"Peter R." <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:
[email protected]...
> On Wed, 15 Sep 2004 15:28:33 GMT, "Simes" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >I`ve seen adverts for companies selling Discoveries imported from Japan.
> >They seem to be of the spec. I`m looking for at a good price. What are
the
> >pro`s & con`s of such vehicles?
> >
>
> Wait up...
>
> So a car, produced in the UK, shipped to Japan, and then shipped back,
> including al the relevent paperwork, is cheaper than a regular one ???
> How's that work, then ?
>
> Peter R.
>
The Japanese MOT laws mean that cars there are virtually worthless after 7
years since all safety related features (seat belts, airbags etc etc) must
be replaced for the car to pass costing £3000+. This means that nearly all
cars are traded in and sold at auction to the other RHD countries-NZ, UK,
Eire , Aus, India etc...This is the reason why the Pajero imports you see
are all over 7 years old!
The Japanese Governments reasoning behind this is that Japanese domestic new
car sales are kept continuosly high and there is no 'waste problem' as all
the scrappers are exported! On the plus side there is a continuous supply of
cheap high spec, good condition cars to the UK at much less the than the UK
going rate for similar cars. This has seriously undermined certain
manufactures cars sales- namely Mitsubishi- who won't support the imported
Pajero/Shogun (but there are plenty of independent garages who will). Indeed
Toyota Aus. got the Australian goverment to ban imports of certain models in
2003 (Hilux Surf/4Runner) due to suffering domestic new car sales.
I very much doubt that many imports from Japan are stolen due to the above
stated reason as to why they are exported. Be wary of imported cars from
other non European countries though- especially the expensive models.
A guy I know imports 600 cars a month from Japan- but I've never seen a UK
car in his car compound......coals to Newcastle??
Nevillef
