ATTENTION ! SAS License Revocation.
Be advised that, Speciality Auto - Sports aka "SAS" most recent Agent address: 1660 Beason Ridge Rd , New Tazewell Tn. has had it's business licence revoked as of January 20, 2015. SAS business address is 4601 Mill Branch La, Knoxville TN.
See attachment.
Someone needs to file suit, put a lien on their intentory, contact the Tennessee Attorney General .......
So, how much is the average deposit?
Typically, more than the depositor would like to lose!
ATTENTION ! SAS License Revocation.
Be advised that, Speciality Auto - Sports aka "SAS" most recent Agent address: 1660 Beason Ridge Rd , New Tazewell Tn. has had it's business licence revoked as of January 20, 2015. SAS business address is 4601 Mill Branch La, Knoxville TN.
See attachment.
Someone needs to file suit, put a lien on their intentory, contact the Tennessee Attorney General .......
So what drove this revocation? I see the word "revenue" in a couple places. Would that indicate unpaid taxes as the reason, or what?
Can he continue in business by simply (again) changing the company name?
If so, I suggest something like "Caveat Emptor Motors" might be an apt moniker.
I was very tempted on the water cooled the SAS Suby....I have a Baja Bug with a water cooled 87 GTI And really like it. That being said,...too much had been posted about "problems" with SAS.. He sent a great looking contract and a "all" I had to do was send a deposit.....but......any due diligence showed past problems. So I decided to buy a used/new finished JPS coupe From a pvT. party. As I handed over the check, I got a real pink slip And the car went up on a flatbed for delivery. The similar lessons of resort real estate deals....with future expansionplans,soon to be built/aka promised golf courses, equestrian centers, blah blah..... that were never finished and weed filled streets Are all that you ever saw.....but your monthly maintenance HOA fees keep being billed. This Was fresh in my mind When I decided to buy an existing car.' Anyway, When I brought my car into JPS for some adjustments, I saw 8 cars in various stages being worked on by 4 people. When I returned to get my car, I could see progress being made on several. My point if I go ahead on another custom anything, I would unexpectedly visit any builder first and see ....Are cars really being produced...and write a Check last
Before I bought my car, I spent the better part of a day with John Steele at his shop. And I live on the east coast. Got a good feel for what he was doing, and how he was doing it. I'll not tell you everything about my build was perfect, 'cause it was not, but I did get my car more or less as promised in a matter of months, not years.
And a gorgeous car it is---you win the best Paint award hands down, Kelly.
...and as I was going back to search the forums,...who is advertising on the right side bar...SAS...!!!! This is mind boggling.
Jack, I wish I had something to do w/ that. But all I did was sign the check. The rest is all JPS. He does paint VERY WELL. Well, OK, i have done the clay bar thing, and worked some Maguires in there from time to time.
Holy Carp!
Who is that guy in Jack Crosby's avatar???
Certainly doesn't look like an "Iron Butt" kinda guy.....
Looks more like a Senate Confirmation hearing kinda guy...
I'm jus' sayin.......
I dunno, Gordon, I'm thinking televangelist. 
You guys kill me.
Jack Crosby for President!
What the hell......He's already got the look!
Depends on his policies and campaign promises. "A Speedster in every garage?" 
And Beef Jerky in every tool bag!
Beef jerky is the only food group of Stanistan. Crosby, maybe Bourbon?
Beef jerky is the only food group of Stanistan. Crosby, maybe Bourbon?
You're forgetting the Smokehouse Almond food-group, although jerky is on the base of the pyramid.
What about a Carlisle Egg Sammich? With a Blue Moon? I think we may be on to something.
Maybe Hoss should be his running partner. Jack and Hoss?
Did you mention the SOC to him? I'm guessing that most of the guys on the SAS list are not aware of us or at least they weren't until after they made their deposits.
Troy, many of us that have or had SAS cars have been on SOC for many years. I have also had an IM for over 15 years. When I went to SAS to repair my IM, which I did on several occasions, I did not find it necessary to announce it on SOC. Most of us remain on SOC even though there is also an SAS forum to talk about mid-engine, non-VW based cars. Why would you think that SAS owners would not advise future owners of SOC? I have always advised future owners of both forums.
Charles, I think Troy meant his Statement only as an awareness issue. It has nothing to do with the technical forums. Lets be honest, it took years for the SAS guys to really speak up about not getting their cars.
Sorry for the confusion. When I said "SAS list," I meant the list of guys who have paid deposits to SAS. I'm unaware of an SAS forum and I certainly would hope that the SAS forum would advise potential SAS customers of all the SAS legal issues and of the SOC.
What I was thinking when I read the Seduction post was, I wonder if he knows he will probably never receive his car and whether or not he is aware of all the legal issues SAS has had.
