Gemballa founder missing in South Africa - company seeks insolvency

Uwe Gemballa driving Porsche 911 GT 650, company photos, 25.02.2010

Police in South Africa are looking into a missing persons report regarding Uwe Gemballa. Gemballa, 54, is the founder of well known German tuning firm Gemballa Automobiletechnik, which has just filed for insolvency protection.

Gemballa has been missing for the past three weeks after his wife wired €1 million to him in South Africa. Gemballa was flying to that country on business, arriving on February 8. He was set to leave on the 10th, but his whearabouts are unknown.

The tuning firm was in talks to open a showroom in Johannesburg.

"South African police are working with German police and are investigating a missing persons inquiry," said police spokesman Vishnu Naidoo. Kidnapping has not been ruled out. One red flag being investigated is Gemballa's request for a €1 million wire from his wife following a traffic accident.

Gemballa Automobiletechnik employs 40 people, and develops supercars that cost up to €700,000. The firm has outlets in Australia, Europe, and North America.

With the recent insolvency filing, police in Germany will likely examine Gemballa's financial books and balance sheets. South African police are no doubt investigating more sinister motives.

Source: autonews.com (sub req)

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die.bahnfahrer

he should be in prison anyway a) for ruin the beautiful Carrera GT (10 years per car) and b) for his tan

February 25, 2010 4:51 pm

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2 replies

EDavis

Let's not call it a tan. If the color of his skin were featured in a paint manufacturers brochure it would most assuredly be called "Irradiated Pink."

February 25, 2010 8:35 pm

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super_car_muscle_man

@die.bahnfahrer: LOLLL!!!

March 19, 2010 1:25 pm

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mogbel

looooooooooooooooooooooooooooool nice one

February 25, 2010 5:22 pm

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sideskraper

He's faked his death. It's rather obvious. I feel sorry for his wife. If he hasn't then what a shame. After years of ruining Porsche's they'd finally done something good with their Enzo restyling. That car is off the scale.

February 25, 2010 6:04 pm

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andrewB

i like all of the porsche car stylings, i think personally it adds to the looks of the car. something has to be wrong with him disappearing like that when he runs a fairly bit company and it would be growing slowly with getting another plant in another area

February 25, 2010 6:47 pm

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2 replies

sideskraper

You need to take 1/8th of the amount of cough syrup you are currently. Then the hallucinogenic effects are not evident.

February 25, 2010 6:50 pm

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Thorsteinn

Hhehe

February 26, 2010 10:54 pm

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sebfill55

Hey I think his Carrera GT looks amazing, and now the new Enzo even better. All in all the guy does some nice work dont hate its just my opinion sucks that his missing hope they find him......

February 25, 2010 7:24 pm

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EDavis

I'm sure that the highly impoverished demographic that constitutes 90% of S. Africa's population won't want anything to do with a wealthy blonde-haired man that has a shit-load of cash in his back pocket. But then again it's entirely possible that I'm wrong.

February 25, 2010 8:42 pm

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7 replies

rnsaza

It's a little less than 90% in SA and Kidnapping isn't a very popular event here in SA. If there was criminal involvement from parties other than from Gemballa himself the most probable event would be a hijacking where he could quite possibly have been murdered and his body dumped some place. I hope he's just hiding.

February 26, 2010 2:35 am

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Decypha

90%? Highly impoverished? First of all we have over 53 000 dollar millionaires in the country and South Africa alone accounts for 60% of Africa's GDP; the output from only our smallest province is ranked 3rd on the continent; and this is comparing it to whole countries. Last I checked, we're the 3rd biggest Aston Martin market in the world (even though a DBS costs over $500 000 here directly converted to US dollars) and we're the 4th largest AMG market in the world. We might not be the richest country in the world, but at a ranking of 20-something (differing according to your source) out of almost 200 countries for GDP (PPP) I highly doubt that highly impoverished is a word you can use to describe us. You need to stop believing all you see on TV...

February 26, 2010 5:49 am

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NewGit

Decypha, GDP (PPP) per capita, averages at roughly 80 out of roughly 180 countries or in more tangible terms, roughly $10,000 per person, which is slightly below the world average ("looks like a duck"). Percentage of population living on less than $2 a day, 42.9% ("Sounds like a duck"). These figures indicate huge inequality and I think it's pretty comfortable to conclude from these figures that the country is highly impoverished although not the 90% speculated above ("It must be a duck!"). btw, I think rnsaza has it right, murdered then dumped.

February 26, 2010 7:55 am

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Decypha

That's fine but the words "highly impoverished" do not apply to South Africa. Most people that actually come to the country are surprised at what they see. I'm tired of being asked if we have cellphones in South Africa, or how it is we managed to make it across "the great ocean". I've been to the best of them, the US, Germany, Britain etc and there is nothing much I saw there that I hadn't encountered back in South Africa. 42.9% is a far cry from 90%. Crime is a direct problem of the disparities in wealth, I agree, but I think you would agree that it's unfair to call South Africa "highly impoverished".

