Lee Noble has left the building...

[Adrian W]

Daisy Duke said:

abrook said:

I got it.

Think...anagramatically.

Oh I see - suppose I should have taken into account that it was Martin posting!

Got that, but he must be running out of potential backers/employers and his name must be the kiss of death from a busines prospective

[Jenx]

Daisy Duke said:

I should have taken into account that it was Martin posting!

E.L.B.O.N....back to front = NOBLE. What I was getting at is that Lee could allready be working on an M12 mark 2.

Martin.

Edited by Jenx on Friday 22 February 20:24

[yak293]

There seems to be a particularly unpleasant rumour flying around re the reason for our namesakes sudden departure!!

I have no intention repeating second hand accusations here, but would invite those with genuine information to enlighten us in the interest of the “owners” both present and future.

I am confident that if this is done in a mature and measured manor it will not be met by vilification from certain predictable sections of this forum

Yak293

[philbennett]

yak293 said:

There seems to be a particularly unpleasant rumour flying around re the reason for our namesakes sudden departure!!

I have no intention repeating second hand accusations here, but would invite those with genuine information to enlighten us in the interest of the “owners” both present and future.

I am confident that if this is done in a mature and measured manor it will not be met by vilification from certain predictable sections of this forum

Yak293

Since when was any information that didn't sound like a Noble Automotive press release not meet with vilification??

I'd say that the predictable sections of this forum deserve everything they get, the writings been on the wall for long enough and the "rumour" is of little surprise, which given it is very unlikely ever to be confirmed officially will always be a "rumour" and hence always open to the predictable vilification.

Nevermind. On a positive note the new car by all accounts is progressing well...

[NickyTwoHats]

Welcome back Mr B.

For you to say progressing well .... seems the most positive news I've heard for some time.

FACTORY - NEWS PLEASE!

[philbennett]

NickyTwoHats said:

Welcome back Mr B.

For you to say progressing well .... seems the most positive news I've heard for some time.

FACTORY - NEWS PLEASE!

Hi - as I understand things the car has been running with some sucess. Seems the thing is a step up in performance from the M400 even - which is good news.

Again as I understand there is some styling debate and the interior is being re-worked. By all accounts things seem to be moving well since the departure of LN...

[joust]

The debates around the styling are nothing new with various options been worked on with opinions being taken from many people over a long time. As for the interior I'm unsure how it's being "reworked" as I've not seen a physical version for the M600. Unsure how you rework something that never existed?

As for the "rumour", I've said before there are a lot of highly uninformed posts on this thread.

J

[DanH]

joust said:

The debates around the styling are nothing new with various options been worked on with opinions being taken from many people over a long time. As for the interior I'm unsure how it's being "reworked" as I've not seen a physical version for the M600. Unsure how you rework something that never existed?

As for the "rumour", I've said before there are a lot of highly uninformed posts on this thread.

J

Are you aware of the material of the rumour?

[joust]

What do you mean my material? If you mean am I aware of what the rumour is meant to be about, then obviously yes.

If you mean do I know what the situation was when the rumour surfaced then I'm not prepared to say on here as that again violates the posting guidelines.

J

[NobleGuy]

There seems little point talking about it at all then.

[P4Replica]

Well, guys. I'm as sorry to hear about this as you are.

Was totally unaware of this situation, and yesterday, quite innocently phoned Noble Cars and asked to speak to 'Lee'.

I was put though to another 'Lee' in the stores. When I asked to be put back to the switchboard, I was told that "Lee Noble no longer works for the company". They wouldn't comment futher than that.

In case anybody is wondering why I needed to talk to Lee - I wanted to ask his help in de-bunking a b*llsh*t news item that started on Monday, when an allegedly "made in Thailand" fake Ferrari P4 was the centre-piece of an anti-counterfeiting expo in Brussels. Stuff all over the Web about it. The car is of course a Noble P4 replica - Lee sold these in kit form from 1986-1992.

If you want to read more on this story - here's the true version:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=...

Naturally, I just wanted to hear Lee say 'Yeh - of course it's ******* well one of mine' .... (expletives deleted).

I'd still like to contact him. Anybody got any ideas ?
I got this email from the factory this afternoon:

"We spoke yesterday regarding contacting Mr Lee Noble on the P4 issue you raised. However I am unfortunately unable to provide any contact details for Mr Noble, so on this occasion unable to assist with your enquiry.

