Sorry can't help you but does the law there possibly let you go back to the seller and recoup the money spent buying the X? Just curious.

also, why would it take them 3 years to find a duplicate? it is not like the UK cars are easily sold in other countries... and it is not a new production, when a duplicate is created 2 months ago, all E53 were done in 2006...

do the spec sheets of the both VINs coincide? in other words, the color, the engine, the options trim... I think in the US, the VINs have a check digit, I think it is 7th or 11th character - in BMW the 11th character is the manufacturing plant, for E53s it is always the letter "L", for plant in spartanburg...

BTW ... have you posted on Xdrivers?

Hi All

Yes the law would allow me a claim against the seller of the car but in the two and a half years I had the car the dealer went bankrupt and closed down .

I have posted on xdrivers.co.uk and have just had a guy offer me a copy of a 2004 model which should be close enough.

All I can think for the reason for the delay in finding it is that the other car is in a major oil city close to offshore rigs and that the genuine car has been off the road for a long time.

No the specs are different too.

For the americans out there..

Well finally got my car back - just have to sort out the VIN now and get a new registration document .

I also bought a scanner and at least that confirms the police findings as the VIN in the onboard computer matches the VIN that the police identified.

Hood = Bonnet
Trunk = Boot
Gasoline = Petrol
Cold beer = Warm beer.
Americans = Yanks

For the non Americans out there.

:bustingup

LOL - I like it !!!

Original German name: Kotflügel
Kot: excrement -> shit
Flügel: wing

makes it a: Shitwing :-)

Have a great weekend guys.