Lancia Motor Club

General => Press/Media: Lancias mentioned, seen or wanted! => Topic started by: ncundy on 31 March, 2014, 05:30:28 PM



Title: Trouble in the Hrabalek household
Post by: ncundy on 31 March, 2014, 05:30:28 PM
Always return your dads tools :)


"A classic-car enthusiast is suing his estranged son for £2.5 million after he allegedly failed to return four of his vintage automobiles.
 


Christian Hrabalek, 36, a car designer and automotive strategy consultant, borrowed four of his father’s Lancia Stratos rally cars and failed to return them, court papers state. The Austrian-born Mr Hrabalek, 36, from Belsize Park, is known as the world’s leading Stratos collector, with nine Stratos cars.

He was lent four vehicles from his father Ernst’s collection in order to exhibit them at Berlin’s Meilenwerk Classic Car Museum in May 2011, his father says. According to the High Court writ, he failed to return them.

The papers state the pair’s relationship subsequently deteriorated and on January 26, 2012, Mr Hrabalek sent a text to his father saying the cars would be returned “providing they never saw each other again”.

This did not happen and now the father is seeking an order for their return “in good condition” or, alternatively, damages of three million euros.

Ernst Hrabalek bought the four cars over a number of years to add to his collection. In December 2010 his son asked to borrow them. The documents say the father and son had a “good relationship” at this point. It then soured and lawyers were called in.

Christian Hrabalek began his career at Porsche in 1997 before moving on to Audi, Volkswagen, Lancia, BMW and Škoda. In 2002 he founded Fenomenon Holistic Design, a London-based automotive design consultancy, which folded in 2011.

Despite attempts to contact him, Christian Hrabalek was not available for comment. He is expected to contest the allegations."


Title: Re: Trouble in the Hrabalek household
Post by: Jay on 31 March, 2014, 08:29:20 PM
Must be a April fool


Title: Re: Trouble in the Hrabalek household
Post by: SanRemo78 on 31 March, 2014, 09:22:11 PM
Not the first time I'd heard that this story was breaking.

Guy


Title: Re: Trouble in the Hrabalek household
Post by: ncundy on 31 March, 2014, 09:38:35 PM
Got half a page in the Evening Standard today, strange how things can get that way.