IT WAS billed as an adrenalin-filled journey of "madness and mayhem" in which dozens of drivers speed across Europe in high-performance cars.
But for two participants in the annual Cannonball Run Europe, the dream of cruising from London to Rimini, in Italy, in their £100,000 supercars, ended when police clocked them travelling more than 150mph.


Gerald Harrison, 27, from Glasgow, and Marc Sharifi, 47, of Ongar, Essex, had their precious cars confiscated and spent two days in cells when they were caught shortly after arriving in France.

Organisers say they believe the vehicles will now be sold at auction by French authorities.

The two men, both estate agents, are understood to have become "a bit over-enthusiastic" after discussing their machines on the ferry journey to Calais.

Mr Sharifi was recorded at 159mph in his Ferrari Spider 360, while Harrison was travelling at 155mph in his rare Porsche 933 Ruf after UK police tipped off their French counterparts that the convoy was on its way.

The Cannonball Runs - based on rallies held in the United States in the 1970s and immortalised in the 1981 film of the same name, starring Roger Moore and Burt Reynolds - have become increasingly popular.

But French police, fed up with UK drivers treating their roads as an "adventure playground" have decided to clamp down on the "crazies behind the wheel".

The men were arrested last Sunday at a speed trap on the A26 at Bethune, after a tip-off by Kent Police. They were brought before French magistrates during the week.

They each received three month suspended jail sentences and were fined £750.

Speaking from his home in Hyndland, Glasgow, Mr Harrison said: "I feel it [the case] was unfairly treated. Anyone could have been caught. They just wanted to catch Cannonballers. The sentence they imposed on me was harsh and they were trying to make an example of us."

Mr Harrison, who has a fleet of eight cars ranging from classic Volkswagens to Porsches, conceded that his speed could have caused an accident. The father of a nine-year-old son said: "I was speeding and I could have got killed. I almost believe it was fate that I was caught.

"I'm happy to still be here and not in a French prison. I'm a highly skilled driver. I knew what I was doing but just never knew what might happen."

During the case, French newspapers described the two men as "super rich". They described Harrison in court as having an air of Leonardo Di Caprio about him.

The town's public prosecutor Louis Wallon, said: "We cannot accept what they are doing. They are a menace. The motorway was busy and driving at that speed is totally irresponsible."

Organisers of the once secret event, which now boasts a website and a £4,500 entry fee, insist it is not a race and the aim is to average 60mph.

Jan Dechamps, the event's organiser, said it had been targeted by the police.

"We cannot condone people driving at excessive speeds and people not respecting the law," she said. "They were excited and enthusiasm got the better of them."

A Kent Police spokeswoman said: "The two men were taking part in a rally known as the Cannonball Run between London and Rimini in Italy."

Cannonball Runs were started in America in the 1970s in tribute to Erwin G "Cannonball" Baker, who broke 143 American distance driving records in the 1930s and 1940s on his motorbike.

They were resurrected in 1999 as Gumball and Cannonball runs and now take place across Europe, the US and North Africa, with celebrities like supermodel Jodie Kidd and actors Billy Zane and Jason Priestley taking part

 

I dont see anything to be annoyed with, they are both estate agents, they will just go and buy another car as they rip us off by inflating house prices and taking a large chunk of our money for themselves.
Serves them right really.

Tony

 

The French are *****, stinking ********. They don't do this sort of thing to their own drivers, a fine would have been the result as well as a ban but confiscation seems to be limited to foreigners.

They tried to make me the victim of one of their scams but I refused to stop. Obviously this doesn't work unless you are near one of their unmanned borders. One in the eye for the frogs.

 

They should of took the tunnel.... LOL

 

Where does it say they used a scoob to catch them?

 

Ignorant estate agent comment, of course i am an estate agent so im gonna take the bait but estate agents dont dictate house prices my friend, the public do. Of course im sure when it comes to selling your house you would be only too happy to sell it for a 'fair' and 'affordable' price so mr first time buyer can have an easier step up onto the property ladder and i know you would not sell your property for as much as you could possibly get.......?!

 

Its a proven fact that estate agents hike up the prices to get a greater commission, and the biggest fact is that estate agents dont have anyone to overlook what they are doing (yet).
As for "fair" and "affordable", well most of us have been priced out of the market by greedy estate agents giving higher than normal valuations on houses, and considering that any tom, dick or harry can become an estate agent with virtually no training.... oh and afford the odd porsche and ferrari to boot there is only one place that money comes from, commission from the sale.... oh up the price and increase your commission sorry didnt see that and i thought that BMW sales people made a lot of cash every year

Tony

 

popcorn anyone?

