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Stolen racing cars (merged)


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#1 dmj

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Posted 02 September 2002 - 13:32

An interesting story appeared in local newspaper yesterday: apparently, one of 25 ever built roadgoing Mercedes-Benz CLK GTRs was stolen in France and recently found - guess where? - some 5 kms from my house, in Slovenia, near Croatian border. A man "well known to police as member of European auto mafia" is arrested and car returned to owner.
Now it reminded me of some spectactular thefts of old racing cars - I remember a German entran't's Ferrari (500 TRC, IIRC) was stolen during a retro Mille Miglia. Was it ever found? Then there is Lord Brocket story, of course (I know, not exactly "stolen" cars but)... But what are the other valuable old cars that are stolen and disappeared since?
And were sometimes cars stolen while still active in racing? I remember only a Peugeot (Vatanen's, I think) that disappeared during a Paris-Dakkar race, only to be found several hours later...

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#2 Stefan Ornerdal

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Posted 02 September 2002 - 14:17

Bruno Frey, Chevron B18 F2-car stolen at Imola 1971.
Dave Morgan, F2-engine Ford BDA stolen at Hockenheim or on the way to the track 1972.

OT:
My nephew, both his motocross-bikes stolen from his trolley in town-center at lunchtime two years ago :mad:
Never got the bikes back.

Stefan

#3 ghinzani

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Posted 02 September 2002 - 14:34

DMJ
I had my sledge stolen when I was in Kranska Gora in 1992, do you think theres a crime epidemic sweeping Slovenia ?? ;-)

:rotfl:

#4 dmj

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Posted 02 September 2002 - 14:41

Don't ask me... If I say anything against Slovenia at this moment it will develop into a problem. Our relations with Slovenia are at lowest level ever, some people even talk about war... And my house is too close to borderline... ;) :lol:

#5 Frank de Jong

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Posted 02 September 2002 - 14:53

Reinhard Stenzel's Portsche Carrera RSR was stolen at the Sauerland hillclimb in 1973 - which he won, so the car was stolen afterwards, I presume ;) .
It was the last race for the 1973 DRM season. See the tyre-heating thread for another feat on this hillclimb.

#6 byrkus

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Posted 02 September 2002 - 15:27

Originally posted by dmj
Don't ask me... If I say anything against Slovenia at this moment it will develop into a problem. Our relations with Slovenia are at lowest level ever, some people even talk about war... And my house is too close to borderline... ;) :lol:


;) There's nothing to be worried about. I believe it's just slight misunderstanding.

ghinzani: 'crime epidemic sweeping Slovenia'??? :rotfl: :rotfl: Oh come on, I live here for whole my life (25 yrs), and I've never witnessed any crime...;)

#7 Rainer Nyberg

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Posted 02 September 2002 - 15:30

If war-booty can be regarded as theft then there are several interesting cars that ended up behind the iron-curtain after WWII.

#8 FEV

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Posted 02 September 2002 - 17:22

Originally posted by Stefan Ornerdal
Bruno Frey, Chevron B18 F2-car stolen at Imola 1971.

This one was found shortly after : those who stole it only had repainted it in another colour which of course is not enough to disguise a unique looking car like the B18 :lol: .

#9 cabianca

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Posted 02 September 2002 - 17:24

Roger Penske's Daytona-winning Lola T-70 coupe was stolen along with the truck that housed it.

#10 Geza Sury

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Posted 02 September 2002 - 17:44

Originally posted by dmj
I remember only a Peugeot (Vatanen's, I think) that disappeared during a Paris-Dakkar race, only to be found several hours later...

It happened in 1988. Vatanen's car was stolen from a closed stadium which served as a car park during the night. The alleged 'kidnappers' claimed half millions French franks fror the car! Vatanen was leading at that time. Eventually the car was found near a rubbish heap some 11 hours later. However, some question marks hung over the 'kidnapping of the car'. How an earth could anyone start this car? How did they managed to steal it from the middle of the Peugeot camp without anyone noticing it? Why didn't they keep it?

My version is, that the car must have developed some sort of a mechanical trouble which needed many hours to repair. Peugeot's manager - a certain Jean Todt - was the brainchild of this 'kidnapping'. Eventually Vatanen started the race two hours late and duly won the event.

#11 Doug Nye

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Posted 02 September 2002 - 18:00

The night before the Ballarat Tasman race Dan Gurney's BRM was stolen from the RAAF hangar in which it was temporarily billeted and driven across part of the aerodrome, being recovered in the small hours from an eventual resting place amongst the straw bales....a couple of drunks were reputedly apprehended for the 'offence'.

