57 Biarritz abandoned in a Texas Tractor Supply parking lot

[57eldoking]

Just ran across this on Facebook and thought I'd share here in hopes someone may recognize the car and who owns it. Seems very suspicious...

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Certain elements of the story call to mind the 1959 Cadillac "Death Car" saga.

Hopefully there's a less sinister explanation behind this one. 

[johnregrus]

An identical 57 Biarritz was sold last month on the CrankyApe website as a Texas flood salvage car.
The auction stated it had 4 inches of water above the floorboards but it ran.
It met the reserve asking price and was sold. Black car red interior with gold sabre wheels in Texas. Sounds like it might be the same car.

[TMoore - NTCLC]

How funny - I was at the Tractor Supply in Corsicana this Saturday - I did not happen to see this car, and I am sure that I would have noticed it since it was raining and there were not too many people there, but the timing might have been off.

There is a pretty finite number of Black 1957 Eldorados, especially ones wearing golden sabres.  This looks like it might be the one that was sold at Bonham's 2014 Scottsdale auction.

I will take a look at the membership directory this evening and see if I find a Dallas owner.  It is fun to be this close to a mystery.

[smokuspollutus]

Whomever abandoned the car was evidently concerned about door dings!

[Bobby B]

How funny - I was at the Tractor Supply in Corsicana this Saturday - I did not happen to see this car, and I am sure that I would have noticed it since it was raining and there were not too many people there, but the timing might have been off.

Because it wasn't there.  NO ONE Abandons a car like that. Sorry......
                                                                                     Bobby

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

He'll be worried about more than that when the car gets towed, impounded & goes to lien sale!! Don't say it can't happen!!
Also... as a side note... it appears that all Texas flood cars are now branded with a NON repairable salvage title!!  So...  those cars might not be able to be  gotten  out of a impound situation. Pretty scary!!
Bob

[cadillacmike68]

Some kind of staged "theft" fraud in the making???

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Everything has a story.   Some good, some bad, and some downright funny.

This one was probably towed away because it was illegally parked.

Bruce.

[MeToo]

Who just leaves a car like that and leaves? Sad!
Could the owner have gone for a walk and collapsed form a heart attack and gone missing in the bushes or been kidnapped?

[D.Smith]

How about this possibility? 

    Phone rings in tow vehicle. 
Hello?
Yeah Bob did you look at that Title?   It says FLOOD NON REPAIRABLE.
Hold on, I'm pulling over, calling my Bank to stop that money transfer. 
Then I'm calling the auction house and seller and telling them where I am dropping off car.
Which is 5o feet away in this parking lot. 

LOL  Plausible?

[57eldoking]

The flooding info certainly opens up a lot more scenarios including this one!

[Jeff Rosansky CLC #28373]

Could just be a simple no start and got a ride home and came back the next day with tools. I have had to do that in years past...... but you guys have more colorful ideas than me.
Jeff

[Quentin Hall]

How far away is Roswell tx and Area 51. ? Maybe this is area 57?

[59-in-pieces]

A couple of years back, we had a stolen car ring operating in our area - knocked over 3 restoration places.
With the TV, Music, and Motion Picture businesses a big part of the scenery, several celebrity cars were stolen.
The local police said that the MO is to take the cars and keep them in an 18 wheeler tailor or park them in an out of the way place until they "COOL DOWN".
That is, the crooks keep an eye on the cars to see if the cops come snooping around.
After a time of no activity they come back and scoop them up and renumber the cars or part them out - and sell out of state.
Who knows, but what did it go for at the auction that was mentioned.
Have fun,
Steve B.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Have to love a society where a governmental body that has never seen, touched, sat in, started, ridden or driven "x car" yet has the right to effectively condemn said vehicle from lawfully being operated on a public roadway for all eternity.

I also know someone whose car was flood-branded for simply having been registered in a so-called flood zone without the car ever having seen a drop of water.

[gary griffin]

A few years ago there was a ring in Seattle that would steal high end cars and dismantle them carefully and then abandon them where they would be found. After a period of time they are auctioned off and they would buy the bodies and receive them with a title and reassemble and sell them.  A bright detective noticed the wiring was disconnected and most "Steal and Strip" guys cut the wiring to get the engine and transmission out easily.  The next time one was auctioned they followed the buyer to a farm with a large barn full of parts. They were doing about 2 a month as I recall.

[Bobby B]

A few years ago there was a ring in Seattle that would steel high end cars and dismantle them carefully and then abandon them where they would be found. After a period of time they are auctioned off and they would buy the bodies and receive them with a title and reassemble and sell them.  A bright detective noticed the wiring was disconnected and most "Steal and Strip" guys cut the wiring to get the engine and transmission out easily.  The next time one was auctioned they followed the buyer to a farm with a large barn full of parts. They were doing about 2 a month as I recall.

Gary,
In all fairness, Thieves aren't that smart. That's why they do what they do......
                                                                           Bobby

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Have to love a society where a governmental body that has never seen, touched, sat in, started, ridden or driven "x car" yet has the right to effectively condemn said vehicle from lawfully being operated on a public roadway for all eternity.   

It is the Insurance Company that declares it as a repairable write-off, or a Statutory Write-off as they have paid out on it once, and therefore don't want to get caught again.   My own Ute was written off, and I got to keep the salvage, and soon it will be back on the road.

Bruce.

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Bruce,
In this country... first came the "salvage" title. Then came the NON repairable title. Usually applied to total burns & other obviously non repairable vehicles. The non repairable "flood" cars is relatively new. Maybe those cars have to be shipped out of the country?? I guess if you have a valuable collector car.. you don't let it totaled
Bob