Gemballa's body found in South Africa

The body of car customizer Uwe Gemballa, who had been missing for eight months, has been found in South Africa. He was 54 at the time of his disappearance.

Gemballa had traveled to South Africa in February on a business trip regarding the opening of a dealership in Johannesburg, according a Reuters report.

Vishnu Naidoo, a South African police spokesman, said police are investigating the circumstances surrounding Gemballa's death. "A murder docket has been opened," Naidoo said.

Located near Stuttgart, Germany, Gemballa's company was well known for converting Porsche sports cars into turbocharged supercars. The company was in financial trouble at the time of Gemballa's disappearance.

Since Gemballa's disappearance, the company was broken up by liquidators and shut down. In August, Andreas Schwarz and investor Steffen Korbach announced their formation of a new company, Gemballa GmbH.

No arrests have been made in Gemballa's death.

By Izzi Bendall