Below is debate not argueing before you wade into it, or not, thinking it an answer to P50 position on the original subject. Basically matter arising.
Going back to the topic of creating a fake/replica. It is an interesting situation. If you were to attempt to replicate a design protected by law you will run the risk of getting sued. As in the Chevron case even though the original company had long gone the world construction rights remained live and we have a court case. I am not sure what the case was with the AC Cobra but AC still exist so presumably they chose not to persue those who first made replica Cobras. There are many differing versions now and several are reasonably accurate while others are actually better than the real thing having incorporated modern technology into the resulting cars on the road. It would appear the situation with Peels is analogous to the second case. However what would happen if an heir of Cyril Cannel turned up with a right to produce the Peel cars and a budget to go to law? We revert to the first position I guess. I think one person might have a substantial defence case that he had been in the possession of the technology to build cars long enough to have gained production by right but I really do not know if this works on rights, it does not with books for instance.
I therefore maintain that to make a replica is a calculated risk in investment terms. However to muddy the waters if you have the identity of a car destroyed physically it is possible to rebuild that car back to a functioning machine. This is not illegal though there have been disagreements over registration once finished on occasions and the original number has been denied to the car while the chassis number has been accepted. There have been cases of cars being rebuilt only to find that there are two of them.... off to court we go. But the key element would seem to be that you need to hold the chassis number and preferably proving paperwork. You could argue that a rebuilt car and a replica can be identical save for the attachment of an original chassis plate but one is a 'real' car the other not.
As we rightly define the real illegality proceedable by anyone is to make false statements about a car to sell it. Effectively passing the fake off as a genuine car etc. However every good replica made can at some point result in this occurring even if the originator was clear he was creating a fake for his own satisfaction. That is the real danger of these cars as they pass through several owners each changing the history a little enhancing the credentials and thus hopefully the value. A favoured route is an auction as many a tale is told on auction notes. If done well they cannot be bounced and the auction legitimises the history. I have seen this done in the trade and had close shaves with several wrong 'uns created out of the dust into very convincing machines which upon investigation are nigh on worthless. I will always take the view the fakes effect prices. This might be to increase them but equally it can depress them, not least if it becomes impossible to tell real from false. An investor either needs an expert to advise him or he cannot buy with confidence. There are easier investments around. So just because Peels are hot now does not mean they will go up for ever. There could be payback.
None of this effects the guy who just wants a Peel with a Vespa engine in it and the wrong size wheels. His only worry is how to get a registration. He is not fooling anyone and is not trying to. However the system of registration actually encourage him to look to try and gain one of the original IDs as it is a simpler way to gain a registration avoiding tests, paperwork and Spot Bots. So the system in a way conspires to encourage folk to gain original registrations for fakes which is counter to what it should be doing, unless we accept Big Brother says you cannot have a weird car if you want one. Thus we have the value of keeping accurate registers of rare and easy to replicate cars in the public domain as the room for the faker is cut to a minimium if there is clear information available. Sadly this does not happen for various reasons, not least legal, so the buyer is placed in a rather weak position and a clever faker in a pretty strong one if he is devious enough to access the restricted record database.
Be interested in debate as I am in no way saying the above is correct as I do not know for sure.
Here's a real story. Don't quote me to the nth degree but the basics are there...........
There was once a GT40 spyder. One off I think. Built by SVO in Essex late 60's. Raced in the day and got smashed to bits on its first outing. Ford stripped it back at the works. Then SCRAPPED the remains.. A twisted tub.
So Fords records say scrapped/destroyed. THEN..... Along comes Mr Smith in the 90's and builds a tool room copy and manages to blag the og i.d.
That gents is the SCAM. Blagging the OG I.D. Mr Smith is happy as a pig in pooh.
Fast forward. NULABIA and Mr Coe get the 2012 Olympics. (yawn..) Compulsary purchase order in Straford by the government (Mr H likes those sort of things. Bastard government and a faceless civil service scrote steam rollering through a persons life. We'll let big Al comment on that topic at a later date..........).
Seems the scrap yard owner decided to not crush the Spyder. He stashed the hulk away down in a Stratford lockup in late 60's. It turned up and went mainstream. Mr Smith had to give up his I.D. live 'o. The civil service scrote who allowed the rep to acquire the I.D. should be sacked.
In short don't go getting big ideas on building the electric Trident. It WILL turn up and you will be looking very stupid!
A car's I.D. is it's stamped chassis, tag or number. You have that then you have the car. Basically the OG car cannot turn up.
Simples!
