SAAC Forum

As others have said, contact your local police.  Once they verify who you are, and what information you have, they can contact the police where the seller is located, as well as enlist the help of any other agencies that may be able to help.

https://oklahoman.com/article/5653835/plans-to-auction-off-counterfeit-mustangs-creates-furor

From his statement in the article, I think what the DA meant was they were mostly "real" cars as opposed to clones or fakes. 

This is interesting in that seized cars that are auctioned off usually don't bring a lot of money.  Sometimes the agency auctioning them off barely breaks even between what they make and what it costs to auction them.  These are different.  The DA's office, as well as whatever LE agencies were involved, most likely made a decent amount of money, even more if the cars were real. 

Unfortunately, it's quite possible that a real car could end up with a state issued VIN, and the decrease in value that comes with it.  In some states, once a VIN plate is removed, the law requires a state issued VIN be affixed, regardless of the authenticity of the vehicle.  I haven't been able to find that stated in Oklahoma law, though what I have found seems to lead in that direction. 

Whew, talk about going down the rabbit hole! 

Old news, but the DA says they are "mostly original cars" (I believe referring to the cars as a group, not one specific car) to be auctioned:

https://www.newson6.com/story/5e345de93196993fcfd0567a/pottawatomie-county-auctions-off-classic-mustangs

And the county sheriff files for an emergency induction, which is denied after a three hour hearing, to prevent the auction, in order to "allow time to investigate whether the cloned Vehicle Identification Numbers had been properly removed as claimed"

https://www.news-star.com/story/news/courts/2020/02/07/injunction-denied-auction-of-five-tributecloned-ford-mustangs-to-proceed-feb-8-in-shawnee/111783792/

Really strange.......

Jeff,

Thanks for the pic.  Now that I see that, I recall hearing about it, though I'd never seen it before.  I'll also admit I was thinking  about newer vehicles, with numerous hidden VINs/derivatives, as opposed to older ones, when I made my comment. Thanks again for the info!

I have some experience on the "state" side of these investigations. (not Oklahoma)

While I can't speak to what the Oklahoma authorities did or didn't do, generally, anytime the identity of a vehicle is in question a VIN verification will be done to attempt to match the "public" (dash/door) VIN(s) to the "hidden" VIN(s) (or VIN derivatives) on the engine, transmission, and at various other locations on the vehicle.  This would be in addition to examining title and registration records, production and sales records, interviewing people involved, potential owner(s), dealers, etc.  Generally, an attempt would be made to gather any information possible that could help in establishing the true identity and owner of the vehicle.

If the VIN can be verified, and the legal owner can be established, the vehicle is generally returned to them. (Unless they are the person involved in illegal activity). If a legal owner cannot be identified, the vehicle may be auctioned.

If a VIN cannot be verified, anyone eventually awarded ownership of the vehicle would be required to apply for a state issued VIN before a title and/or registration would be issued.  it is not unusual for civil claims to be brought regardless of the outcome of an investigation when high-value vehicles are involved.  Generally, the vehicle would remain impounded until those claims are settled.

If the VIN and/or ownership cannot be established, it is also possible that the vehicle could be destroyed.  This is uncommon, often requires a court order, and is unlikely for a high value vehicle like a Shelby.

I've never heard of a state agency removing "identifying features". I'm not sure if this means Shelby specific parts or actually removing hidden VIN(s). Again, I'm not sure what Oklahoma law says, but this would seem to me to be difficult, time consuming, and in some respects, unnecessary.

The best outcome for a VIN investigation is when the vehicle at hand can be identified as well as the "real" vehicle if that is the situation,  Sometimes that is possible, sometimes it is not. 

Something to consider is the general focus of this sort of investigation is to identify the vehicle(s) involved, return any vehicles to their legal owners, and ensure there is not more than one vehicle with a particular VIN.  The value of the vehicles generally isn't of concern to investigators other than how it might affect potential charges.  While a Marti report can be helpful in identifying a vehicle, it is not, in and of itself, a "legal" document.  My experience has been that most auto theft/fraud investigators are "car guys" themselves  and enjoy their work, especially when it comes to something like a Shelby.

Just my unsolicited two cents, so take it for what it's worth. 

Thanks!

Is pre-registration for the Sunday car show only still available? "Day of" registration?

Thanks!