BMW Z3 with Ferrari 250 SWB kit
Discussion
Hi all, I'm new on here. I picked up my Ferrari 250 tribute at the end of last year, built by Mr Bird.
I am both delighted with my beautiful new car and frustrated at some of the "finishing" that Mr Bird has left me with.
Apparently Ferrari have put him out of business so he can't put the snags right, I saw someone posted something about this sort of thing on here hence me joining to make comment.
A couple of questions to anyone who's in the know;
What makes theses cars illegal, is it just the badges? An easy fix to remove if necessary.
Also can anyone recommend someone competent who can take my car and sort out the snags? I'm outside west London so someone in the south of England would be ideal.
I am both delighted with my beautiful new car and frustrated at some of the "finishing" that Mr Bird has left me with.
Apparently Ferrari have put him out of business so he can't put the snags right, I saw someone posted something about this sort of thing on here hence me joining to make comment.
A couple of questions to anyone who's in the know;
What makes theses cars illegal, is it just the badges? An easy fix to remove if necessary.
Also can anyone recommend someone competent who can take my car and sort out the snags? I'm outside west London so someone in the south of England would be ideal.
Steve Ascot said:
Hi all, I'm new on here. I picked up my Ferrari 250 tribute at the end of last year, built by Mr Bird.
I am both delighted with my beautiful new car and frustrated at some of the "finishing" that Mr Bird has left me with.
Apparently Ferrari have put him out of business
Can you say more? they must have been worriedI am both delighted with my beautiful new car and frustrated at some of the "finishing" that Mr Bird has left me with.
Apparently Ferrari have put him out of business
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribute_Automotive
Steve Ascot said:
Hi all, I'm new on here. I picked up my Ferrari 250 tribute at the end of last year, built by Mr Bird.
I am both delighted with my beautiful new car and frustrated at some of the "finishing" that Mr Bird has left me with.
Apparently Ferrari have put him out of business so he can't put the snags right, I saw someone posted something about this sort of thing on here hence me joining to make comment.
A couple of questions to anyone who's in the know;
What makes theses cars illegal, is it just the badges? An easy fix to remove if necessary.
Also can anyone recommend someone competent who can take my car and sort out the snags? I'm outside west London so someone in the south of England would be ideal.
It's a copyright thing. I think (not 100% sure) that Ferrari copyright the shapes of their cars as well as the names. Don't go to Italy. If you do, you risk getting the car crushed.I am both delighted with my beautiful new car and frustrated at some of the "finishing" that Mr Bird has left me with.
Apparently Ferrari have put him out of business so he can't put the snags right, I saw someone posted something about this sort of thing on here hence me joining to make comment.
A couple of questions to anyone who's in the know;
What makes theses cars illegal, is it just the badges? An easy fix to remove if necessary.
Also can anyone recommend someone competent who can take my car and sort out the snags? I'm outside west London so someone in the south of England would be ideal.
saaby93 said:
Steve Ascot said:
Hi all, I'm new on here. I picked up my Ferrari 250 tribute at the end of last year, built by Mr Bird.
I am both delighted with my beautiful new car and frustrated at some of the "finishing" that Mr Bird has left me with.
Apparently Ferrari have put him out of business
Can you say more? they must have been worriedI am both delighted with my beautiful new car and frustrated at some of the "finishing" that Mr Bird has left me with.
Apparently Ferrari have put him out of business
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribute_Automotive
That link doesn't give any such info and his website is still up
A quick Google doesn't find anything either
pingu393 said:
It's a copyright thing. I think (not 100% sure) that Ferrari copyright the shapes of their cars as well as the names. Don't go to Italy. If you do, you risk getting the car crushed.
It's somewhat a grey area (especially from cars made many years ago) - Ferrari didn't make a SWB250 convertible, so it's a strange thing if they've taken action on this panel kit.jeff666 said:
Fastpedeller said:
It's somewhat a grey area (especially from cars made many years ago) - Ferrari didn't make a SWB250 convertible, so it's a strange thing if they've taken action on this panel kit.
If true ?Ferrari took action against Nubodi and a DNA car that was for sale by Total Headturners at last years NEC classic, apparently a destruction order was put on both cars.(again if true)
Nubodi no longer advertises the 250 on their website so make of that what you will.
Nubodi wont supply their Northern build agent with kits any more so I do think some thing has happened, this was told to me by another kit manufacturer in my area so 2nd hand info again.
Tribute still advertise both kits on their website so they don't seem to worried, I do know from memory years ago Tribute were stopped by Bentley for doing a look a like on a supra.
f it was sold as a Tribune 25 its just a BMW Z3 with curvey panels
It will be the use of the Ferrari name by association in any marketing I would imagine. Ferrari cannot stop anyone making a lookalike, none of the panels would fit an original either so no infringements in that respect.
What they can do is get a very expensive legal firm to send you a nasty letter to frighten the life out of you. Apparently that works in most cases.
Having said that I was chatting to a maker of very nice 250 SWB toolroom copies recently and Ferrari have shown no interest at all in trying to stop them, they even supply bits to Ferrari for their own restorations.
The key thing to do it would seem is what Singer do, that is convert customers own cars rather than selling converted cars. The reality is that they source the donor for the new owner and register it in the owners name first then convert it, but this gets around the legalities.
What they can do is get a very expensive legal firm to send you a nasty letter to frighten the life out of you. Apparently that works in most cases.
Having said that I was chatting to a maker of very nice 250 SWB toolroom copies recently and Ferrari have shown no interest at all in trying to stop them, they even supply bits to Ferrari for their own restorations.
The key thing to do it would seem is what Singer do, that is convert customers own cars rather than selling converted cars. The reality is that they source the donor for the new owner and register it in the owners name first then convert it, but this gets around the legalities.
Edited by PAUL500 on Tuesday 20th March 21:30
PAUL500 said:
It will be the use of the Ferrari name by association in any marketing I would imagine. Ferrari cannot stop anyone making a lookalike,
I wouldn't be sure of that - There was a famous case between Caterham and Westfield. C have a 'copyright' on the shape of their car, and Westfield were forced to change their vehicle. This sort of thing can be very complex (and can depend to an extent on whether funds are available to fight an action!).It could be that time elapsed since manufacture is a factor, or whether the original manufacturer is still selling the model. I don't believe they can stop anyone making a lookalike for their own use (I may be wrong), but when it becomes an income stream as a business I believe that changes. Also If it was your own car and you sold it, I don't know what the position would be - probably ok if you had no F badges on it, but (understandably) not ok to pass it off as a genuine item. The use of F badges but specifically stating it isn't one may be ok for a 1-off private sale. Best just avoided IMHO.
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