DCN

#12 David M. Kane

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Posted 02 September 2002 - 18:11

As a result Doug we now have bumper stickers in America that read, "Drive it like you stole it". They can be purchased at just about any American Race Track gift shop.

#13 Rainer Nyberg

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Posted 02 September 2002 - 18:27

Besides from Vatanen's Peugeot it is not uncommon that rallycars are stolen, and then stripped for valueable parts, for onward sale or for use in their own cars.

#14 Criceto

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Posted 02 September 2002 - 18:38

It works the other way sometimes, too. Unsuspecting road cars that turn up on the track.

Porsche 911 Carreras were notorious a few years ago, and I think it's fair to say that one or two RS500 Sierra shells wound up on the circuits of the world by somewhat nefarious means.

#15 Gary C

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Posted 02 September 2002 - 18:58

didn't Nelson Piquet have one of his Williams stolen a few years ago??

#16 Barry Boor

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Posted 02 September 2002 - 21:35

There's nothing to be worried about. I believe it's just slight misunderstanding.



Having avoided any serious confrontation with a certain Mr. Milosevic, I sincerely hope the above statement is true.

Having been to Slovenia, I pray that this lovely country and its friendly people are not drawn into any conflict.

Sorry, that was a bit O.T.

#17 Jim Thurman

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Posted 02 September 2002 - 22:21

The most famous U.S. case I can think of was Jimmy Davies' midget being stolen. A few years later, in 1954, a driver died in a crash during a Midget race at Sacramento, California. Davies saw photos of the accident and recognized the car as his...and reclaimed it.

Particularly in the 1980's, there were several cases of short track oval cars being stolen and stripped. Sometimes they would turn up, sometimes they would not. The one I recall most was Wisconsin short track Stock Car racer Steve Burgess having his car and trailer stolen. It (well, some of it) turned up in Texas. I recall one incident where a car was stolen from in front of the garage!.

Since most major short track races found the teams staying in motels with unguarded lots, it was easy to see how this was happening. Afterwards, more began staying in better lighted lots or keeping a crewman on watch.


Jim Thurman

#18 Amaroo

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Posted 03 September 2002 - 03:12

Originally posted by dmj
And were sometimes cars stolen while still active in racing? I remember only a Peugeot (Vatanen's, I think) that disappeared during a Paris-Dakkar race, only to be found several hours later...


I believe that Ari was in the lead of the event when the car was stolen in Africa. They did find it but he was out cause of the amonunt of late time penaltys that the car had incured :stoned:

#19 David Shaw

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Posted 03 September 2002 - 03:44

Allan Moffat had his Phase III GTHO stolen in Adelaide in 1973? from a garage where it was being housed. After sorting out sponsorship hassles (BP v Shell) he drove Murray Carter's HO in the ATCC round there, and AFAIK finished third. He also had his car transporter catch fire going through the Adelaide Hills once, destroying his car, but that is another story.

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#20 Mark Beckman

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Posted 03 September 2002 - 03:53

Originally posted by David Shaw
Allan Moffat had his Phase III GTHO stolen in Adelaide in 1973? from a garage where it was being housed. After sorting out sponsorship hassles (BP v Shell) he drove Murray Carter's HO in the ATCC round there, and AFAIK finished third. He also had his car transporter catch fire going through the Adelaide Hills once, destroying his car, but that is another story.


Yes David this is correct as I remember it too but I cant find any details on it.

I remember the fire on the news too, they couldnt put the fire out because of all the magnesium wheels in the transporter.

#21 jondoe955

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Posted 03 September 2002 - 04:00

OT:
My nephew, both his motocross-bikes stolen from his trolley in town-center at lunchtime two years ago. Never got the bikes back.
:mad:

I, too, had two dirt bikes stolen. But that story brought back a memory and a laugh -
I remember something on TV ~10 years ago, where someone in GB had his bike stolen. He and his hooligan biker pals parked another bike in the same area and hid in a van nearby. When some guys tried to steal the bike, these tatooed apes jumped out of the van and kicked the crap out of the offenders. :clap: Looked great on video. Must have been the British version of 'boot camp'!

#22 bonescro

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Posted 03 September 2002 - 04:34

A person I know races boats.
BIG boats. You know, Miss Budweiser?

Anyway, he was in New Orleans for a race.

Outside the motel, someone CUT THE BOAT AND TRAILER IN HALF,
taking just the motors and the drivetrain. All he had left was the
truck, and the front half of the boat.

