The Scandal
Lot 260, however, caused some kind of a scandal: the car is a fake 250 Testa Rossa Spider Scaglietti owned by Dutchman Dr. Paul F. Schouwenburg. Built around a new frame, a genuine 250 GT TdF-engine (s/n 1401GT), some original 250 TR parts and incorporating a newly built body, this replica was "born" in 1996. This auction report does not offer enough space to reveal all the details of the case, but in short the problem can be explained like this: Dr. Schouwenburg decided to number this replica with s/n 0720TR, a genuine 250 TR which was damaged in a garage fire in the USA in the late 1960's. The car's remains were later used in the recreation of 250 TR s/n 0720TR, owned today by German collectors Ingeborg & Harald Mergard.

Aware of the fact that the legitimate s/n 0720TR with the continuous history had been reconstructed, Dr. Schouwenburg decided to number his replica also as "0720TR". In August of 2001, he had already been warned about offering his car while using this serial number, but he entered the car in the Bonhams sale at Gstaad as a no-reserve lot - interestingly at a rather ridiculous estimate of 1.300.000,- to 1.700.000,-SFr. Although this replica surely has a higher value than similar examples due to the genuine 250 GT Tour de France-engine in it, the estimate was way too high for a car like this. In short, the replica was seized prior to the auction by the local police following a court order caused by legal actions started by Ingeborg & Harald Mergard to prohibit the sale of the car. A court action will start in Geneva in April 2002.