Ben Hunt is an award-winning motorsport journalist with over two decades of experience in Formula 1 and international media. As a former editor-in-chief and bestselling author, he delivers in-depth analysis and strategic insight from the highest level of the sport.
Williams has launched a High Court claim over a Formula 1 car that disappeared after being loaned to a garage in Telford, with the team seeking its return or a payment exceeding £1 million.
According to The Independent, the dispute concerns a Williams FW23 from 2001. Williams values the car at £750,000 and says it belongs to its heritage collection, preserving team history.
The car was supplied to Autotech Performance Ltd in 2015 under a Historic Car Loan Agreement, allowing the business to display it at its Shropshire premises.
However, Williams says attempts to recover the vehicle in 2021 went unanswered. Autotech subsequently entered liquidation and was dissolved, leaving the team pursuing former director and shareholder Peter Thorpe.
Williams seeks return of historic car
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In court papers quoted by The Independent, Williams alleges Thorpe wrongly told a valuer involved in Autotech’s liquidation that he personally owned the car and had purchased it himself.
The team’s barrister, Richard Clegg, argues that Thorpe either removed the vehicle or arranged for somebody else to do so. Williams alleges that he retained possession and control of it.
Those claims remain disputed and have not been established at trial. Williams says it wrote to Autotech in October 2021 to arrange an inspection and terminate the loan agreement, but received no response.
The team is seeking an order requiring the car’s return, together with hire charges. Alternatively, it is claiming more than £1 million if the vehicle is not returned.
Former garage director disputes allegations
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Thorpe denies claiming ownership and says he does not know where the car is. His defence cites cognitive impairment following a stroke in October 2018, which he says affected his memory.
His lawyer, Duncan MacPherson, says Thorpe closed Autotech’s business on 30 June 2021 and returned only for an asset valuation on 8 August that year.
Thorpe accepts that the Williams was present during that visit, but says he cannot account for what happened afterwards. He also says he cannot remember speaking to the valuer about ownership.
The defence disputes Williams’ valuation, describing the vehicle as a show car without an engine. That distinction leaves the car’s condition and value as contested aspects of the proceedings.
No ruling yet in Williams dispute
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The Independent reports that the claim has been filed at the High Court in London, but has not yet proceeded to a full trial before a judge.
Williams confirmed that it had initiated proceedings to recover a car loaned to a third party and not returned. For now, the whereabouts of the FW23 remain unresolved in the account.
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