Shelby American Automobile Club created a spoof NYT front page.

An auto club created a spoof New York Times front page with phony articles and passed it on to about 3,000 car club members, but many readers fell for the prank, the Times reported.

The spoof was created by the Shelby American Automobile Club (SAAC) and the main spoof article in question stated that a New York senator suggested a 10% “federal tax on specialty automobiles.” Other articles on the mock front page included a report that a study announced that “recreational polka dancers have significantly lower rates of colon cancer.” Also, in place of the weather report was 1900s cars and horses trivia.

In an April 4 report, SAAC’s managing editor Rick Kopec announced that the car tax report was an April Fool’s Day prank that spread faster than expected.  He also requested that readers don’t contact the senator’s office.