It's beyond me how anyone who was aware of all the SAS legal issues and history of delivered cars would ever put down a deposit on an SAS car. The only explanation I can come up with is that they were unaware of all the SAS issues until after they made their deposit.
Perhaps you are correct. I have advised everyone that has ever contacted me concerning SAS that unless you are very patient, don't order a car. I have not had quality or service issues with SAS but have waited patiently along with the rest. I also was not aware that SAS owners or SOC forum members had not made the long wait public as there seem to be numerous threads that address this issue. The waiting times for earlier SAS Speedsters were actually quite reasonable (Hoss, O'Brien and others) but as SL started to introduce new complexity into his design, the wait time got longer. I suspect all current SAS owners and SOC forum members would agree that the wait time is now absurd, but we do not know how to fix it and there is only one SAS. So, for sake of awareness, the SAS wait times are very, very lengthy. I will also say that I loved the SAS Crème Brule Coupe and, if I weren't 75 years old, would probably order another.
I believe the person wanting the stainless muffler system already has his car so I think he is aware of the issues. The long wait is also discussed frequently on the SAS forum as well. People know, but hope springs eternal. I really don't know what else to say.
You are probably right in many cases but nothing surprises me much anymore about the motivation of buyers in the replica car industry. I think I will stick to the old phrase 'let the buyer beware'. I usually recommend that a potential SAS buyer look for a used one. They do come up on the market occasionally. A bird in the hand ...
What range of deposits have these guys given...how many $?
I can only speak for how much I paid:
Initial deposit of $10,000, to purchase body/frame;
$8,000 to begin assembly;
$10,000 to prepare car for paint;
$8,000 to prepare final assembly;
$8,000 to begin final assembly;
$8,432 final payment.
In typical Clinton-speak, it turns out the first $10,000 doesn't actually mean that they have done ANYTHING! There will be no body/frame in the SAS shop with your name on it. Your name may be on a list somewhere, but no one, except the SAS owner, has access to the number of buyers on the list, their names, amounts paid, or date paid. All previous information on the infamous queue has come from research by SAS potential buyers. Someone would put together a list, publish it on the SAS site, and a previously unheard-of buyer would chime in and say: Hey, wait a minute, I put a deposit down xx years ago.
Bottom line is that, if the guys who paid deposits in 2007 put up the same, they have paid from $10-18K.
I couldn't make this stuff up! If you want to read about it yourselves, go to www.sasowners.freeforums.org, sign up, and read away, especially in the Build Reports section. It's really instructive.
One of the SOC users used to brag about how SAS isn't merely an assembler, like the other replica makers, they are a limited-production manufacturer, much different than the "cookie-cutters" at the other plants. What rubbish! SAS had a manufacturer's license, which was revoked in 2011, when they tried to pay for renewal with a check that bounced. Don't believe me, check TN state business license section for Specialty Auto-Sports: License #4762, expiration date June 30, 2011.
Make that a total of 20 who have not gotten a car or a deposit returned! I made a deposit 5 years ago and he had not even started my car! Plus I was dumb enough to give him a total of $19,000 He has even blocked my email address and has never returned any phone calls.
Personally, I'd be breaking some knee caps!
Sad state of affairs. I hate to see people lose their hard-earned money.
It might be best if he just closes shop for good, instead of taking money and not producing cars.
Me, a former "Jersey-ite",I would embark down whatever avenues necessary that would result in being made whole for my hard earned money up to and including taking a trip to Tn. and taking matters into into my own hands, so to speak.
To sit and believe that Stevie ( who should be befriended by a guy named Bubba at the Grey Bar Hotel) will come though is a damp moldy dream at best and to sit and whine herein is...... fruitless.
Just my .02
OK, let me reiterate:
"Way, way up above (on page 1) it was mentioned; "In the past, other members in the queue sued Stephen W. Lawing dba Specialty Auto-Works in Tennessee state court. After the $440,000 judgment was awarded, Lawing filed for bankruptcy in the Eastern district of Tennessee Bankruptcy Court. The 22 victims' damages were wiped out by the bankruptcy."
I don't know how to make this any clearer - Anyone with outstanding claims not rewarded during the bankruptcy proceedings are out of luck (and court recourse).
If he decides to start another business he is free and clear to do so, lack of business skills notwithstanding.
If he can be found, you are certainly entitled to taking the "Jersey-ite's" approach, but satisfaction would seem remote. I hope the rest of have learned something from this episode.....
WOW! When you read this and you are also aware of the rip offs by that Coachworks place, it's not hard to imagine why there are questions asked when new builders appear on the scene?
Yeah, it's a little worse than a large bunch of us throwing money at CMC back in the early '90's, huh? At least our excuse back then was we had no real way of knowing.....Not quite like today... But even with a lot of us talking about it on the Interweb, people STILL threw their money at him.