Kind regards

(name with-held)
Noble Automotive Ltd"

Edited by P4Replica on Friday 14th March 18:02

Edited by P4Replica on Friday 14th March 18:06

Edited by P4Replica on Friday 14th March 18:07

[Adrian W]

Maybe he's done a runner and left the country!








And they don't know where to send the cheque

Edited by Adrian W on Friday 14th March 18:16

[yak293]

yak293 said:

There seems to be a particularly unpleasant rumour flying around re the reason for our namesakes sudden departure!!

I have no intention repeating second hand accusations here, but would invite those with genuine information to enlighten us in the interest of the “owners” both present and future.

I am confident that if this is done in a mature and measured manor it will not be met by vilification from certain predictable sections of this forum

Yak293

CAR COUPLE ACCUSED OF TAKING COMPANY FUNDS
BY JENNY OUSBEY

10:30 - 30 June 2008



The couple behind a famous British sports car brand have been accused of wrongly obtaining more than £300,000 from their former company.

It is alleged that Lee and Carol Noble, of Hill View Drive, Cosby, used the money to buy items including a private number plate and Porsche car parts.

A writ was issued against them in the High Court, in London, on June 2.



The claims - denied by Mr and Mrs Noble - are brought by Peter Dyson and Noble Automotive Ltd, which is based in Barwell.

Peter Dyson is a director of Noble Automotive, and he and his wife are the owners of the parent company, Noble Automotive.

Noble cars have been reviewed on the BBC's Top Gear programme, and presenters Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond have sung their praises.

Mr Noble, a former racing driver, turned his hand to designing and set up the company in 2000.

He is widely regarded as the driving force behind the company's reputation for bespoke sports cars.

Now, he and his wife have been accused of doubling their salaries, false accounting, withdrawing cash from the company account and not repaying part of a £460,000 loan.

The writ details how the couple used the cash to pay for improvements on their second home - Woodway Lodge, in Woodway Lane, Claybrooke Parva - as well as restaurant meals, quad bikes and phone bills.

Mr Noble was managing director of the company and Mrs Noble was in overall charge of the company's finances before both were summarily dismissed for gross misconduct in February this year.

The allegations against the Nobles are based on an internal audit ordered by Mr Dyson, which took place between February 11 and 28 this year, according to the court documents.

The couple are accused of making "secret profit" for their "personal benefit" between April 2007 and January this year by making false entries in the account books, using the corporate credit card and failing to pay cash receipts.

The High Court writ details how the couple were lent £460,000 by Noble Automotive based on the condition they would sell their Cosby house.

The couple still owe the company £200,000 and their house is not up for sale, even though the conditions of the loan included selling it by January this year, it is alleged.

Jamie Champkin, of J.R Champkin, who is representing the Nobles, said: "All I can say at the moment is that the claim is proceeding through the courts and the allegations are denied."

Rachel Harrap, of Edwin Coe law firm, who is representing Peter Dyson and Noble Automotive, said she was unable to comment.

A hearing date has not yet been set.

[mgbond]

J,

This thread has already been started here:

www.nobledrivers.com/topic.asp?t=553643&f=26&h=30

Bondy

[snuffy]

Is there an echo in here ?

[Timbo_Mint]

This news is well out of date but then I don't read papers. Have people seen this:

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/displayNode....

[ThatPhilBrettGuy]

Timbo_Mint said:

This news is well out of date but then I don't read papers. Have people seen this:

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/displayNode....

So you didn't read the text 3 posts up then?

[obes]

Had a quick chat to Lee yesterday at Silverstone. Still in the country and looking very well too !

[Timbo_Mint]

ThatPhilBrettGuy said:

Timbo_Mint said:

This news is well out of date but then I don't read papers. Have people seen this:

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/displayNode....

So you didn't read the text 3 posts up then?

Urr no!... gave up on page three of the thread. Oh well!

[NobleGuy]

Timbo_Mint said:

ThatPhilBrettGuy said:

Timbo_Mint said:

This news is well out of date but then I don't read papers. Have people seen this:

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/displayNode....

So you didn't read the text 3 posts up then?

Urr no!... gave up on page three of the thread. Oh well!