I know that he had big problems with his insurance company over
this. I have not spoken with him in about a year, so I do not know
the outcome.

#23 dmj

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Posted 03 September 2002 - 09:17

Originally posted by Barry Boor


Having avoided any serious confrontation with a certain Mr. Milosevic, I sincerely hope the above statement is true.

Having been to Slovenia, I pray that this lovely country and its friendly people are not drawn into any conflict.

Sorry, that was a bit O.T.

Don't worry Barry. I wouldn't be joking if we are on the edge of war, too. There are certain different views of where our borderline with Slovenia should go, it can end in court but there is no question about war. There are no new Milosevics around - both Slovenia and Croatia are democracies and we now how to deal with our problems. Although some fights between our and Slovenian fishermen are possible... ):

Back to topic, we also can add James Dean's Porsche 550 Spyder (at least what was left of it) to list of stolen racing cars - and it was never found again!

#24 racer69

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Posted 03 September 2002 - 12:10

Phillip Polites had his GT Performance Holden Commodore and Trailor, truck etc.. stolen from outside his house early in 2001.

#25 Ray Bell

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Posted 09 September 2002 - 12:30

I'm more than a little surprised that Barry Boor hasn't mentioned drunken escapades at Ballarat in 1961 in this thread...

After all, it made it even more of a surprise that the car won the race the next day.

#26 francoisb123

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Posted 10 January 2009 - 13:40

Searching more information about my TECNO, I found that, on Allen Brown website(F2, 1971):

DNS Bruno Frey Chevron B18 [18.71.2] - Cosworth FVA 4
#20 Midland Racing Team Did not start
(car stolen from paddock overnight)


Can we imagine such a thing now?
Other cases known?

#27 David M. Kane

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Posted 10 January 2009 - 13:45

A McLaren M4 was stolen a few years ago at Mont Tremblant. The guy "bought" it back from the thefts for a "fee". He did not report it to the police.

#28 2F-001

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Posted 10 January 2009 - 13:47

Not quite the same thing, but Penske had their truck - and the Daytona-winning Lola - stolen from a motel car park on the way back from Sebring.

#29 Frank de Jong

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Posted 10 January 2009 - 13:49

We've had a thread about it: stolen racing cars

#30 francoisb123

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Posted 10 January 2009 - 14:12

Oups!:
Sorry...
I will repeat 1000 times: always check before, always check before...

#31 canon1753

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Posted 10 January 2009 - 15:31

Williams had an FW08 stolen from a display of some kind in Sicily in 1983.

#32 timbo

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Posted 11 January 2009 - 19:18

Originally posted by jondoe955
OT:
My nephew, both his motocross-bikes stolen from his trolley in town-center at lunchtime two years ago. Never got the bikes back.
:mad:

I, too, had two dirt bikes stolen. But that story brought back a memory and a laugh -
I remember something on TV ~10 years ago, where someone in GB had his bike stolen. He and his hooligan biker pals parked another bike in the same area and hid in a van nearby. When some guys tried to steal the bike, these tatooed apes jumped out of the van and kicked the crap out of the offenders. :clap: Looked great on video. Must have been the British version of 'boot camp'!


Having your motocross bike stolen is still a problem in Sydney today. It seems that every time there is a major meeting happening in Sydney, someones bike (and quite often trailer) dissappears from its motel parking lot.

#33 RStock

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Posted 11 January 2009 - 19:42

Originally posted by Jim Thurman


Since most major short track races found the teams staying in motels with unguarded lots, it was easy to see how this was happening. Afterwards, more began staying in better lighted lots or keeping a crewman on watch.


Jim Thurman


The "Gambler" house car sponsored by singer Kenny Rodgers was stolen , truck , trailer and all , from a hotel parking lot in Dallas TX . It was subsequently found burned out on side of a road . The fellow who stole it was arrested . He had been making stops telling folks the car was his and such , apparently some mental problems there .

#34 911carreraRSR

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Posted 11 January 2009 - 22:56

Originally posted by Geza Sury
It happened in 1988. Vatanen's car was stolen from a closed stadium which served as a car park during the night. The alleged 'kidnappers' claimed half millions French franks fror the car! Vatanen was leading at that time. Eventually the car was found near a rubbish heap some 11 hours later. However, some question marks hung over the 'kidnapping of the car'. How an earth could anyone start this car? How did they managed to steal it from the middle of the Peugeot camp without anyone noticing it? Why didn't they keep it?

My version is, that the car must have developed some sort of a mechanical trouble which needed many hours to repair. Peugeot's manager - a certain Jean Todt - was the brainchild of this 'kidnapping'. Eventually Vatanen started the race two hours late and duly won the event.


