Attempt at Fraud Warning: Ferrari 250GT SWB Competizione ch.2687GT Replica

Attempt at Fraud Warning: Ferrari 250GT SWB Competizione ch.2687GT Replica

This clarification aims to expose two individual brokers responsible for the 2687GT's replica, claiming it to be the original car ready to be restored and Classiche certified.

I intend to fully expose their identities in this article. Before anyone suggests moral or ethical considerations, I want to clarify that I am convinced of the importance of honesty, justice, and fairness in trading, preservation, and safeguarding people's honor, reputation, and wealth. Therefore, if anyone's activities potentially threaten or harm these values, I will warn against them and expose them. To anticipate, these individuals were notified and warned to rectify the situation and avoid publicity.

Two seemingly independent individuals, Cyrille Jaquinot and Jeremy Rollet, proposed a supposedly 250GT SWB Competizione model, claiming it to be the original ch.2687GT of Lualdi/Zanardelli. According to them, after its acquisition for around €10,500,000, the car would undergo a €1,500,000 restoration at Carrozzeria Zanasi, fully covered by the workshop, with subsequent Classiche certification following Marco Zanasi's direct request. Jeremy Rollet, in particular, stated that in this file, he was following assessments and recommendations from specialists and representatives from Ferrari, the Classiche division, and a Ferrari Classiche restoration workshop (authorized carrozzeria by definition), along with input from an RM Sotheby’s specialist.

Cyrille Jaquinot also stated that the car had received a positive assessment from Mauro Forghieri, who, according to the document, confirmed the car being based on the original ch.2687GT. Giotto Bizzarrini was also referenced; according to Cyrille's statements, he examined the car and confirmed its condition adhered to the factory's production methods.

After receiving the chassis serial number, I contacted two brand experts for their recommendations regarding the car and the offer. One specialist (an official representative at a well-known auction house) highly recommended that I "stay away from that car" due to the chassis being stolen in the 1960s, with no original parts seen since then. He also mentioned the existence of three replicas. The second specialist—a private collector and trader with extensive family experience with the brand's cars—provided information regarding the chassis and its three replicas:


#2687 is the 21st SWB Competizione, completed on June 21st 1961 and was sold new to Scuderia S. Ambroeus and raced by owner Edoardo Lualdi in 1961 and 1962 before selling it to Zanardelli who used it for Scuderia Mirabella Brescia and raced in 1962. The date of the crash is completely unknown. The original engine for 2687 definitely exists and at one point, was in SWB #3315, the 60th SWB.

The IGM number on the lower line of this replica is 2126 OM which is the homologation number for a 250 GTE 2+2, so I assume that the recreation was built on a GTE frame. The real type 250 GT SWB Berlinetta had IGM Number 2130 OM."


Also:


"There are 3 (!) replicas claiming s/n 2687 GT...:


1) the grey one with Dutch reg. DR-51-21, owned by Hans Hugenholtz for many years.

2) the dark red one seen in Germain’s message with Italian reg. ZA 858 DK raced by Rossi/Dorfmann (1998) Mid-October 2014 during
the 60th Anniversary meet at Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. In California.

3) the rosso corsa red one with German reg. AC-L 250, owned by Ado Melcher from Aachen and based on 250 GT/L chassis #5057 GT"


After receiving this information, I contacted Jeremy Rollet and Cyrille Jaquinot for an explanation. They admitted the dubious and dangerous condition of the chassis and the car while still insisting on the possibility of its restoration. Acknowledging their awareness of the situation, I claimed compensation for losses (this aspect requires separate discussion) and urged them to publicize the chassis' true status and abandon it. My request was completely ignored.