 

i have just had a run in with my estate agents-gave me disposition to sign 1/7 prior to sale,keep ringing me on mobile not home no so my work is interrupted,lost a sale because they lost paperwork so generally not happy about estate agents,if they are stupid enough to race through a notorious area of europe in flash cars where penalties are severe tough no sympathy at all
martin

 

Are they not regulated by the FSA?

The insurance industry is, and i can't even fart without disclosing it to them!!!

 

Chartered surveyors probably are, they are the only people who should give you a valuation and not estate agents who do hike the price up on top of this.

Tony

 

I bought my Subaru with the commision i earnt, im happy.

You make one or two good points Tony, but i dont want to get into a big estate agent debate as most people have an opinion on us without any real dealings and its generaly negative! Besides i reckon im vastly out numbered!

 

Though Tony you do seem very bitter!

Are you sure your not just jeleous of us Tom, dick and harrys?!!

 

It doesn't say there but I saw it on the local France 3 news.
I don't think they used a clio or a renault scenic


or a 3 wheeler milk float

 

No, just the fact that people are getting ripped off all the time by estate agents who do hike the prices up for their own means, especially when things are considerably over the rate of inflation.

Tony

 

think yourself lucky.. Here in France its the buyer has to pay around 10% costs.4% for legal costs and as much as 8% to the estate agent

 

I'm afraid you're wrong matey it’s not just the Les Anglais that are dealt with like this. I have a number of friends that had Porches etc and they have had their licences taken off them and their cars confiscated, however you can bid for the car to buy it back.

If these guys hadn't been doing those sorts of stupid speeds on public roads then they would still have their cars, fact! When in Rome!!! However calling the French ***** and, stinking ******** shows your apparent lack of education by judging a whole nation based on two people who were breaking the law. I bet you don't like Parisians either even though you probably don't even know any.

 

they shouldn't off been going that fast if it was busy.

what i never understood was why the hell make a car go 150 mph + when speed limits are 70 mph.

like you say though they can afford it so its tough **** they knew the score if they got caught. should of gone faster wouldn't have clicked then lol what is it 172 ?

 

I'm estate agent in France, the purchaser pays all the fees to buy the property, this can range from 4 - 12% agency fees, 6.5% for the notaire and government taxes and that’s all. But remember properties in France are far cheaper than in the UK even with all the fees and a French estate agent works totally different to those of the UK and are government regulated.

As for estate agents inflating prices, I can't speak for UK estate agents but in France it’s the seller that sets the price of the property not the estate agent. We can advise however they don't have to listen and can charge what they like; however a property is only worth what somebody will pay for it. I work bloody hard to find my properties, market them (not cheap) and sell them. Yes I do earn a lot of money but I work my **** off for it and it’s got me to the top of the tree. Put it this way compared to what a footballer earns in a week I'm very poor, at least we work.

 

I know for a fact that very few frogs are treated like that. I judge the nation based on 4 years of living with the stinking pigs. As for Parisians even the other cowardly stink mongers think they are swine which is saying something.
I lived in the 17em arrondissement and a more unpleasant bunch of selfish, pavement ****-smearing dongrels would be impossible to find.

I do however take comfort in the fact I spent my time there breaking many of their laws, ******* their women and taking their money.

 

re: 'I'm estate agent in France'


Exactly the same over here, a property is worth exactly what someone is willing to pay for it and guess what when the neighbours here of how much it goes for you can bet your bottom dollar they arent gonna be comming on the market for less money!
Now personaly i would love property to be cheaper, we would sell a lot more and in turn make alot more money but if we dont value to the publics expectations you dont get the business, one of your competators does and they get the commision. Its a job where you get called an arsehole if you 'undervalue', your a self centred commision grabbing ***** if you over value a property and your not worth your commision if you have sold a property in the first couple of days ie "you have undersold my house".

Unfortunately as much as i hate doing it sometimes you have to overvalue to get an intruction, or you dont get to drive your Subaru as you cant afford the petrol!

 

So if you hate them so much, how come you lived with them for 4 years?

 

Because he got to **** there women i guess?!

 

A day rate of €800, luxury flat in one of the most bourgeois areas of Paris and all expenses paid. For that I'd have sucked the Devil's dick back then.

 

I don't see how the French Police have any right to effectively "steal" the offenders car and sell it off at auction, regardless of the offence.

Sounds to me like artistic licence was given to the tabloid trained journalist who wrote the piece.

 

Nice before and after pictures of a French Police Impreza here

http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthread.php?t=531066

 

 

Cars and motorcycles can be seized by the court here; let alone in France. That vehicles are confiscated in France is well-known surely?