A DEPOSITS of over £650,000 sterling for nine Lamborghini cars paid by a fine art dealer based in London to a Cork businessman who claimed his company acted as the agent for Lamborghini cars was never recovered and the cars were never delivered, the High Court was told yesterday.
Ms Amanda Forshall, Paultons Square, Chelsea, London, a director of Fine Arts and Collections Ltd, has claimed she paid the money as a deposit on nine Lamborghini Diablos through Lambo Motors of Ireland Ltd, Mac room, Co Cork.
The action has been taken against 10 defendants who have all denied the allegations made against them.
It was stated in court that because of the non delivery of the cars her reputation had been severely damaged and she had lost Japanese contracts.
Investigations carried out by Ms Forshall established that Lambo Motors was not and never had been authorised agents for Lamborghini cars and the chassis numbers included in an alleged agreement were fictional.
It was also stated that while there were a number of defendants, the main culprit was Lambo Motors.
In evidence yesterday, Ms Forshall said her company was incorporated in January 1990 and sourced fine art, property and classic cars primarily for Japanese clients.
She said she had made contact with a number of Japanese clients through her friendship with the wife of the British ambassador in Japan.
Asked by Mr Hugh O'Neill SC, for Ms Forshall, when she met the first named defendant, Mr Gerard Walsh of Wilton House, Dennehys Cross, Cork, she replied that she met him in Kinsale in January 1990 when she was visiting Mr Christopher Renwick who had property interests in the area.
Mr Renwick, she said, was a London based dealer in classic cars with whom she had had dealings.
Ms Forshall said she was in Kinsale because she and her husband were looking at some property.
She described as a coincidence her meeting with Mr Walsh at Mr Renwick's house in Kinsale. At that stage, she had no interest in purchasing classic cars.
It was in March 1990 that she had a clear interest in purchasing the Lamborghini cars. She had some Japanese clients and she took them to C and J Dunhill Ltd, a classic car dealer in London.
Her clients expressed an interest in the Lamborghini Diablo model. The model had not yet been produced but Mr Dunhill told her, that he could supply the car and she placed an order for one such car with him.
The action before Mr Justice Shanley continues today.