The end of the Classic Kit???

[greg.harvey]

Check this out:

EU goes nuts over ‘fakes’

In March, an Italian court peremptorily ordered the destruction – by crushing and recycling – of two historic Maseratis, one an A6GCS and the other a 350S. Both had replica chassis and bodies but many components were original and genuine, including one of only three surviving 350S engines. Despite these facts being well documented and differences between the replicas and the real articles being easy for experts to establish, in a bizarre campaign to stamp out brand forgery the court ordered police to seize the cars. Both have now been destroyed, to the horror of the vast majority of Maserati enthusiasts. Visiting Italy with any kind of replica of an Italian marque – like the Toyota MR2-based Ferrari F355 replica above, winner of Car of the Show at the Cheshire Kit & Classic Car Show last weekend – may now be inadvisable: and now the Italian campaign looks set to spread across the EU.

More recently EU Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Franco Frattini, speaking on the EU’s creditable attempts to curb illegal imports like pirated CDs, waved aloft a photograph of what he alleged to be a fake Ferrari made in China. The car in the photo was far from being a blatant attempt to steal sales from the modern manufacturer, which surely is the area that he should be concentrating on – it appeared in fact to be a Ferrari 330 P2, an ultra-rare racing machine of which just four were built in 1965. Frattini’s brief appeared flawed too, as he reportedly announced, “Ferrari only made six of this model, and this is the seventh!” As surviving examples of cars like this are very well documented and replicas are made only to give pleasure to people who might never get to see a real one, there appears to be no justification whatsoever for this misguided, ignorant and wanton condemnation of replica cars: why are governments always so keen to crack down on anything related to motoring?

http://www.motorbase.com/content/vie...e/news/2006/05

Utter craziness! There goes my dream of one day owning a Lancia Stratos replica... I'll have to leave the EU!

And what does this mean for the classic 'Seven' makes like Westfield and Caterham, the various Jaguar replicas floating about, etc. etc. ??? If they're crushing cars with genuine original parts, then 'D-type' replicas don't stand a chance.

G

[:Exige:]

An example of a government doing something because they can, not because they should. This is truly disgraceful and in my opinion is reminiscent of the Jack Thompson campaign to ban all games with even the slightest bit of violence or nudity. That idiot tried to ban the Sims for f**ks sake. There are a large number of kit car builders around me including Gerald Hawkridge of Hawk Cars and Lynx cars, the people who make the D-Type and C-Type replicas that sell for over £100k, as they use genuine parts. I think if the UK agrees to this, then it is evident we live in a society ran by primates.

Normally I wouldn't get all in a huff because of the destruction of a car. If the owner thinks they are going to enjoy destroying a car more than they like driving it, so be it. But when it's out of the owners hands, that pisses me the f**k off.

[Matra et Alpine]

Italian courts .... 'nuff said.


Another place I'd read about this said that the operator of the crushing machine REFUSED and they had to find an apprentice to operate the machien

This all started 6 YEARS ago when they started the investigation.
Everyone at the time was astouned -- including Maserati !!!!

It's a perfect exampel how the blind application fo stupid laws can create stupidity. An EU Law intended to ensure fake watches from China were removed from the market and destroyed is applied by idiots to cars nto even TRYGIN to suggest they were fully original.

IIRC there was some issue at the start as well about the wording of what was being investigated and msot of Italys restorers were worried they couldnt' stop teh investigations. Seems like they didn't

There are many examples in the kit car community of companies being closed and requried to destroy moulds. Dino Ferrari Friend of a mate created c/f panels for his Darrian and had started making them for friends and it grew to a good little business by word of mouth. He received a "cease and desist" letter from Darrians lawyers and has stopped.

BUT what the Italian courts have done is stupid.
AND of course will have tied up investigating officers, prosecution lawyers and courts so they can't spend the time investigating organised crime or the government officials activities ( me ? cycnical ?? never )

[greg.harvey]

Wow! Even Maserati didn't want the ruling??

That's even more insane. I assumed (naturally) that Maserati must've made some sort of complaint to spark the action. So, basically, this is government intervening in what has traditionally always been a civil (not criminal) matter without the 'plaintiff' even making a complaint! That's just amazing... I hope the rest of Europe exhibits better sense...

Indeed, I'm sure Maserati wouldn't want to see their own, incredibly rare engine be crushed!!

G

[Matra et Alpine]

COURT ..... NOT government
European democracies have seperation of law and government.
( NOT that I'm suggesting that Italian politicians are any better or worse than their lawyers or judges .. no, not at all )

Can't wait for French courts to use the same EU rules to argue that all race cars are copies of the original Renault and then crush them all. Leaving Renaults to win all races in the future

[greg.harvey]

That would be very, um, French of them!

[drakkie]

Italian courts .... 'nuff said.

You heard about the guy sueing the Vatican for fraud and theft ? So now the Vatican needs proof that GSus existed The guy is apparently going to win according to CNN

[PerfAdv]

...As surviving examples of cars like this are very well documented and replicas are made only to give pleasure to people who might never get to see a real one, there appears to be no justification whatsoever for this misguided, ignorant and wanton condemnation of replica cars...

I don't like any replicas. Watches, designer Handbags, or any other desirable commodity where a lookalike cashes in on the established value of another. When it comes to cars, the above instance is an acceptable reason to have a replica. Museums and autoshows should be allowed to carry replicas, especially the originals are too rare or valuable to travel. However, the fact that it's a replica should be openly displayed.

Weren't some classic statues in Italy being weathered badly by the elements, so were replaced with replicas, Michaelangelo's David for example. This would be another acceptable instance to have a replica.

[greg.harvey]

Weren't some classic statues in Italy being weathered badly by the elements, so were replaced with replicas, Michaelangelo's David for example. This would be another acceptable instance to have a replica.

They're probably next on the list of things to be crushed!

[Matra et Alpine]

You heard about the guy sueing the Vatican for fraud and theft ? So now the Vatican needs proof that GSus existed The guy is apparently going to win according to CNN

If he's suing them IN Italy he hasn't a chance

AND if it's in the US they'll use the cheesy if it's good enough for the American Motto tehn it must be right -- "in God we trust" -- remember awful movie yonks ago that used that premise .. damned if I can remember it -- and don't want to

[NSXType-R]

Wow that seriously sucks. Might as well close down all the replica car companies as well, considering they won't get much business anyway.

[CHEESE-TACULAR]

caterham is still good though? right?

[Pando]

You heard about the guy sueing the Vatican for fraud and theft ? So now the Vatican needs proof that GSus existed The guy is apparently going to win according to CNN

Lol, I haven't even heard of that. Let me guess? He's an American? Sueing for $100 million? I just love these random law cases. It would be quite cool if he'd be from the EU and would win the case, and religions would only be allowed to preach what they could prove was true. It's would get awfully quiet in the places of worship from then on.

[PerfAdv]

Lol, I haven't even heard of that. Let me guess? He's an American? Sueing for $100 million? I just love these random law cases. It would be quite cool if he'd be from the EU and would win the case, and religions would only be allowed to preach what they could prove was true. It's would get awfully quiet in the places of worship from then on.

But that was part of the deal that the devil got. He'd allow people to practice religion without having any proof and in return he'd get to run the multi-national corporations without having to prove legality or any kind of adherence to the law.

[Matra et Alpine]

caterham is still good though? right?

Yes as Chapman passed on teh rights to Caterham.
Westfield would be fighting it.
It's NOT going to happen. The Kit Car industry is too large, too strong adn with too many custoemrs for any fool of a Procurate Fiscal ( or the English equivalent ) to try to take it on.