Given the references to Ferrari, Classiche, and RM Sotheby’s, I contacted several representatives, including:
- Greg Anderson, RM Sotheby’s UK and EMEA Managing Director
- Ghita Mejdi, RM Sotheby’s ME Regional Vice President
- Peter Haynes, RM Sotheby’s Marketing and Communications Director
- Greg Stanley, RM Sotheby’s car specialist and Ferrari expert
- Four Ferrari regional directors: Jan Voss, Marco Sambaldi, Giorgio Turri, and Michele Comelli
- Three Classiche representatives: Andrea Modena, Fabio Menegon, and Lucia Giglio
- Four Ferrari official dealers: Alfardan Sports Motors, Kuwait Automobile & Trading Co., Scuderia Lebanon, and Ferrari of Central Florida

Finally, I reached out to Carrozzeria Zanasi to confirm or refute its involvement in the restoration/certification processes of the 2687GT. Carrozzeria Zanasi officially refuted its involvement, stating the chassis' absence from their archives, workshop, and any requests to restore the 2687GT. This detail alone exposes Jeremy Rollet and Cyrille Jaquinot as scammers, and the offer as attempt at fraud.

RM Sotheby’s representatives did not comment on the situation. The rest of the Ferrari officials left clarification requests unanswered, or responded without providing relevant information. Notably, the Classiche sales manager, Fabio Menegon, ceased communication despite initially agreeing to assist and right after my provision of the chassis serial number. Exceptions were Michele Comelli, Lucia Giglio, and Jade Fariello, to whom I directed my letters after the Zanasi's refuatation, who, however, also did not respond.

It can be inferred that Zanasi, being an authorized Ferrari workshop, coordinates its statements with the company directly, so their refutation reflects the company’s stance. However, most Ferrari representatives were contacted before Zanasi's refutation and my letter to them, which is highly suspicious given Ferrari's strict approach to protecting its brand identity and reputation. This is, however, a quite referenced observation, rather than a proved case and claim.

Regarding Mauro Forghieri and Giotto Bizzarrini's involvement, the claims made by the sellers and the allegedly confirming documents may initially confuse. However, several factors contradict the relevance of this documentation, even if genuine:

1. These documents, their relevance, and their attribution to Bizzarrini and Forghieri have not been officially confirmed by the factory. There are no direct proofs indicating the belonging of these documents to Bizzarrini and Forghieri. These documents lack official status despite the reputation of these specialists.

2. The analysis and evaluation of the car by these specialists, according to those documents, were conducted without the use of special tools and without supervision or involvement from the factory representative. Even meeting these conditions would not have influenced the authenticity confirmation of the car for reasons listed in point number 4.

3. The car was stolen in the 1960s, and there are no official reports of its return to the owner or the capture of the thieves. Consequently, the history of the car and the chain of people who preserved and passed on the history of this chassis ends at the time of theft.

4. Naturally, those who stole the car are not trustworthy, and even if they were to admit and return the car to the owner, the car could no longer be considered authentic. During the time of theft and storage by the thieves, the car could have been damaged, and original parts could have been counterfeited due to the relatively primitive factory technologies and production methods of the 1960s.

5. Ferrari has no official reports on the car and its history since the theft. To anticipate, according to one of the official dealers, the chassis registration is absent from the Ferrari database. Even if it were present, the factory could not confirm the authenticity of the car for the aforementioned reasons.
After providing Zanasi's refutation to Jeremy Rollet and Cyrille Jaquinot and urging them to rectify the situation, Jeremy responded with a letter indicating a lack of concern or responsibility due to the absence of a personal meeting, legal agreement, or physical expertise of the offered car. Given the solid assessments from two specialists, such meetings would have been a waste of time and resources.

I strongly advise against any cooperation with Cyrille Jaquinot and Jeremy Rollet, their companies, or their investors, considering their dishonest approach and failure to rectify the situation by disclosing the chassis details. Their actions clearly demonstrate a fraudulent attempt. Preventing the activity of these two individuals, which will potentially reduce the frequency of such offers, can be done by avoiding and warning against. This also serves as a warning regarding the ch.2687GT replica's presence in the collectible market.

For any additional detail do not hesitate to contact me via my personal email: [email protected]

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