Dear Friends,

Ari Vatanen was disqualified from 1988 Paris-Dakar race. The reason: He start the special stage too late.
The winner this year was Juha Kankkunen with old Peugeot 205.

#35 911carreraRSR

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Posted 21 January 2009 - 21:43

Dear Friends,

This is a my translation of the image about two stolen cars before 1972 Targa Florio Race:

Posted Image

The "yellow" PORSCHE stolen in the night (for the ranking tricolor?)

CERDA – incredible Mishaps in the clan of the Italians 'porschisti' at TargaFlorio. Thursday morning in Santa Flavia, those of the team LloydAdriatico have had the surprise to see that the pickup truck of the Boldrinauto of Mestre (Boldrin is their preparator) had been broken and from inside had been removed an complete engine 911S, plus all-wheel and spare tires. No track, obviously, of the thieves and of the parts removed. They say however that in some part of Sicily, there was a Porsche without engine, waited in vain by Germany until the night before, and that miraculously the next morning Porsche was in this assembly with a fresh engine...

The top news is, however, happened Sunday morning, when people of Bonomelli Racing has been raised to go to Departure: Missing even the race cars: the one of Bonomelli and of Pica. Just disappeared, no hidden jokingly. The car of Pica came found, a little one for case, in a road worker of country, very hidden and little attended.

The car of Ennio Bonomelli no track until shortly before the departure, when through the typical mysterious channels of information in Sicily, the Brescian learned very likely that his car would return during the evening, when a race finished. Nothing is sure, of course, but very likely. And if then it had not been the same night would be was up to the morning next. Confidential Information, whispered, but of course impossible to
control. Impossible also know as the story that ended.

If we have well grasped the sense of these passing away is not about a thieving fact, but of a maneuver to temporary character action to hinder Ennio Bonomelli the participation to the TargaFlorio, and therefore to avoid the conquest of points for the Italian championship. All it would slacken supports that is so, for that await to know ourselves also that … the CSAI investigates!

#36 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 22 January 2009 - 08:18

About 15 years ago there was a rash of racecar thefts and race workshops burgled here in Adelaide.
In about 12 months there was 2 Speedway sedans, a sprintcar, a Formula Holden [with the truck] plus a couple of sprintcar engines and a lot of Sports sedan and GpN parts.
Some where recovered, some parts were bought back by the owners! a person suspected of recieving some of the parts got a kicking from associates of the engines owner.
I think someone got charged and jailed but it was far more than one person

#37 HistoricMustang

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Posted 22 January 2009 - 10:14

Gentlemen, when I finally unbuckeled the safety harness for the last time and sold the "HistoricMustang" to a gentleman in Europe I was AMAZED at how easy it was to get a racecar out of the USA.

If a car of anykind is stolen and gets into a shipping container you can kiss it goodbye.

Henry

#38 coco

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Posted 22 January 2009 - 11:47

Originally posted by dmj
I remember a German entran't's Ferrari (500 TRC, IIRC) was stolen during a retro Mille Miglia. Was it ever found?

Parts of the car showed up in the last years - but not the chassis. The German owner was paid by the insurance company after a very long legal dispute. A friend of mine -and friend of the ex-owner of the TRC- could purchase the original engine.

Ciao!
Walter

#39 Terry Walker

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Posted 22 January 2009 - 11:53

I have heard that a shipment of Repco hi performance cylinder heads for Holdens (the old 2.3 pushrod "grey" six) was stolen in the 50s or 60s, and they never re-surfaced. Not a complete car, but . . .

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#40 lanciaman

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Posted 22 January 2009 - 14:06

Indy driver Steve Krisiloff had his Indianapolis car and open trailer stolen in the early 1970s (?).
He later did all right by marrying one of Tony George's sisters. Their child Kyle was the youngest SCCA National Champion ever (Formula Ford) and he now races in NASCAR, I believe.

#41 f1steveuk

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Posted 22 January 2009 - 17:50

I'm going from memory, but I am certain someone more knowledgable will fill in the gaps!

But didn't a rider absconed with a works MZ racer, mid race, so that a Japanese company could see how the carden chambers worked?

#42 GBGIVER

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Posted 22 January 2009 - 18:49

Originally posted by f1steveuk
I'm going from memory, but I am certain someone more knowledgable will fill in the gaps!

But didn't a rider absconed with a works MZ racer, mid race, so that a Japanese company could see how the carden chambers worked?


