Photo: versicherungswirtschaft-heute.de
Half a million dollars is like a drop in the bucket for a billionaire, but getting stiffed in a deal for a rare, vintage car is not the kind of offense that can be overlooked. Insurance billionaire Andreas Pohl is taking Coys of Kensington, a specialists in historic cars, to court over a deal gone bad.
The transaction, involving a Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 touring coupe, took place in October 2018. Pohl bought the car for nearly £400,000 (approximately $525,000) without having a single look at it or sending someone over to the UK to inspect it, based solely on what Coys of Kensington said about its condition and authenticity.
And, according to a lawsuit filed in high court, they claimed it was an original inside and out. When the car was eventually delivered to Pohl over in Germany, the lawsuit alleges, as reported by The Telegraph, he found out that what should have been an type F was actually built around a much later type G which had been fitted with an aluminum crankcase (instead of a magnesium one) and an electrical plug. Moreover, new, inauthentic parts from screw connections for safety belts to replacement doors had been put in.
All these modifications have made the car unsafe to drive, in addition to tampering with its authenticity. Pohl is certain it wouldn’t pass a MOT test, especially since the “steering system leaks” and the “brakes and axles are corroded,” as per the publication.
Coys plans to fight the allegations. Being one of the most prestigious dealers of historic cars in the UK, it can’t afford even this kind of bad publicity, so it’s already put out a statement to refute the claims in the lawsuit, saying Pohl knew from day one that he was buying a collector’s item – with everything it entails, good and bad.
Pohl even signed a declaration saying that he was made aware this was a collector’s item and, as such, may have had parts replaced. He was given more than plenty of time to inspect the Porsche but never did, declaring himself satisfied with its “condition and authenticity,” Coys says.
And, according to a lawsuit filed in high court, they claimed it was an original inside and out. When the car was eventually delivered to Pohl over in Germany, the lawsuit alleges, as reported by The Telegraph, he found out that what should have been an type F was actually built around a much later type G which had been fitted with an aluminum crankcase (instead of a magnesium one) and an electrical plug. Moreover, new, inauthentic parts from screw connections for safety belts to replacement doors had been put in.
All these modifications have made the car unsafe to drive, in addition to tampering with its authenticity. Pohl is certain it wouldn’t pass a MOT test, especially since the “steering system leaks” and the “brakes and axles are corroded,” as per the publication.
Coys plans to fight the allegations. Being one of the most prestigious dealers of historic cars in the UK, it can’t afford even this kind of bad publicity, so it’s already put out a statement to refute the claims in the lawsuit, saying Pohl knew from day one that he was buying a collector’s item – with everything it entails, good and bad.
Pohl even signed a declaration saying that he was made aware this was a collector’s item and, as such, may have had parts replaced. He was given more than plenty of time to inspect the Porsche but never did, declaring himself satisfied with its “condition and authenticity,” Coys says.
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