boatbum Posted November 15, 2002 Share Posted November 15, 2002 It seems that Ferrari's lawyers are picking on some of the eBay sellers: http://www.gtorr.com/Ferrari%20legal.htm Good thing I am building a VR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clint78z Posted November 15, 2002 Share Posted November 15, 2002 Ferarri is an exclusive club, and they want to keep it that way. Unfortunately there are some real jerks with mucho $$ and power, that get off on putting ppl with lesser money down in order to feel important or special. They feel real stupid when they see someone can build a kit that looks better than there $100k ferrari. I think the majority is envy. It's just too close to the real thing, I think it fantastic that more ppl can enjoy that classic beauty. One thing I find cool about Jay Leno is that he always drives ever car he has. A true enthusiast!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomoHawk Posted November 15, 2002 Share Posted November 15, 2002 Did you know that in 1964, you could buy a 250GTO for about $10,000? Now it's worth 3-4 million, which is 300-400 times the original cost. Maybe that's why the F-guys are upset!? In just 35 years your $15,000 replica would be worth $5-$7 milion! LOL! On the other hand, How many 1834 Ford replicas do you see at car meets? They're titled as 1934 Fords! Even got the blue oval and everything, but you don't see Ford, Chevy, Mercury, Duesenberg, etc. chasing those guys. they're probably bragging to each other about how many people are building copies of THEIR cars... OK, so do we have any legal types are in here who knows why you should or shouldn't be afraid of 'F' attourneys? Copyright/patent infringements? I dpon't think we're breaking any copyright laws, but some of them cars do have the look of the real one (brings to mind the Xerox v. Microsoft lawsuit of the 80's.) that's my 3.14¢ (I'm a scientist) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 16, 2002 Share Posted November 16, 2002 As far as I am concerned the legal profession are usually the only winners in the majority of law suits. Here is a little first hand opinionated history that you will not read in any books or magazines. Carroll Shelby's harassment law suit against Superformance (a South African Cobra replica manufacture) was thrown out of court because "he failed to present any evidence that consumers associate the Cobra design with Shelby".Shelby's lawyers vowed to appeal. Even Shelby admits that the CSX serial numbers of the Cobras have nothing to do with the initials of C.S. of Carroll Shelby. The Cobra body design came from an English manfacturer ( the AC "Ace") who copied the body style off a 50s Ferarri. When Ford dumped the Cobra and settled up with Shelby,he sold the Cobra name for a $1.00 in part of the deal with Ford Motor Company. Shelby completely abandoned the Cobra for years until it became profitable for him to get back in the car business thru legal extortion from the Cobra kit car makers with threats of law suits. The kit car makers kept the "legend" alive for years without any effort on Shelby's part or any one elses for that matter..The newly affluent baby boomers in the 70's remembered the rock and roll song of the 60s "Hey Little Cobra" and came to a consensus that they would like a Cobra to drive to the Country Club on weekends to compliment their polyester leisure suits.All this is pre Viagra and a fast 60 muscle car would do wonders for a worn out u-joint. A few kit car makers were there to sell since only about 1000 Cobras were ever made and scattered to the four winds,few originals were avaialable. Thousands of Cobra replicas were produced to fill this demand. Excuse me but Carroll Shelby is the same coniving opportunist that he always has been to fully capitalize on other people's contributions,hard work and efforts for developement of the Cobra to add to his personal credits. Shelby was a washed out race car driver with some name recogntion in the right place at the right time to get his name tacked onto an english sports car from a bankrupt firm with a Ford V8 under the bonnet when an egotistical Ford CEO started throwing money around to win races after Enzo Ferarri rebuffed Ford's offer to buy Ferrari out right. Gee that feels good to lambast the big boys. They put their pants on the same way we all do. (and a guy named Marion Morrison from Iowa never won a fist fight in his life to dispell another phoney mythical legend in our folklore). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Posted November 16, 2002 Share Posted November 16, 2002 Watch it!!!!!! Now your talking about the Duke! Hey when I was growing up, he won the Viet Nam War!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 16, 2002 Share Posted November 16, 2002 IMHO..What is really humorous with all the legal sharks circling the eBay fish bowl lately. The lowly 250 replicas are better looking overall and no doubt more comfortable and reliable. If no over inlated value was involved.. I would take a well done replica over any original. If you put that Ferarri running gear to the everyday use and abuse of the average Z during a 30 year span...lets say a person would have over a million tied up in Ferrari maintenance. I suspect that Ferrari owners are checking on their dismal eBay auction accounts trying to unload their irrepairable out of date junk only to find a brisk business in replica trading.(If you can afford a Ferrari,who would want a used one ? and no one can really afford or justify a "museum 250 GTO) Then snitching to Big F dealers and F Headquarters who sic the F legal hounds on spineless eBay and some poor fellow in Des Moines who is trying to re-coup about 75% of his replica investment.. The website suggested advertising a replica as "Not a Ferrari 250 GTO" I would suggest "better than a Ferrari 250 GTO (and built to last not just last for one race)". My 6 cents, keep in mind the Italian Carcano millitary rifle of world war 2 was inaccurate and undependable during a time when reliability counted. A class struggle and I am in the minus category. My rant! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatbum Posted November 16, 2002 Author Share Posted November 16, 2002 Damn - what did I start I am thinking it is more the lawyers than the F-guys. And I hate those types of lawyers - Mostly because some guy SUPPOSEDLY cut his hand on my blender so his wife is sueing me for loss of sexual intimacy ($250K) because her husband had stitches in his hand for a week! I am pretty sure it is lawyer thinking he can get something for nothing and putting words in their mouth. Most Lawyers suck! Just my $.02 until the lawyers get it And LEN - you are right - the Duke DID win the Vietnam war. