Mercedes Car Stolen in War Belongs to Heirs, Court Says

[padrino]

A court in Hamburg ruled that the grandchildren of a German industrialist have a valid claim to a classic Mercedes car worth about $4 million that was taken by U.S. soldiers during World War II.
Hans Prym, the owner of a manufacturer of buttons, zips and other clothing fasteners that is still in the possession of his family today, kept the car in Stolberg, close to the Belgian border. Known locally as the “Zipper King,” he purchased the car -- one of the most expensive models available at that time - - in 1935.



Mercedes Car Stolen in War Belongs to Heirs, Court Says - Bloomberg

[catmandoo62]

sucks to be that dutch dude ehh!but hey if ya got 4 mil to drop on a new ride you can afford it.

[Pavka007]

Originally Posted by catmandoo62

sucks to be that dutch dude ehh!but hey if ya got 4 mil to drop on a new ride you can afford it.

Yes it does, however I think that RM Auctions in Monterey will end up paying him all his money back. After all the Auction is the official first seller of the car and I am sure that there is some kind of purchase protection for the buyer (the Dutch guy) against stolen goods.

[Txjake]

The car was taken under the laws of war, not stolen. I think the nazi heirs should go pound sand. They should count themselves fortunate that we didn't turn their country into a sheet of glass....

[dynalow]

I'm curious as to why Hans was imprisoned by the Allies? In 1945?
Maybe he was doing something more than making buttons & zippers?

[t walgamuth]

there was an extensive article about this car and the transaction in the last Sports car market mag.

the original owner did manufacture goods for Herr Hitler during the war. No surprise there. The family name is Prym. They invented the shap fastener for clothing. During the war they manufactured airplane parts using slave labor. After the war they lost everything after being forced to pay 30,00,000 Euros in reparations to the families of the people who died working in their factory and fines.

The article said that most likely the present seller would be able to recover from the previous seller and so forth back to the origin.

In this case there have been seven owners.

The process breaks down if and when a buyer cannot recover or find the seller they bought from.

I imagine this will be tied up in court for a decade or so.

I don't know if they are entitled to interest. I also wonder if a seller has died his estate is liable. It would follow that his estate would be liable if the heirs to the fellow who had the car taken from him originally can recover.

[Txjake]

Personally, they should give the cash to the families of the slave laborers and a kick to the families of the GIs that liberated it.... screw Nazi vermin, then & now

[HoustonM3]

We don't know the full story here, it's all speculation. German manufactures forced to produce goods for Natzi Germany was commonplace. Look at the cars we all drive, they produced cars for Adolf Himself. Bottom line, if the car was taken illegally which it appears per the court ruling that it was ,then it should go back to the rightful owners. Two wrongs don't make a right, American soldiers stealing items would make them no better than any common thief. Disgrace if you ask me.

[chasinthesun]

I dont think Nazi germany ,if they had won the war, would be asking about some old vintage cars ownership some 77 yrs later.If the car has been kept in very good condition maybe they should be a storage fee like a car lot ,$16 a day for 28105 days = $449680., kind of like a finders fee.

[Mr.Kenny]

During battle of the Bulge, My Dad liberated a large Mercedes convertible to be used as a personnel carrier and as G.P. general purpose vehicle, designated to scour NAZI farms in order to capture abetting livestock of the third Reich.
The Grand Mercedes was left behind as part of the Marshall plan; ("European Recovery Program") it's life was spent for a greater purpose.
The axis lovin Chickens wouldn't talk, so were executed straightaway and disposed of in a customary manner.

[Benz Dr.]

I live a short ways from RM's main office near Chatham Ont. Although I don't know the owners on a personal level I am aquainted with most of them.
My understanding is that this car was well known amoungst the 500/540K crowd and that accounts of the vehical's rather questionable past were well known, but RM decided to run the car through auction anyway. I'm sure they felt secure in the fact that the car had gone through several owners and nothing would happen.
It was only when the recent new owner took the car back to Germany that things went wrong for him. German police grabbed the car and he has nothing to show for. RM may, or may not be on the hook for this but you'd kind of imagine that if you were going to buy or sell a car like this for several million, you might want to check it ou a bit better?

[Jim B.]

Originally Posted by dynalow

I'm curious as to why Hans was imprisoned by the Allies? In 1945?
Maybe he was doing something more than making buttons & zippers?

Look, Ma, no Hans !!!

[Pooka]

I find it interesting that this has come up. I can see the logic behind the Court's decision since this is no longer really a car but is now more like a work of art.

However.......

There were a lot of 'art works' like this one that fell into the hands of the Allies after the war. I remember reading the background of some French car, maybe a Bugatti Royal, that was found in the back of a used car lot in Jersey, about 1948, where someone bought it for $50.

Will the heirs of those original owners now come after 'their' cars?

[t walgamuth]

...if they're worth 4 mil.

[barry123400]

If the german families decendants filled suit for the car in north america there might have been a different outcome. At worse the value of the car at the time of seizure by whoever originally might be paid.

Seizing the car in germany is a whole different story. The dice are loaded either way comes to mind.