Specialty auto-sports

Do a search on SAS or Stephen Lawling on the site and the web including BBB. Here is a sample: https://www.speedsterowners.co...7#482065159318044647

And another: https://www.bbb.org/us/tn/knox...0533-5824/complaints

Good luck, and sorry for the bad news.

Get yourself a Lawyer and get in line ?  What happened to you just makes me sick ! I am very sorry for you.   Let us know what happens from time to time. If anything.

Bruce

Sadly, you too have been screwed as so many others have . A few have actually received their cars but a large percentage of orders go unfilled. There's  a lot of info here and on various sites. They are king at making people's hard earned money disappear and continually get away with it scott free.

It amazes me that this guy can continue to stay in business and steal money from unsuspecting people. My local jail is filled past capacity with people that are there for drug possession ,not dealing but just possession and almost if not all of them are sick and have the disease of addiction and need help not incarceration but a real bad actor, an out right con artist thief of the worse type skates by taking $10K a clip from law abiding citizens. It is crazy.

GC,

The most knowledgeable person for SAS on this site is @Jim Kelly who has an SAS Coupe.  You can find some of his threads with the search function on this site.

Last Spring there were a few people posting on here about their efforts to get their money back and someone in the Knoxville area, who is a lawyer, posted, trying to help them out.  That thread should be on here, too.  Just do an "Advance Search" (spyglass at the top of the page) on SAS over the past year or two.

Good luck.  Gordon

I would love to be part of a sting operation that would hang Stevie Wonder out to dry and ultimately meet his new friend Bubba Bendover.

You can search on mylife.com and get address and phone numbers I assume they are current .   Also check this old thread ,  https://www.kitcars.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=774 .....seems the Horse and Pony Show has been going on since 2003 and earlier.    I also searched for the TV station that did an investigation on SL a long time ago and can't seem to find that little gem.

I'm in Alan! Maybe someone should have the IRS look at him closely. I wonder if he pays taxes on the deposits that turn into 100% profit?

All

Many thanks for the feedback. Gratefully received and obviously hugely disappointing that this guy has turned out to be a fraud.

I thought I had done the due diligence and even leaned on a friend who had actually received one and was very satisfied with it, so am gutted but at least now I know the status. Thanks you for all he advise.

Can’t believe he is still getting away with it after all these years. 

Cheers GC

Very sorry for your troubles GC and I hope you get your money back.

@GC

Are you really in Singapore like your profile says? 

I'd like to ask this same question of GC again...

Does anybody know if Steve Lawing as Specialty Auto Sports is still in business?  I've seen all the reply's and BBB web info of all his troubles. 

I recently saw an Arial Photo from June 2019 that shows his Mill Branch address empty.  The lot around his shop is cleaned up, no more wrecked Subaru's in the yard.

I suspect he's closed down, anybody know for sure?

Troy Sloan posted:

@GC

Are you really in Singapore like your profile says? 

Hi sorry missed this - yes I am

GC posted:

Hi - does anyone know if Stephen Lawing from specialty auto-sports is still in operation? I paid a deposit for a 356A 3 years ago and haven’t heard from him nor can get hold of him for any update.

I’ve just found a spate of recent complaints about him and hoping someone on this site may be able to assist 

thx

Hi, i am not sure but suspect not. After I messaged his website address and got no reply, and just after I reached out to this group, I received a couriered hard copy letter from Steve with the 1660 Beason ridge road address. It stated the following;

Seems I have failed to notify you of some changes we have had to go through because of a malware attack on our website in late 2017. It was so malevolent it destroyed our computer and i had to have a new one built.

The new computer has all the updated features and Windows 10 software which unfortunately does not support the various software packages I have been using for the last 20+ years. So I am unable to use my old email Outlook software, my website development and management software, and several other important software's I use regularly. So I have been working with a local Computer Nerd group to find software that will work with both my new computer and old files. No luck so far.

My email address on the website is non functioning and I am unable to open the website to change the email, update the photos and prices etc. until we find software that will work with my files and new computer. However the mailing address is the same as is the phone number so I can be reached.

Aside from that problem the design and development of our cars continues and all cars in the build queue are benefiting from these improvements. These include fine tuning the new rear and front suspension which were offered about the time you placed an order. The convertible top and rollup windows has also been improved dramatically. These are all appearing on the cars with no change in price.

Sorry we lost contact during the computer recovery efforts and I suggest you use regular mail until my Computer guys can get me back up and running on the website.

The correct address and phone number is shown on the letterhead of this letter (1660 beacon Ridge Road, New Tazewell, Tennessee (865-925-2500))

Look forward to hearing from you. Your car is moving forward and the alterations you needed for RHD had to wait to be incorporated into the other improvements we have made.

Hand signed by Steve

Seems to convenient that after 3 years of no comms, a few weeks after my emails and calls I receive the above letter. Given the feedback from the group, I suspect the business has already folded. Of course I hope not, but Im not holding out much hope at this stage

GC

Interesting that he would even bother sending out a message like this if he didn't feel there was something to be concerned about from all the people he has screwed.   Probably just wishful thinking, but maybe there actually is some potential for recovery. 

Aye I did find it strange. There may be a glimmer of hope, but Ill not however hold my breath!

Referencing his lenghtly of past history and after reading his Tale of Woe, perhaps he'll be nominate for a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

Glimmer of hope? Now that's funny. He's just giving you a line of B.S. to try and set you up for later.

"I'll get your car done soon if you just send me some more money"

Right. I've got a bridge to sell you too.

Danny's explanation makes makes a lot of sense.