[Healeys] That Stolen Healey

[BJ8 Healeys]

Photos of the engine bay from the eBay sale appear to show the VIN plate
missing from the firewall, and Bob Russell says it was missing when he
recovered the car.  Unless Beverly Hills Car Club removed it for some reason
(and why would they?), then it was missing when they bought the car.  If the
VIN plate was missing, then what did they compare the paperwork to for
verification it agreed with the VIN?  The body number plate does match what
the VIN of the car is claimed to be.

I think the message for BHCC and anyone else who is considering buying a BJ8
is that they should check the registry for any previous history before
putting their money down.

Steve Byers
HBJ8L/36666
BJ8 Registry
Havelock, NC  



-----Original Message-----
From: healeys-bounces at autox.team.net [mailto:healeys-bounces at autox.team.net]
On Behalf Of HealeyRick
Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2012 5:52 PM
To: healeys at autox.team.net
Subject: [Healeys] That Stolen Healey

Here's the seller's side:

"Beverly Hills Car Club found the Austin Healey on Craigslist and purchased
the car from a seller in New Jersey who claimed to have owned the car for 42
years. The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) matched the registration and
paperwork, had no liens and was clear and unencumbered from the State of New
York, when it was issued to the seller in 1970," says Versa Manos from the
Beverly Hills Car Club. "In good faith, we purchased the car and paid to
have it shipped cross-country, where it was detailed, photographed and
displayed for sale on our eBay page."

When Beverly Hills Car Club got a call
from Mr. Russell, saying that the car was stolen in 1970 and belonged to
him, the Austin Healey was taken down from eBay immediately. The matter  was
handed over to the dealership's attorney for investigation into Mr.
 Russell's claims.

"To our knowledge, the car had a valid title and there was no report on it
being a stolen vehicle, which was apparently due to an error by the
Philadelphia Police Department," 
continues Ms. Manos. "This could have happened to anyone buying a car on
the internet."

When it became apparent that the car belonged to Mr. Russell, Beverly Hills
Car Club was quick to cooperate with local authorities to return the car to
its rightful owner.

"We are all
very happy that Mr. Russell has gotten his car back," says Ms. Manos. 
"However, we are victims in this situation. We have lost $27,000, which is
what we paid for the car plus the cost to ship it to California."

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/beverly-hills-car-club-would-like-to-set-th
e-record-straight-on-allegations-of-a-stolen-austin-healey-2012-07-12

Rick