Thank you Barney, Carol and others who filled me on the sad story. I am
glad that the poor guy didn't suffer.
----------
From: barneymg@juno.com
To: dknowles@uk.b-r.com
Cc: mgs@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Dick Criswell
Date: 12 August 1997 00:09
On Mon, 11 Aug 1997 14:37:00 +0100 David Knowles <dknowles@uk.b-r.com>
writes:
>I am sorry if I have only come into this late, but the reference to an
MGB GT V8 caught my eye. Has there been a tragic accident? Is there some
problem with identifying the provenance of the car? If they can help, I
am sure the V8 Register here in the UK would be pleased to do so. They
can supply a certificate for any factory MGB GT V8, and may have some
previous owner history. I cannot be certain about value in the USA, but
as there were 2,591 cars built in total, and only about 20 are believed
to reside 'Stateside, I would have thought that value would be pretty
high over there. Victor Smith is the V8 Register Registrar, and may be
able to help in some way if it is paperwork you need.
David,
Yes, there was an accident. To keep it brief, during the recent Brit
Run
To The Sun - Alaska '97, Dick Criswell's BGT ran off the road, rolled on
the side and struck a tree, crushing the roof. Dick was killed
instantly. If you need more information on the accident, e-mail me
privately and I'll fill you in. I was there.
As to the car, it was not an original factory, but a conversion from an
original 4-cylinder 1974-1/2 MGB-GT. The conversion was a very faithful
to the original factory design. The only known discrepancies were that
it was still missing the proper air cleaner(s) and that it was left hand
drive. The value here in the US probably was quite high, nearly the
same
as an original BGT-V8. Aside from using oil, the car was in very good
condition, and there are pictures of it right up to and including the
day
of the accident.
The identity of the prior owner and the last purchase price will likely
be discovered soon, traceable from recent registration information. I'm
not sure that the purchase price will have much of a bearing on the
insurance settlement, as the car was likely worth somewhat more than
Dick
paid for it.
The real problem here is to somehow document (and prove) the true value
of the car. If anybody has a recent appraisal, or valuation in writing
for an MGB-GT-V8, it would be a big help. Also, anyone who is (or knows
of someone who is) a qualified appraiser of this model of car could be
of
some help. Feel free to respond to me. I can relay the information to
the interested party (parties).
Barney Gaylord, Naperville, Illinois
1958 MGA
Brit Run To The Sun - Alaska '97
|