14 replies to this topic

[cosworth bdg]

Are there any TNF members with any info on the Southern Organs championship held in the 1970's in the UK. I viewed a TV program last evening about 2 con-men involved with this organisation [motoracing sponsorship ].

[Cirrus]

Southern Organs was a prolific sponsor for a while in the mid-seventies, "supporting" both drivers and race series - see this thread

http://forums.autosp...southern Organs

Fris the Whizz referred to Sydney Miller in one of his posts - it seems that he had his fingers burned at some point. Maybe he can let us know more.......

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by cosworth bdg
Are there any TNF members with any info on the Southern Organs championship held in the 1970's in the UK. I viewed a TV program last evening about 2 con-men involved with this organisation [motoracing sponsorship ].

Could you let us know what the programme was? As well as motorsport I've always had an interest in fraud... and when the two cross over I get fascinated ;)

[David M. Kane]

Pardon my ignorance but what sort of business was Southern Organs...musical equipment or something else. It was never really clarified here in the States.

[Vitesse2]

Musical equipment. I think the idea was that they'd make big money out of the HP/finance side, but to me it always seemed a dubious premise upon which to build a business. Let's face it - very few people are expert enough to play an organ even half way competently, so why would they buy one on the off chance?

[Allen Brown]

I am very curious about this.

Can any of our legal eagles tell us whether he was ever convicted?

Allen

[ensign14]

Well, I can't find any case report (which is unsurprising unless a legal point came up), but given that Dr Lawrence on the other thread said Dave Morgan visited Miller in the nick chances are he was...

[kayemod]

Was Sydney Miller responsible for all of the UK motorsport 'Organs Scandal'? As well as Southern Organs, there were also National Organs and Miller Organs, at club meetings in those days, a large proportion of the cars present seemed to carry stickers for one or other of these, were all three effectively the same operation? I also have a dim recollection of a fourth company called Elgam Organs, which may also have been a part of the Miller con. The last named sponsored Gerry Marshall and/or 'Whizzo' Williams I think, or maybe it was Geoff Allam. They used to delight in claiming that they were sponsored by 'El Gam', the Spanish gobbler. I hope no-one needs that last bit explaining to them.

[ian senior]

Originally posted by Vitesse2
Musical equipment. I think the idea was that they'd make big money out of the HP/finance side, but to me it always seemed a dubious premise upon which to build a business. Let's face it - very few people are expert enough to play an organ even half way competently, so why would they buy one on the off chance?

Don't you believe it - I seem to recall an old Sothern Organs advert, posted on here somewhere (the "old advertisements" thread?) saying you could learn to play in 15 minutes or so. You probably wouldn't hit Keith Emerson standards in that time, but you could probably manage "Chopsticks".

[Sharman]

Gerry, Barrie, Lanfers, Southern Organs at the high port!!!

[Mallory Dan]

The Organs scam involved selling said instrument to Churches IIRC. I'm sure we've discussed the crook Mr Miller on here many times before.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by ian senior


Don't you believe it - I seem to recall an old Sothern Organs advert, posted on here somewhere (the "old advertisements" thread?) saying you could learn to play in 15 minutes or so. You probably wouldn't hit Keith Emerson standards in that time, but you could probably manage "Chopsticks".

Cue "America" with two fingers!

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by sterling49


Cue "America" with two fingers!

Ahhhhhh..... now I must admit that one of my weaknesses is Keith Emerson's knives-in-the-Hammond excesses.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by petefenelon


Ahhhhhh..... now I must admit that one of my weaknesses is Keith Emerson's knives-in-the-Hammond excesses.

...........saw him last year in Croydon....he still does it!!!

[scags]

You sell more organs when your customers use knives on them. I used to have to deal with a Hamond B-3 Organ- 275 lbs in the road case.