The U.S. government wants to seize Charles Morse's car, because the French government considers it a national treasure.
The Seattle car collector says he wants to be reimbursed the $927,518 he paid for the historic 1919 Turcat-Mery touring car. He hasn't objected to France reclaiming the car, as long as they pay him for it. (Fair enough)
The Seattle car collector says he wants to be reimbursed the $927,518 he paid for the historic 1919 Turcat-Mery touring car. He hasn't objected to France reclaiming the car, as long as they pay him for it. (Fair enough)
"It's a one-off automobile with a wonderful history to it. It was built for the Duc de Montpensier, an heir to the French throne," Morse said.
U.S. authorities say the historical classification prohibited the export of the Turcat,, which had several owners before it was purchased by Morse.
In July 2005, the Turcat arrived at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, according to the AP story. Shortly thereafter, Morse showed the car at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California, taking top honors in its class. http://www.oldcarsweekly.com/article/France_wants_Turcat_Mery_back
While a beautiful car, such a hand-built and limited production are the main reason why so many French makes like Turcat-Mery didn't see out the 1920's - they could not compete on economies of scale and price against the big manufacturers, such as Peugeot, Renault and Citroen.
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