The Shelby American Automobile Club caused quite a stir last year with an April Fool’s prank that some claim went too far. In the club’s spring newsletter, which is emailed to every member of the club, there were many fake articles and stories, but the biggest one concerned a collector car tax.
The hoax stated, “Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) held a press conference today in the Capitol’s rotunda and stated that he is in the process of drafting a bill that will create a federal tax on all collector, antique, historic, special interest, hot rods and race cars.” Almost as soon as the emailed newsletter had been sent out, angry emails, tweets, and Facebook posts from antique car collectors around the country began showing up on nearly every classic car forum as well as Senator Schumer’s office. If you would like to read the original April Fool’s newsletter, click here.
Rick Kopec, the author of the April Fool’s piece, later released a statement about the joke. “We never envisioned that this one could spread so quickly or so widely beyond the Shelby American Automobile Club. We deeply regret if taking this story seriously has caused anyone any undue distress or embarrassment.” What do you think the Shelby American Automobile Club will do this year?
At Classic Auto Insurance, we don’t joke around when it comes to the security and protection of your antique cars and other vintage vehicles. Whether you have a Mustang Shelby muscle car or a more exotic Ferrari Spider, we offer some of the most competitive prices in the industry with exceptional customer service. Contact us for a free classic car insurance quote today!
About the Author
Drew Yagodnik is Vice President of Classic Automobile Insurance Agency, Inc. Classic Automobile Insurance Agency has been protecting collector, classic and exotics since 1992.