Gemballa closes its doors... Uwe still missing....

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Blitz187

Blitz187

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Blitz187
Are u serious?
Looks like one of the big tuning houses is gone... I must admit I was never a fan of all the creations that came out of Gemballa... but some of them were ok.... A lot of them were over the top... Gemballa Carrera GT is probably one of my favs though ;)

gemballa-mirage-gt-02.jpg


Gemballa, a tuning firm that provides aftermarket parts for mainly Porsche
and Ferrari vehicles, has closed its doors following the disappearance of its founder Uwe Gemballa. Gemballa has been reported missing since February in Johannesburg, South Africa while on a business trip.

Gemballa’s earnings went from €16.2m in 2007 to €8m in 2009. With that in mind, Uwe decided to seek out investors in Dubai and South Africa. On the evening of February 9, Uwe reportedly called his son and told him he had an accident and was in need of one million dollars. That was the last time Uwe’s son heard from him.


Speculation has it that Uwe planned his own disappearance or that he is the subject of a ransom plot.

We’ll bring you more info as the story develops.

- By: Omar Rana
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Source: http://www.egmcartech.com/2010/05/18/report-gemballa-closes-its-doors-founder-uwe-still-missing/
 
I'm not really sure about what happenned to Uwe, but that's an odd situation.

I won't miss his tunes, that Gemballa MIG Enzo make my eyes bleed. :yuck:

Also, I can't like a guy whose firm is specialized in ruining rare Carrera GTs, perhaps a pissed petrolhead kidnapped him.
 
Dan_
I'm not really sure about what happenned to Uwe, but that's an odd situation.

I won't miss his tunes, that Gemballa MIG Enzo make my eyes bleed. :yuck:

Also, I can't like a guy whose firm is specialized in ruining rare Carrera GTs, perhaps a pissed petrolhead kidnapped him.
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I read on a Dutch website that that is what people think... There was a deposit of a million euros put down on a MIG U1 ( The Enzo Storm Trooper :P) and the person who did this didnt hear anything from Mr. Gemballa after that. He then went on a business trip to South Africa to meet this person and thats when all the weird stuff happend. Still a mystery as to the exact details.. but one thing is for sure... No more Gemballas...
 
I hope he's okay, but good riddance to his company.
 
His cars were awful so I'm glad the companies gone, although it'll be sad if he's come to an unfortunate end.
 
Not all of Gemballa's cars were bad, although there were some that were pretty poor. Hope Mr. Gemballa is ok though.
 
So is there any chance that the cars will be offered for a discount? I'd really like an Avalanche.
 
TGM Tiddy
His cars were awful so I'm glad the companies gone, although it'll be sad if he's come to an unfortunate end.
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So it's OK for companies to dissolve because their cars didn't speak to some people's interests? :dunce:
 
Meh If I got the money I'd ruin a Carrera GT or an Enzo. Just because I got the money.

Unfortunately, I don't got the money.:(
 
There were surly enough clients to buy their cars. They doen't need to sell a 1000 cars a year. Look at Hamann, might be questionnable to some of you, they sell not a lot of cars (quantity wise) and still survive. Why? they ****** ask a lot of money for their tune ups.
Civic = 15000 / tune ups 200
Porsche = 100000 / tune up 20000

But i hope Mr gemballa is alright. man you're the boss, send someone over to africa / russia / china/ south america. you woudn't go to irak in person to sell your million dollar car either
 
Nooo!!!!!!!!!! Uwe Gemballa reportedly found murdered!

Quote from autoblog.com:


"News is coming in that the body of Uwe Gemballa has been found in South Africa. Gemballa was the former CEO of the Porsche tuning company that bares his name. As we reported earlier this year, Mr. Gemballa went missing in February after arriving in South Africa for a business trip.

The details that poured in after the reported disappearance of Gemballa caused great speculation that shady business deals were afoot. He was reportedly having trouble paying its employees, his wife was given power of attorney and registered the company for bankruptcy and he had started a second company with his 79 year-old mother listed as the sole stockholder.

To further muddy the waters, it's being reported that Uwe Gemballa was turning towards Czech fugitive and South African organized crime boss, Radovan Krejcir. A former business partner of Krejcirs by the name of Juan Meyer has provided the local police with a sworn statement, saying that the Porsche tuner and the mobster were working on a business arrangement. Gemballa was slow in getting money to Krejcir and it may be what cost him his life.

It's a sad, speculative end for a once famed tuner of German sports cars. The Gemballa company has moved on since Uwe's disappearance but these new stories can't help it as remaining employees attempt to revive the company."

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/03/breaking-uwe-gemballa-reportedly-found-murdered-in-south-africa/


Damn...it's pretty much speculated though...

R.I.P. Uwe Gemballa. We'll always remember your outstanding work on exotic car modification, especially Porsches!
 
This is a risk you take when you step into the world of exotic car modification - that not all of the people you work with are legit.

Still, no-one deserves to die at the hands of professional criminals...no-one.
 
R.I.P. Uwe. :( A not really deserved end.

Anyway, as much as I feel sorry for the outcome of the situation, and with all due respect, I must also point out that the circumstances of the murder are pretty weird. Who in the world would kill a rich man without even touching his money? Something is going on, and it's something big.
 
Gemballa... wasn't that company only good for getting porsches in crappy videogames that couldn't afford Porsche's license?
 
Sad that Uwe died but Gemballa did some atrocious looking cars. I wonder why it has to close, why doesn't his son take it over (even though they have been doing bad)?
 
R.I.P Uwe Gemballa. I remember first seeing those strange Carrera GT's and wondering "Why?" But as the years rolled on I was in the minority of liking the designs. Never like any other ones, but he should have watched his back....
 
You're one of the few who like his designs, GT5_Prologue. :(

Excessive vents, fenders and ridiculous paintings with eye strainning interiors. Not to mention Gemballa's preference for ruining mostly limited edition supercars. I won't miss his creations.
 
Jim Prower
This is a risk you take when you step into the world of exotic car modification - that not all of the people you work with are legit.

Still, no-one deserves to die at the hands of professional criminals...no-one.
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I don't want to sound cold or disrespectful, but if that article is true, he knew what he was getting into. Working with a known mobster? By the looks of it, he wasn't just some innocent bystander in all of this - more like an accomplice.
 
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Dan_
You're one of the few who like his designs, GT5_Prologue. :(

Excessive vents, fenders and ridiculous paintings with eye strainning interiors. Not to mention Gemballa's preference for ruining mostly limited edition supercars. I won't miss his creations.
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I was attracted to them when I was younger....I don't have the same liking but because of that I still respected Gemballa and what came from them. I was also a huge Carrera GT fan, another reason.
 
Antti-san
I don't want to sound cold or disrespectful, but if that article is true, he knew what he was getting into. Working with a known mobster? By the looks of it, he wasn't just some innocent bystander in all of this - more like an accomplice.
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Did that make him any more deserving of being killed?
 

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