- A Mercedes dealer sold a G63 AMG to another dealer in a different state.
- The SUV never reached its destination as it was taken by an unknown transporter.
- This type of scheme is surprisingly common among high-end car dealers.
Everyone wants to get their money’s worth, but when you’re talking about a $350,000 vehicle, that expectation goes up by about a thousand percent. In this case, that car is a Mercedes-AMG G63, a twin-turbocharged brick-shaped status symbol with exposed door hinges.
When two dealers struck a deal on the G63, they didn’t expect a third party to throw a wrench in the works. But that’s exactly what happened. Apparently, this mysterious third party managed to fool one of the dealers into handing over the keys. Now, both dealers are left in the dark, with no idea where the AMG is.
More: How A Thief Stole Her Toyota Twice From The Same Dealership
The dealers involved are Mercedes-Benz of Laredo in Texas, who originally had the car, and Loeber Motors in Illinois, who purchased the AMG. Loeber forked over $347,225 for the 2023 G63, and the Texas dealer deposited the check, set up transport, and sent off the paperwork. That’s when things took a bad turn.
According to AutoNews, the real car carrier showed up to get the SUV days after it was already gone. Mercedes-Benz of Laredo was surprised but admitted that three days earlier, an employee handed over keys to “an unknown individual.” It’s unclear who that person was, what paperwork or documentation they provided, or how they knew about the transaction and pickup details.
Loeber Motors is now working through the court system to get its cash back because the Texas-based dealer evidently hasn’t provided a refund. Allegedly the general manager there did admit that “we screwed up,” but that’s about $347,000 short of good enough in this type of situation.
It’s Not Just An Isolated Incident
Strangely, this sort of theft isn’t unheard of in the exotic dealer community. This year alone, we’ve already reported on several examples of it. In just the month of February, we learned about a Rolls-Royce Cullinan stolen in transit, a Rolls-Royce Ghost stolen the same way, and a theft ring busted for this type of crime. This just happens to be the first time that we’ve heard about the squabbling between entities that both end up being victims.
AutoNews says it’s not the only one, though. “In a second recent case, a New Jersey Mercedes-Benz store is suing a South Carolina Mercedes-Benz store over the disappearance of a $75,216 GLE in a dealer-to-dealer transaction.” Somehow nobody stopped a driver named “John Doe” with “Doe Enterprises” from picking up the car.
Finally, Twin Cities Performance is suing Bentley Denver and Angel Moving Cars trucking company after it bought a Ferrari Roma. Just like these other cases, a transporter showed up and then disappeared with the car in question.
What do you make of these thefts? Is this the hip new way to pull off a Gone In 60 Seconds style crime? Do these dealers have it coming to them after years of greedy price gouging? Let us know how you feel in the comments below.
