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MGC Sebring Car / Fraud

To: "MG List" <mgs@autox.team.net>
Subject: MGC Sebring Car / Fraud
From: "Kai M. Radicke" <kmr@pil.net>
Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 12:30:04 -0400
Re:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=590421357

"It's a fake, nothing to do with the factory cars."  the undeniably stern
and unmistakable words of Ron Gammons (Brown & Gammons).  Ron further
supplied that when Anders Ditlev Clausager was asked to verify the number
ADO52/1061, when this car was initially in question, it was found to be a
non-existent number.  To Ron's credit he did much of the restoration work of
the real RMO 699F, and also the maintenance work for MBL546E... in addition
to restoring and maintaining numerous other REAL MG Competition cars.

Ron further establishes that Graham Nashe-Wiseman (the person first linked
to this car) just nearly escaped fraud charges in the UK because when the
car
in the UK he had registered it as the real RMO 699F.  Upon a police
inspection, with numerous retired Abingdon personal and current historians
(and Ron Gammons himself) present the car was scrutineered and determined to
not be anything of the sort.  Nashe-Wiseman reluctantly relinquished the
registration documents.  Nothing has been heard of Nashe-Wiseman since in
relation to this car, or any MG for that matter.

So what are the origins of the car?  Well Mick Darcey said about the only
thing that is authentic on the car is a "chassis leg" the rest of the car
was built in the north east of England as a replica, which Nashe-Wiseman
then keenly worked the authentic bits into.  The entire shell is steel (and
fiberglass) with the exception of the boot lid which John Chatham apparently
supplied... it is aluminium.

So five or six real complete alloy shells?  Five, all accounted for.  Never
a sixth, although panels were produced for a sixth which were assembled into
one (that one is also accounted for)... I guess John Chatham feels that it
was intended to be a shell that never got assembled, so he just assembled
it.  How can we be sure?  Well the place where the shells were stored, only
had enough space for three!  RMO 699F and MBL 546E were both on the Abingdon
Comps shop floor, while the other three shells were stored above the office
space.  By simple dimensional analysis, before the factory was leveled, it
was established by Ron Gammons only three shells could have existed in this
storage area.

Additionally Mick Darcey, owner of RMO and MBL, has the other Sebring GT...
but a B GT (LBL?).  This seems to be the car, LBL that is, that is being
thought of as the third Sebring MGC when in fact it is just an 1800cc
Sebring MGB.  Mick Darcey has also that 6th shell that John Chatham
completed (as in built) with the works alloy MGC engine.

What more could be added to further construe what is known?  How about that
this isn't the first time Derek Durst has been found to be in a compromising
position with a supposed real MG Competition Car which he was trying to sell
or was an agent for at the time.  The car was later denied FIA papers
because it was found, again, to not be the real car.

Their evidence, such as letters confirming the cars existence?  It was
implied through my conversations that Derek Durst is quite handy with some
scissors and glue.  How come they didn't scan the documents and post those
with the eBay auction?  Lastly, Peter Browning has come to out to say the
car is also not anything of an MG Comps car.  I'll further add Bill Price
and Den Green to that list as well... all Abingdon Competition Dept.
employees at the time these cars were produced.  Peter Browning will also
attest to the fact that there were only ever five complete and built alloy
MGC shells during his time at Abingdon.

Lastly, I will leave with a quote from Ron Gammons again.  "Tony Giordano
sent me a fax basically saying 'So what if it's a fake, it'll be good for
both our businesses Ron.' "  Ron Gammons informed me that Tony Giordano has
also been asked to remove the UK Registration number of RMO 699F from this
car, as it is NOT RMO 699F or anything related to it.

I leave it to both Derek Durst and Tony Giordano to do the responsible thing
and proclaim the car as a replica on their auction, or to remove it
completely.  They are both misleading the bidders, and the general MG
community.  With sufficient time at hand, over four days, neither Mr. Durst
or Mr. Giordano should have any trouble rewording their descriptions.
Should they fail, eBay will be alerted of their fraudulent activities... as
(currently) someone is entered into a contract for $17,875.75 for a car that
isn't anything as such they describe.

I would like to thank Ed of JustBrits for helping to locate John Chatham,
that proved to be VERY difficult!  So contrary to what everyone may think of
Ed, he does know something ;-)

I also appreciate Tony Giordano contacting me last night, providing some
information about their evidence (which Ron managed to negate today), but as
you can see I remain unconvinced and even more set on the fact that the car
is a fake.

Cheers,

Kai M. Radicke
(now with a monumental phone bill!)

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