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aviatorx Posted November 16, 2002 Share Posted November 16, 2002 Wait a minute...... a cut hand keeping a guy from sex? NO self respecting guy would let that stop him! Wow - she's either really ugly and looking for some change for a shopping trip, or her name is Mary Palm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomoHawk Posted November 16, 2002 Share Posted November 16, 2002 Iowa....Hmmmmm.... Isn't Captain James T. Kirk from Iowa too? Teo- They should throw you suit out because the idiot broke the law himself! The law of common sense! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted November 16, 2002 Share Posted November 16, 2002 I have been a regular reader of Hemmings Motor News for about 20 years. This month, as always, there are 4 ads for replica Ferraris of 1967 to 1999 models in the Replica and kit car section. The ads read like a professional press release, so I tend to believe they are placed by a business. Either a Kit Car builder or a re-seller corporation, not a regular Joe (Jane) Car Guy (Gal), nor a typical car collector . I find it curious that these ads go on for decades, apparently without Ferrari lawyers' harrasment. They must find it easier to dump on an individual than a corporation. Maybe Hemmings has more clout than eBay. Hemmings has approx. 150 "real" ads, and 4 replicas. eBay has 94 "real" auctions and 2 replicas, so the ratios in these used car markets are quite similar. Does the "real" Ferrari purchaser really believe the 2% dilution in the market takes any value away from his $100,000 subjective implant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomoHawk Posted November 17, 2002 Share Posted November 17, 2002 Why not cover your red GTO replica with YELLOW dots?? that should get them F-guys really upset! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 250z Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 "2% dilution in the market" isn't there only about 37 real '62 GTO's? I'm sure there is a hell of a lot more replica's. also didn't one GTO sell for about 14Million USD once? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 Teo..try to settle that quarter million dollar law suit by providing the wife with a surrogate husband (s). No matter how ugly she is you could still find volunteers. Just let your lawyer solicit and set up a schedule and let em go at it. Lawyers are naturally well trained in this type of solicitation arrangements. The lawyer might even be able to perform the husbandly duty after all it sounds like she would be satisfied with a skilled hand at manipulation. Alienation of affection is no longer a sustainable tort in Oregon since vibrators became widely used..Tom... yellow dots? measles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomoHawk Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 Yellow dots are better than rust spots. Maybe make the dots in the shape of a badge? Hey 250- They probably made about 10 250 GTOs in 1962. They were made from 1962 to about 1967, which is when the GT40s and Shelby/AC Cobras started winning races. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomoHawk Posted November 21, 2002 Share Posted November 21, 2002 I was just thinking (something I do occasionally ... If the F-guys wanted to shut down the creation of replicas, why don't they go after the companies that are making these things? They have to come from somewhere! That way there'd only be so many replicas and without support, if yours got damaged, you'd probably just junk it because you can't get new body parts or whatever... Well, maybe I shouldn't have said that. Well, I suppose replica companies will go underground now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatbum Posted November 21, 2002 Author Share Posted November 21, 2002 I love this forum !! Hey TZ- Thanks for making my morning! Actually the gal isn't that bad looking. I am just amazed that they are suing at all. I don't even make any money off the blender - it is just a fun side biz. But I would rather pay several grand out of my personal pocket (which is what i am doing) than to allow the crook/lawyer to win. Some people are just stupid Tom, Actually they do come after the manufacturers of the kits. If you look closely at the GTO guys - none of them mention Ferrari. They will also not show any pics of the the ferrari badges. And a I believe that some of the changing hands with the molds was due in part to F-heat. If you remember McBurnie had to close out his Daytona biz because of F heat. I think the big thing is that eBay and the Internet is adding a ton of visibility to the world. Hell - my mom can't even use email but she has that paypal and eBay bidding down to a science Everyone have an awesome day! Teo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomoHawk Posted November 23, 2002 Share Posted November 23, 2002 I thought that those guys were selling the molds to each other to keep the F-guys from catching on or up to them! You can't get in trouble until they CATCH you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 23, 2002 Share Posted November 23, 2002 when I bought my Blue Ray GTO kit,Rod Simpson was in Texas but the molds were hid out in the midwest to confuse big F. Carroll Shelby just lost his lawsuit against Cobra Kit car maker Superformance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted November 24, 2002 Share Posted November 24, 2002 '"2% dilution in the market" isn't there only about 37 real '62 GTO's? I'm sure there is a hell of a lot more replica's. ' Yep. I was counting all models which are for sale, those 37 real GTOs don't have to be advertised when they change owners, do they? Ferrari is especially concerned with Fiero-based 355s, Testarossas, and 308s. Anybody remember the Mera? It sold in Pontiac showrooms until Big F shut them down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomoHawk Posted November 24, 2002 Share Posted November 24, 2002 Here's a link to some MERA info: http://www.fiero.net/mera/ Look familiar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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