I’m pleased to learn that the European Union’s Intellectual Property Office has ended a long-running dispute over the Vanwall trademark in favour of Sanderson International Marketing and against ByKolles.
Sanderson builds and sells continuation examples of the Vanwall VW5, the British Formula 1 car that won the inaugural constructors’ title in 1958, here in the UK. ByKolles builds a hypercar to race in the World Endurance Championship at its base in Germany.
The thing that has annoyed me so much about this situation, which has undoubtedly been very stressful for Sanderson, is that there is absolutely no logic to ByKolles appropriating the Vanwall name.
Firstly, only those old enough to even know what Vanwall was are those who are old enough to have watched Sir Stirling Moss race and dedicated F1 anaroks. If you’re having to explain the heritage of a revived brand, what’s even the point of reviving it?
Secondly, ByKolles is a German company that operates in a totally different field to the original Vanwall. There is no Vanwall heritage at Le Mans, nor is there any in road cars (ByKolles had planned to sell its road-going electric hot hatch as the Vanwall Vandervell), nor indeed any outside of the UK.
Quite what is the point? Colin Kolles has been a known figure in international motorsport for 23 years and had been running his teams under his own name for that whole period. Just stick with that. Continue building your own legacy, an unquestionably commendable act, rather than attempting to hijack and appropriate somebody else’s. Most people don’t even know about that legacy, and those who do won’t be fooled, so you’re convincing nobody.
It isn’t just ByKolles that’s guilty of this bizarre practice, though. Far from it.
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What about the supposed revival of the Vauxhall Carlton that was planned for 2025 in the UK?
Cars like these aren't made in there thousands, there built in limited runs, some are bespoke orders no expense spared cars, they'll rarely see the Asphalt which doesn't really matter, as for using brand names of the past, well, as said your a bit of an Anorak about it and think it's totally reprehensible, that's fair enough.