a premium being attached to
>undoubted authenticity. This leads to a point made by Jan, which is that
>providing all Tiger owners with the opportunity to have their cars
certified
>increases in importance.
>While TAC is expanding at a good clip nationally, with training completed
in
>the PacNorthwest and soon to be completed on the East Coast, it will take
time
>for it to radiate to many places. However, if you look at the Shelby club
>example, which in many ways was the prototype for TAC, you see that with a
>focussed, coordinated effort, it will happen and sad events such as what
>transpired this last weekend will seldom occur.
>
>The biggest obstacle to any of the above being of any significance is the
>Tiger's relative obscurity and place on the collector's "food chain".
Tigers
>aren't worth a bunch and haven't ever caught on with the mainstream
>enthusiast. For all any of us know, this Alger MkII might have been bought
on
>a whim by some wealthy guy for his wife or girlfriend, who thought it was
>"cute", and $30k represents small change.
>
>Mike Wood
>B382002273
>
>
>
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