You are likely thinking of Ernst Degner, a works MZ racer. He escaped from his secret-police escorts with his family at the Swedish GP (he intentionally blew the engine during the race, allowing him to meet his contacts away from the pits). This was partially orchestrated by Suzuki. It's said that he took with him cylinders, disc valves and an exhaust pipe. That was enough to leap-frog Suzuki to the front and break the back of MZ. In an odd twist to the story, Degner later returned to the east and allegedly killed himself in the early-nineties.

#43 f1steveuk

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Posted 22 January 2009 - 18:57

I said someone more knowledgable!

I recall now the story was on Robbie Coltrane's "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" so maybe poetic license by the production company because they had the bike being ridden off the track and into a waiting van! And I think they said at Brno!! Your version sounds plausable!!

#44 GBGIVER

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Posted 22 January 2009 - 19:07

Originally posted by f1steveuk
I said someone more knowledgable!

I recall now the story was on Robbie Coltrane's "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" so maybe poetic license by the production company because they had the bike being ridden off the track and into a waiting van! And I think they said at Brno!! Your version sounds plausable!!


Certainly sounds similar-enough! As I understand it, Degner and his wife were literally smuggled out of the circuit in the trunk (boot) of a car. Being in Sweden, his communist overseers didn't have nearly the power they would have had in the east...I wonder if there were any other motorsport-related coldwar-era hyjinks? Less dramatically, my Father, a works-supported CZ rider at the time, escaped the Soviet occupation of Prague as he was racing in Austria at the time. There are many other stories like that, I'm sure.

Jeremy

#45 Gene

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Posted 22 January 2009 - 19:41

Sorry if this was already mentioned on another thread.

While this is not a whole car being stolen, but I seem to remember hearing a story about somebody walking away with a complete front body work for a Silk Cut, Jaguar right after the end of the 24 hours. When we heard about it there was a lot of speculation on how they actually carried it away through the crowed pits and who and where it finally ended up. It would seem a bit hard to “fence” the carbon body work for a Group C car.

Can anybody here fill the gaps to this story?

#46 Mark A

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Posted 22 January 2009 - 21:07

Back in 1994 the Mini Cooper built for Timo Makinen to compete in that years Monte Carlo Rally (as part of the 30 years since the Mini won) was stolen on it's trailer after it had been loded up before driving to the start point.

Questions were raised about why it was left on a trailer outside someones house the night before and there has been lots of speculation........... the 2nd part finished car (originally for Tiff Needel to drive) was bolted together and Makinen started the event, although they were still bolting it together at the end of the Concentration run.

Also I believe an Ex-Opel Astra DTM car bought and used in the UK in Britcar was stolen about 3 or 4 years ago, don't think it ever turned up.

#47 ranocchio61

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Posted 25 July 2009 - 19:33

visitate il nostro sito
http://www.amicidellatargaflorio.com/

#48 sabrejet

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Posted 25 July 2009 - 20:35

Sorry if this was already mentioned on another thread.

While this is not a whole car being stolen, but I seem to remember hearing a story about somebody walking away with a complete front body work for a Silk Cut, Jaguar right after the end of the 24 hours. When we heard about it there was a lot of speculation on how they actually carried it away through the crowed pits and who and where it finally ended up. It would seem a bit hard to “fence” the carbon body work for a Group C car.

Can anybody here fill the gaps to this story?


I think you're confusing this with the front bodywork (spare) from the ADA at the 1990 Le Mans 24 Hours. I actually saw it on the roof of a (Dutch?) estate car just after the race and just presumed it was a gift: after all it would surely be too audacious to steal something so large? Apparently not.

It was only later that is saw the theft reported in Autosport (back in the days when they used to cover motorsports other than F1).

#49 tampaguy

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Posted 25 July 2009 - 21:21

The most famous race car ever stolen in the US was James Deans Porsche 550RS after the accident that claimed his life.
The remains of the car, what was left of it after most usefull parts where removed & sold was put on some morbid road show. The car was stolen from the trailer it was in after a show on the west coast, most people think it was removed and destroyed to maintain some respect for Jimmy by the Movie industry in Hollywood. And interesting fact about the spares that where sold to other 550 owners, many of the drivers or people working on the parts or the cars they where installed in died in some verry stange ways. Jimmys 550 was never found to this day!!!

#50 Mistron

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Posted 25 July 2009 - 21:39

didn't George Barris or Jay Orberg (or one of the 'kustom kings') own the wreck of the 550 when it went missing?

Was there not a C type stolen from a driveway in the US in the '70s which has never reappeared? I'm sure it is in Philip Porter's book