A flood issue is my guess as well. Just out of curiosity, could a catastrophic motor issue cause a car to be salvaged? Is it possible to message the buyer on BaT? That may be the best way to find out what happened. Man, less than 300 miles since the BaT auction a year ago. Crazy!
I saw those center caps stickers and thought "who would do that to such a prime example?" Something's phishy to me.
So, I didn't get to see the car yesterday. I've never been to Copart before, and decided to call first. Apparently, to go on the lot, I had to create an account and upload my DL. She said the computer on-site wasn't working, so I needed to to it on my phone or home computer before I visited the site. I now have a "Member" account, and plan to swing by at lunch. In any case, this morning I skimmed their online auction listings, as they have auctions on Thursday mornings. For some weird reason, I clicked a listing for a Ford tractor (I have no need for a tractor, so I'm not sure why it grabbed my attention). As I scrolled through the photos, what to my wandering eye should appear, but a dusty red cabriolet, hiding in the rear... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Cartersville is not a metroplex, so it's pretty unlikely another Mondial T is at this Copart facility. Barn find car? Leaking top, or to keep it "cleanish"?
Under the prodigious coating of dust, the car seems reasonably well preserved. The cover over the roof is to protect the interior from dust, as the rear windows are both rolled down. I didn't see any indication of flood damage or mold growth, and no markings on the car regarding "biohazard / flooding / water damage" etc. The lights are up. I don't know why it is there. Neither did the worker I spoke with. The lady in the office said the car is not available to be looked at, because they are still waiting on the title from the state. She didn't say I could not take photos, though... I made sure not to look at the car as I took photos. They don't have a date that the car will be up for sale. They are currently taking bids. I plan to return in a couple of weeks, as the temperatures should be cooler soon... we set a new record today... 97*. Walking around the lot in street clothes, mid-day... it was pretty warm. Anyway, when I return, I plan to get some photos of the interior. Appears to be slight damage to door lock, and possibly to the air intake fin.
Thanks for going by there Drew and providing your perspective. It's amazing how much dust has collected on the car since the pictures were taken! I wonder what the story is? I saw that Alexion posted a question on the BaT auction for the buyer to find out what happened to the car. It appears that the buyer has recently been active on BaT. It'll be interesting to see if they respond. It's kind of interesting that the Bentley is sitting next to it. I wonder if there is a reason that they're sitting next to one another? Could they have belonged to the same owner? Possible theft recoveries or repossessions? 2cam
The story is no less fishy now than before. Without and visible damage to the exterior, and assuming the car wasn't in any type of flood, my next speculation would be that it was repossessed by a bank or credit union and they just wanted to write it off their books. If it suffered catastrophic engine failure, insurance doesn't pay. Maybe it did and was abandoned on the side of the road, only to end up at Copart.
You're welcome! Hopefully, the photos will be helpful for someone here to buy. I would love to put in a bid on it, but I am not in the market, yet. I'm short on time and covered parking space for a project car. Before I buy a fun vehicle, I plan to build a separate garage. I really wanted to see one in person, but I'm in a rural area, so I would have never expected to have a Mondi show up within a 15 minute drive! This is the first Mondial I've ever seen. It's a cute little car, and perfect for me as a family man. It's on my goal list for 2021. I really hope the previous owner replies on BaT (or chimes in here)!
Off topic, but I'd be happy to show you my t coupe, and I'm easily about 15 minutes away as well if this one was that close to you. PM me if interested.
Apparently so, based on the Copart photo of the VIN plate. I didn't open the door and verify the VIN plate myself... I was dressed in Dockers, a Polo shirt, and Johnston Murphy tassled loafers, and had to return to the office. Not really appropriate attire for Copart exploration... As much dust is on the car, I would have looked like a lost relic from the Pharoh's pyramid after I tried to open the car. Unrelated note-to-self... next time, remember to take comfortable, soft-sole walking shoes when walking around the lot at Copart. Also, don't visit when it's 97*. Anyway, like others speculated, maybe this is a repo situation. Maybe after winning the BaT auction, the owner could not pay, or had an expensive maintenance issue, and the car was repo'd. VINWiki didn't have any info on the car. Now that fall weather has actually made it to Atlanta, I plan to return for more photos. I'll try to get a photo of the VIN plate, some interior photos. I would love that. I'll PM you. I'll check back here next week. Have a great weekend everyone... I'm heading to Chateau Elan to DJ an event.
Interesting that both the antenna and headlights are in an up position. Perhaps a clue that car stopped working while being driven? e.g., faulty alternator or battery while driving?
Repo doesn't make sense. It's not in either party's interest to classify it as a salvage title because of a repo. Maybe Copart has it listed that way out of habit? Or maybe the engine broke a timing belt and destroyed the engine. BaT ad said the last major was November 2015. That's over 3 years. Maybe the new owner decided to gamble? (Haha) This is the Mondial Mystery of the Week.
Ths plot thickens. While the BaT page shows up if you search the VIN, it is no longer on their Mondial page and the price is not recorded in the price graph. Car should be between these two on 9/18/18. Image Unavailable, Please Login