Slander - Part II
Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2001 12:40 pm
Dear Whitworth Heads:
We brought this subject to the attention of the list because it applied to
several of its members who recently made several derogatory comments about
one of the suppliers of parts, i.e., (to paraphrase) "Stay away from
so-and-so. He's bad news". These comments bothered me greatly because they
were vague opinions, no facts were given to support them and they came from
members who also offer professional services, and, presumably have a degree
of respect and credibility.
For the record, I am not a professional restorer, parts vendor mechanic or a
lawyer. I don't mind honest criticism based upon fact and value the judgments
of others, including members of this list, since they can help us all avoid
costly mistakes. By the way, the list is a valuable source of information and
I in no way wish to thwart the free, fair and honest exchange found therein.
Since many of the comments that have appeared since my first entry on this
subject were biased in favor of the owner, it appears that they came from
individuals who have not read the article. To clarify this discussion the
following is the salient part of the article published in the September Issue
of Car Collector magazine and authored by Lawrence Savell, Esq., Counsel at
the law firm of Chadbourne & Parke LLP in New York
"According to published news reports, B. Scott Isquick collected antique
automobiles, including a 1911 Mercedes 90hp Skiff which had originally been
built for the American hat maker, Henry Stetson. Isquick had bought the
90-horse-power car, which had an original sticker price of $18,000, in 1972
for $6,500. All that remained of the original vehicle was a chassis and
wheels (some reports say the engine survived as well). After these items sat
in his garage for 20 years, Isquick asked auto restoration specialist Dale
Adams to restore the vehicle.
Complicated by the fact that there apparently were no manuals or repair books
available dealing with the vehicle, the restoration took 20 months, 13,000
person hours, and cost $500,000. When complete, the Mercedes boasted a
hand-made, triple-layered mahogany body designed by Adams and inspired by
turn-of-the century French carriage maker Henri Labourdette. The restored car
attained speeds of 90 miles per hour. It won several awards, including being
chosen Best of Class at the Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance in Rochester,
Michigan, and receiving Mercedes-Benz's Silver Laurel Trophy for
"exhibit[ing] the ultimate in artistic expression timeless beauty[, and]
classic elegance".
Isquick reportedly was nevertheless not satisfied with the restoration, and
apparently communicated his displeasure to others, including other car
collectors. He eventually brought a lawsuit against Adams, alleging
negligence. Adams counterclaimed for defamation and business interference,
alleging that Isquick's negative statements caused him to lose customers,
leading to the closing of his business. Although Isquick dropped his lawsuit
a couple of years later, Adams proceeded forward to trial on his counterclaim.
This February, the jury ruled for Adams, awarding him $2.5 million for
slander and $400,000 for business interference."
In case you think $500,000 is a lot of money for a restoration of this type,
it is sobering to realize that this works out to $38.46/hour and does not
include parts or material. I doubt the restorer got rich at that hourly
rate.
Again, I recommend subscribing to Car Collector magazine and reading the
article in its entirety. Hopefully, the point has been made. Any thoughts?
Kindest regards,
Alan Campbell