Madrid, 6th May 2007
Dear Participants ,Judges, Guests and Sponsors,
Voiturette D´Elegance S,L, company formed to sign a Convenio on the 1st March 2006 with the Town Council of Aranjuez (Ayuntamiento de Aranjuez) as organisers of the 1st Concours d´Elegance Internacional Aranjuez 7-10 June 2007 regrets to communicate the unfortunate news that the event can not take place as it was planned because the Town Council of Aranjuez did not get the permission from the Spanish Institution which looks after the Palace, Patrimonio Nacional, for the exhibition of cars in the grounds of the Royal Palace of Aranjuez for the event.
The Convenio signed with the Town Council of Aranjuez compromised them to get the permission to exhibit the cars in the ideal place after we presented our original proposal in 2005 to celebrate the 1st Concours d´Elegance International in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez. The Royal Palace of Aranjuez did not appear in the Convenio as they explained to us they do not own the Palace but they were the right Institution to get all the permissions needed as they get these spaces of the Palace to celebrate their festival at the beginning of September “El Motín de Aranjuez”. This compromise was ratified in the press conference of last 25th of April 2006 in front of the press. From the beginning this Town Council encouraged us to work to get the best quality possible for exhibiting the cars in the Royal Palace.
It is has been a very busy year working to achieve the results needed to celebrate the Concours in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez with the help of the Town Council as they provided us with official information about the Town of Aranjuez included in the application sent participants and sponsors as well as they have invited with great hospitality some of our collaborators and sponsors such as Lufthansa Cargo Charter to help sell the project: Concours d´Elegance in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez.
From the beginning we explained and presented in a document to the Town Council of Aranjuez that we were working with the most important collaborators from classic car world, including the prestige of Mr. Jules M. Heumann to get the best cars in the world. Even the press mentioned him after the press conference of 25th of April 2006.
Everything was going in the right direction until we received a letter dated 27th February 2006 when some of the spaces of the Palace were approved and we were asked to present a definitive project to get more spaces in the surroundings of the Royal Palace. This definitive project was presented last March in the offices of the Regional Government of Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid, and after that date the surprise was to get a letter from the Town Council of Aranjuez dated 18th of April contradicting the previous letter as the Town Council of Aranjuez said that Patrimonio Nacional does not want to even consider to give more permission to exhibit the cars but the ones they agreed in February. Previous to the letter of the 18th April 2007 there does not exist any communication from the Institutions to stop us working on the Concours d´Elegance in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez. All the institutions (Town Council of Aranjuez, Comunidad de Madrid, Tourspain) know about the same project, cars in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez. Also we would like to add that we have not received any communication from Patrimonio Nacional concerning our event.
This definitive project was a document with letters of intention from all the companies collaborating, photos and information of cars confirmed including 6 cars confirmed for our event from the Schlumpf Collection in France and proof of dealings and deposits made with companies for the activities surrounding the event.
This communication of the 18th April 2007 by the Town Council of Aranjuez at such a late date has left Voiturette D´Elegance in the worst situation possible with having to explain now to all those involved in the event and those looking forward that the event can not take place as in the original project Voiturette D´Elegance offered to the Town Council and accepted by them in the Convenio which guaranteed us their institutional support.
Our economic situation right now to return fees paid due to commitments made and other organising costs so close to the run up to the event have left us unable to do so.
We are compromised to do our best to recuperate the funds so as to pay back as best as possible.
We have the press conference of the 25th April 2006 recorded in a video and documented in photographs. The cars that day were escorted by Police on motorcycles to a location in front of the Royal Palace of Aranjuez to show the press the project proposed by Voiturette D´Elegance and Town Council of Aranjuez.
In the video of the press conference of the 25th April 2006 I am speaking about the combination of the cars and the Royal Palace of Aranjuez with at my side the Mayor. The press conference ends with both of us shaking hands.
We are very sorry and embarrassed for the illusions of all involved have been dashed by the result of this nearly two years of work. Since receiving this letter we have tried our best diplomacy by writing a letter to the Mayor of Aranjuez asking to collaborate as agreed in the Convenio. We have yet to receive an answer from him.
This led us to speak with the US Embassy in Spain who had contacted us saying that the US Ambassador in Spain, Eduardo Aguirre was interested to take part in one of the activities planned in the Concours as one of the participants is a friend.
The US Embassy confirmed this to us in an email which we immediately resent to the Town Council of Aranjuez. For reasons of protocol it is the Mayor or the Town Council of Aranjuez that should invite the US Ambassador. We know that they have not received any communication from the Town Council of Aranjuez concerning the invitation to the US Ambassador until now.
We then wrote a letter to Alberto Aza, Head of the Royal Family Institution, La Casa Real, to ask for their help with the spaces needed in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez.
We are to include with this letter which will be sent by post some of the relevant documentation such as the Convenio and video of the press conference. Although most will be in Spanish I hope it will help to show that we have been working hard with all our goodwill to make this event something special not only for Aranjuez but for Spain.
Voiturette D´Elegance S,L is currently preparing legal action against the Town Council of Aranjuez for their lack of collaboration and the economic and moral damage done to us. We will update you on this legal process.
We beg for your understanding for what has happened and any further information you require we are happy to supply.
With our deepest apologies, embarrassment and regrets.
Jean L´Homme
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