February 26, 2010 9:29 am

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NewGit

Decypha, I can understand the uninformed comments by people who have never been there getting on your nerves. It is however fun telling those sorts of people completely fictitious stories. On the impoverished note, it's how you guage it, which is another kettle of fish or duck-spotting. I agree, nothing too special about the best countries, but particularly in the UK (and I suspect Germany), they don't have the poor townships and/or informal settlements (squatter camps) made from cardboard and scrap metal. From my experience, driving through some parts of Durban, it is highly impoverished and that you cannot ignore.

February 26, 2010 10:06 am

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kimbo

Decypha My friend was in SA last in 2008, and after coming back and seeing your country, he said he is happy to live in central Europe. He has seen people fighting on a road (a guy went mad and wanted to punish other driver) he has seen poor people living in areas were all the buildings were made from metal sheets and carboards. Black guys were wearing guns everywhere. This is a good place to live? Please stop kidding.

February 26, 2010 10:10 am

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Decypha

@ Newgit - Excuse me for being upset by the "highly impoverished" issue. I still believe that you can't call South Africa highly impoverished but I'll concede. @ Kimbo - I've seen, maybe 2 guns in my entire life, I've never had one pointed at me, I did see someone get shot at 10 years ago for attempting a robbery with a knife (he missed). South Africa is a great place to live (that's as subjective as statements come) I love my country, I love the potential, I love the opportunity but, like with many a country out there, there are bad elements; bad people if you may. I was born here, I grew up here and I never want to leave; LEMZQ said it all for me.

February 27, 2010 6:28 am

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SD-AMG

Sad news really.. I like the Gemballa company for making very cool details

February 25, 2010 9:25 pm

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kirin98

I think we should separate him from his products. While I think many of his creations are horrid, I would certainly not wish any harm comes to him.

February 26, 2010 12:07 am

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Aesthetics

well done south africa!!! a country plagued by criminals, next the pope and all that is good

February 26, 2010 5:21 am

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xLumino

reminds me to an episode of a german TV-series "Siska" named "Der Erlk?nig" where a testdriver of the inofficial BMW Z18 was murdered in South Africa while testing the crossover. good luck for finding him

February 26, 2010 12:47 pm

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LEMZQ

Guys, lets remember that africa as a whole is as it is thanks to europeans. We are trying ourlevel best to remedy the years of ill treatment from europeans. Everything we are trying to fix in SA is thanks to the previous government. You guys are quick to point fingers in saying we live below the poverty line where we were forcefully put there. Next time you think of saying putting stupid comments here without knowing the facts, rather not. This is a car site! Nothing good was said in Pagani choosing SA to conduct their weather testing yet you are quick to comment when something bad happens. Lets comment about cars which is what we come to this site for!!!

February 26, 2010 12:54 pm

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2 replies

enzoferrari

Lemzo forgive Europeans for bringing farming,technology,roads,manufacturing,work ethics,law and order,etc,etc to S.A? Forgive whom for raping,murdering,plundering,introducing reverse apartheid after more than a decade of inequality to the people you call "Europeans living there?. Blame whom for the masses not paying their lights and water,taxes,etc? No thank you,blame the laziness and sense of entitlement that takes S.A. down the same path as Zimbabwe.Once a thriving country now run by a buffoon and blindly supported by brainless ideology.Was this stupidity also brought on by Europeans? Take your misguided stupidity and look in a mirror.Europeans should be thanked for setting up car manufacturing companies in a labour union ruled country and thereby creating hundreds of thousands of jobs for ungrateful masses whom want to blame every ill in life on everybody else except their lazy selves.

February 27, 2010 12:08 pm

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sideskraper

I don't agree with enzoferrari's words but I do agree with two of his points. The country does espouse a brainless ideology based on revolutionary ideology of 20-30 years ago. There has been almost no evolution of the political ideology of the nation's majority. Secondly, it is led by a buffoon. He is not the person you want to represent your country. With Zuma in charge there needs to be a differentiation between an anti oppresive movement and one that is on the road to deliver your nation into banana republicanism. As an Australian I can relate to your situation as we have a combed over soundbite who has been trying to make himself chinese, that implements 30 year old policy/ideology, and treats the nation's expenditure like a pissed off house wife treats a Visa AND Mastercard. But I would rather Mr Rhetoric to lead my country than a Corrupt, Communist, Rapist (OF A HIV POSITIVE WOMAN FFS. JUST WHAT AFRICA NEEDS), who behaves like Mugabe/Amin. For so long Zuid Afrika had some socio-political direction and was looking to reform itself. Now with a Syphilitic banana vendor in control, there is not much hope.

February 27, 2010 2:50 pm

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cec

Let's all hope that Uwe is alive and will be back home in Germany soon to reunite with his family.

February 26, 2010 3:33 pm

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EisenFaust

@sideskraper - ahh I love it when Australians get self righteous! - they shipped all their native people to the northern territory and tryed their damndest to pretent they didn't exist!

March 1, 2010 5:42 am

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