link: http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/15/report-euro-tuner-king-uwe-gemballa-missing-in-south-africa/ snippet: "...reports indicate that Uwe Gemballa, founder and head of the namesake aftermarket tuner, has gone missing. According to the reports, the 51-year-old Gemballa was on a trip to South Africa when he went missing. The suspected site of his disappearance is Johannesburg, long known as one of the most dangerous cities in the world due to the rampant violent crime rate in its downtown core..."
I was going to ask how his company was doing when I first heard of this but thought it'd be taken as disrespectful. Gemballa is running with the Impala's
Update: Uwe Gemballa Kidnapped in Johannesburg snippet: "...multiple sources have now confirmed to us that Uwe Gemballa has been kidnapped...he asked for help and his wife should wire 1 million euro ransom money to a certain bank account. No details on whether anybody has been in touch with Uwe, or the kidnappers, have been released. Its also unclear if Uwe was lured to South Africa in an attempt to kidnap him or if he was at the wrong place at the wrong time..."
The Gemballa facility is in full operation. Mrs. Gemballa is running the place in her husband's absence. The German police did show up to inventory things as is standard practice when the owner or CEO goes missing. NO CARS HAVE BEEN SEIZED OR IMPOUNDED. Our company is a vendor to Gemballa and things are normal from a business perspective. I hereby condemn much of the muckraking internet press for "Olympic" conclusion jumping. Shame on all of them. Sadly, Uwe Gemballa has been kidnapped in South Africa and is being held for 1 million Euro ransom. We should all pray for his safe return.
Thanks for the update. Sad topic for your first post; hopefully your second post will be about his safe (and soon) return. Best wishes to the Gemballa family.
Wow! Crazy world we live in that these things happen! I was never a huge Gemballa proponent (especially after the 'Vanilla Ice' connection, which I believe damaged the company's rep in the US) but this is sad news nonetheless. Hope it all works out for Uwe, family and business, and will be watching this thread for updates. Best, -Tad
It gets "cooler": Big wheel missing in SA snippet: "...Sources with knowledge of the incident say police are investigating the possibility that a fugitive businessman from the Czech Republic, who is believed to be in South Africa, might be linked to his disappearance. Radio Prague reported in 2005 that the High Court in Johannesburg had turned down an application for the man's extradition. The billionaire businessman has already been sentenced in absentia in the Czech Republic to six-and-a-half years' jail for tax fraud. He is facing charges for a variety of other crimes, including conspiracy to murder, counterfeiting, extortion and abduction." Quick Google search for "Czech Republic billionaire" found this from '07: Fugitive Czech billionaire arrested in South Africa snippet: "...Radovan Krejcir, one of the country's most notorious fugitives, who was finally apprehended at the weekend after spending nearly two years in exile in the tropical Seychelles Islands..."
http://www.whitecollarcrime.co.za/comment.php?comment.news.35 We'll see... seems nothing is truly confirmed at this time, even if "confirmed"
Where'd Uwe Go? New Gemballa company reportedly formed under mother's name, founder still missing snippet: "...the latest reports suggest verified by public records that Uwe Gemballa opened a second company, with his 79-year-old mother as the sole stockholder, and had his wife (to whom he granted power of attorney) register the existing company for bankruptcy. And the kicker? The last time Uwe updated the company records was on February 5, only days before he vanished to Africa..."
Despite ForgedWheels support, I think it's all a big hoax. He's hiding out somewhere in South Africa or one of the neighboring countries, enjoying cool drinks with other people's money. His company is bankrupt and he has done a runner. I would be happy to be proven wrong, but that's what I think right now. Sad, my cousin used to have a Gemballa Porsche and my brother was thinking of buying one from him.
It says: "The possibility that Gemballa may be lying low in Angola, where a successful franchise of his company operates, is also being investigated." There's a Gemballa franchise in Angola?