Did Nick Mason have a copy of his 250GTO made?

Insurance is something normal people have to worry about. When you have enough Geld to have a collection of cars like Nick has, you have no use for insurance.

 

No, Nick Mason once famously used his GTO to take his kids to school in the snow when his normal car wouldnt start!!!

 

GEEZ -

And to think that old Nick gave me a couple of pairs of drum sticks after a PF show in Seattle in 1970 (maybe 1971) [Ummagumma and Atom Heart Mother era] after a friend of mine and I helped pack up their equipment. The sticks? Dallas Arbitter factory seconds, one with "Ginger Baker" stamped in gold.

Mark Nerheim

 

Bob Smith did build a replica GTO for an owner (not Mason) who raced the replica for years until the deception was discovered. It had a complete 250 chassis, engine and transmission, with a replica body. It was available for sale at Family Classic Cars in San Juan Capistrano this summer for approx $700k. The car is currently owned by John Calley, chairman of Sony Pictures/Columbia/Tri Star while on consigment at FCC.

The car has been brought to Crystal Cove a few times.

I looked at it in detail in August and it is breathtakingly good, but it is not real and does not have a GTO VIN, therefore is it really valueless.

 

I believe it was Sir Paul Vestey who had the replica made so he could race it without worrying about damaging it. I remember viewing a thread on F-Chat dealing with some confusion over it... wasn't someone later claiming it was real?

 

Knowing what I know about Mr. Mason. I seriously doubt he would make a copy of his car....He'd drive the damn thing, so would I for that matter. It wasn't made to collect dust after all.

 

Absolutely ... he could not give a damn about what it is worth, after all he bought it for something like $18,000 and has had it for ages.

According to his book(s), etc. he uses it all the time and his attitude is NOT one of making money out of his cars at all ... and that I 100% respect him for. He is a car enthusiasts not an investor.

Pete

 

I have a friend who works in TV.
A couple of years ago he was down at Goodwood circuit doing a piece on the Mason 250GTO. As they were setting up the cameras Nick Mason wandered over. They wanted to attach a camera to the car to film the circuit as it was driven round.
As they were attaching the suction mount to the rear window Mason rushed over and stopped them. He said he would rather they attach the mount to the bodywork reasoning that if anything was damaged it would be far easier to get the whole car re-painted than find an original 250GTO rear window!
He's a great guy - really loves his cars, but certainly not afraid to use them.

 

From memory it was 35,000 pounds in 1977. That was a huge amount of money back then.
I highly recommend his book "Into the Red" which details his car collection and the stories behind the purchase of each car. Fab CD of the sounds of each car comes with the book. The BRM is unbelievable.

 

Yes, great book. Got a signed copy as a gift from DK engineering.... very nice indeed.

 

remember.. of the 37 GTO's built, 53 remain.....

 

that we know of...

 

..............and for sale, apparently.

Paul M

 

HUH!!

You're not suggesting that MORE bribes and back handers and scullduggery has happened, SURELY....

RS panels are a sensational outfit. And I'd like to take a polygraph round there and film the interview......

 

I KNOW IT'S INCORRECT BUT YOU CAN SEE WHERE RUMOURS START IF FERRARIS' LIEUTENEANT CAN'T GET IT RIGHT!

PICTURE IS FROM THE RECENTLY PUBLISHED (2002)

"MEMOIRS OF FERRARIS' LIEUTENANT"

BY FRANCO GOZZI
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Here she is in action at last weekend's Goodwood Revival. Loads more at :

http://bonneville-speed-week.smugmug.com/

www.fluidimages.co.uk
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That replica was offered for sale about six months ago and the information then was that it was commissioned by Vestey and instead of asking RS Panels to verify this, might be better to aim the question at DK Engineering. Anyway, it is a real toolmakers pattern right down to the sand cast carbs,surely not "valueless" but at US$700,000 someone is dreaming. Maybe a third of that would be sensible???

 

"Valueless" in the sense that it is not a GTO. It has the same value as a fake painting being passed off as real, or closer to the subject a fake 289 Shelby Cobra being passed off as real.

It has value as a replica. As soon as it is positioned as the real thing, it loses any value it might have had. I certainly would have no pleasure owning one.

 

Surley you mean an AC Cobra, after all the cars were made by AC Cars not shelby (chassis & body AC Cars Ltd. engine Ford.....what did shelby actually make.........and he shure as hell didnt design the body or chasis)

 

For an Englishman, you SURE can't spell, but yes you are surely correct. I did for sure mean the AC version converted by good ol' Uncle Shel.

 

If it is that accurate, and if it is built on a real Ferrari chassis, then I would think the $700K is a pretty good price considering a real REAL GTO is now more like $7-9 million.