Unique Performance owners sue the Old Man

[LURK]

Muscle Car Icon In Hot Seat Over Licensing Deal

FARMERS BRANCH, Texas (CBS) ―
station WCBS-TVIt started with an action movie. Then automobile enthusiasts from around the world started ordering one-of-a-kind muscle cars from a company called Unique Performance.

Now all of the cars have been sold at auction and some customers, who paid a lot of money for their vehicles, are suing automotive icon Carroll Shelby.

"I received a book from Carroll Shelby that was signed. I received a tarp for my car. I received a bunch of little stuff, but I never received my car," said Burleson businessman Mike Erinakes.

Erinakes said he paid Unique Performance $162,750.00 for a Shelby Mustang "Super Snake" endorsed by Carroll Shelby. Now Erinakes and numerous other clients are demanding Shelby reimburse them for their losses.

"I think he needs to make it right," said Erinakes. "He personally endorsed these vehicles. He was getting royalties off these vehicles. He needs to make it right with all the people out there who invested money with Carroll Shelby and Unique Performance."

Erinakes purchased a 1969 Foose Camaro from Unique Performance, and was awaiting delivery on the Mustang when detectives raided the business and confiscated 61 vehicles that were in various states of completion. Evidence collected from two criminal investigations has been forwarded to the Dallas County District Attorney's Office and the U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Texas, CBS station KTVT-TV reported.

"No one would have ordered these cars if it wasn't for Carroll Shelby," said former Secret Service agent James Bartee, who has also filed a lawsuit against Shelby. Bartee said he ordered a Shelby Mustang GT 350 SR.

"I've always thought of him as an honorable person and a person that met his obligations so I wanted one of his vehicles before he left this earth," said Bartee.

Potential buyers from all over the world came to Farmers Branch to see the cars that Unique Performance was manufacturing. They were willing to pay up to $300,000 for a Mustang, originally built in the 1960s, bearing the Shelby name.

Carroll Shelby was an aviator in World War II, a race car driver, an automobile manufacturer and a consultant. It was the Shelby Mustang called "Eleanor" in the movie "Gone in 60 Seconds" that created a new frenzy for these custom-made muscle cars.

Erinakes said he was willing to pay $217,000 for the Mustang he ordered from Unique Performance. Carroll Shelby had a licensing agreement with Unique Performance, but pulled the agreement in October of 2007 when complaints and lawsuits started piling up. Shelby did not respond to our requests for a comment.

The 61 cars, in various states of completion, were auctioned online. One fast-back went for more than $19,000 and according to Sgt. Phillip Harris with the Texas Department of Public Service, the Shelby Mustang cars sold by Unique Performance were being sold for an average of $180,000.

Erinakes said he asked law enforcement detectives to examine the Camaro he purchased from Unique Performance.

"After the situation came up with Unique Performance in Farmers Branch I invited the Secret Service and the Farmers Branch Police Department to come by and check the serial number and check out my car voluntarily," he said. "They found it to be a legit '69 Camaro."

Unique Performance is in bankruptcy. The criminal investigation is on-going, but the partially completed vehicles sold at auction had no vehicle identification numbers or titles. So detectives say it's not known if they'll ever be legal to put on the road.


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