About a year ago I was considering having a 1965 Mustang GT350R continuation car built at Unique Performance. They were pretty pricey at $150,000+ depending upon powertrain and options selected. I was also considering a stunning reproduction (one-off) that had been put together in California. So I put in a call to my trusted, ultimate source of information for all things Shelby. That would be Daniel (Bony). He steered me in a different direction and I decided to wait until I could buy an 1960s original. In the meantime I purchased a brand-new Shelby GT Mustang that I really enjoy driving. It looks like Daniel's advice saved me a lot of money and grief. The following article I just came across, written October 4, 2007 in AutoWeek, details some serious issues going on at Unique Performance. For our members considering sending them a check, perhaps some due diligence is in order. :eek Article posted below.
Chip
Trouble at the Mustang Ranch
Problems surface at Unique Performance
By MARK VAUGHN
Looks like Unique Performance, the Texas company producing a host of classic and modern musclecars with Carroll Shelby and Chip Foose badges, is in trouble.
When we wrote about the company a year ago (AW 11/20/2006), things looked golden for Unique. There was a mini assembly line at company headquarters cranking out a number of classic musclecars at what looked like a good clip. We drove many of the cars and enjoyed them all.
But since then things have gone south. Today (Oct. 5) Shelby’s licensing branch announced it has taken steps to sever the relationship with Unique Performance after numerous complaints and several lawsuits filed by customers who had paid money for “Continuation” Shelby GT-350SRs and GT-500Es (Eleanors )but not received cars. Those cars are refurbished original models brought up to more modern standards of safety and performance. Prices range from $100,000 to $200,000.
But Shelby customers weren’t the only ones. Unique Performance also produced refurbished 1969 Camaros and 1970 Challengers designed by Chip Foose and sold under the Foose name.
“We’ve been working with unique to resolve concerns that we’ve brought forth,” said Carson Lev, head of Foose licensing. “Chip is dedicated to the fact that he doesn’t want to leave customers at risk.”
“We don’t want to say, ‘See ya’, that’s your problem,” said Foose of customers who have made deposits on cars. “We’re trying to resolve those issues.”
Unique Performance also produced the Foose Stallion, a Chip Foose-designed tuner car based on the 2007 Ford Mustang, through a network of Ford dealers across the country. The Foose Stallions were manufactured at another Texas company called Unique Performance Concepts, a partnership between Unique Performance and a Fort Worth company called Tecstar. It’s possible that Tecstar could continue to make Foose Stallions without Unique Performance.
The Foose Hemisfear will continue production uninterrupted, since it is manufactured by MetalCrafters in Southern California.
AutoWeek was unable to reach Unique Performance’s ceo Doug Hasty.
Chip
Trouble at the Mustang Ranch
Problems surface at Unique Performance
By MARK VAUGHN
Looks like Unique Performance, the Texas company producing a host of classic and modern musclecars with Carroll Shelby and Chip Foose badges, is in trouble.
When we wrote about the company a year ago (AW 11/20/2006), things looked golden for Unique. There was a mini assembly line at company headquarters cranking out a number of classic musclecars at what looked like a good clip. We drove many of the cars and enjoyed them all.
But since then things have gone south. Today (Oct. 5) Shelby’s licensing branch announced it has taken steps to sever the relationship with Unique Performance after numerous complaints and several lawsuits filed by customers who had paid money for “Continuation” Shelby GT-350SRs and GT-500Es (Eleanors )but not received cars. Those cars are refurbished original models brought up to more modern standards of safety and performance. Prices range from $100,000 to $200,000.
But Shelby customers weren’t the only ones. Unique Performance also produced refurbished 1969 Camaros and 1970 Challengers designed by Chip Foose and sold under the Foose name.
“We’ve been working with unique to resolve concerns that we’ve brought forth,” said Carson Lev, head of Foose licensing. “Chip is dedicated to the fact that he doesn’t want to leave customers at risk.”
“We don’t want to say, ‘See ya’, that’s your problem,” said Foose of customers who have made deposits on cars. “We’re trying to resolve those issues.”
Unique Performance also produced the Foose Stallion, a Chip Foose-designed tuner car based on the 2007 Ford Mustang, through a network of Ford dealers across the country. The Foose Stallions were manufactured at another Texas company called Unique Performance Concepts, a partnership between Unique Performance and a Fort Worth company called Tecstar. It’s possible that Tecstar could continue to make Foose Stallions without Unique Performance.
The Foose Hemisfear will continue production uninterrupted, since it is manufactured by MetalCrafters in Southern California.
AutoWeek was unable to reach Unique Performance’s ceo Doug Hasty.
