S2 on Ebay

[Mike Veglia]

In a message dated 9/5/2002 Kev Kingan writes:

<< I used to work for a Registerd imported back in the Grey Market Days, and
all of you people that want to try to fake an S2 as a regular CQ. Well let
me tell you that Customs Holds all the cars till they get released. They
have seen every trick in the book so If you think you can pull a fast 1
FORGET IT!!! Sorry alll!! and in order to get it released you have to prove
that you are going to convert it. Remember Bill Gates's Ferrari F40 and 959
that were held in a Bonded Customs House, because he could get the cars
approved for the US? >>

While I don't doubt that you are for the most part correct, I gather in some
cases things have loosened up and there are more loopholes than there were a
few years back when the big Gray Market crackdown first began. A short list
of some of the hardware I saw parked in the parking lots at this year's
Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca included:

New Bugatti (Bruce Canepa's new toy to supplement his 959 he has had for
many years despite having to "hide" it for some of them).
McLaren F1 (Pearl Orange and *beautiful*!!!!)
Renault Spider (with a dealer plate)
A whole row of Lotus Elises

As has been mentioned here on this list a number of times, at MH99 there was
an Audi A3 which was brought in by a H&R Springs rep.

It may be that the only way to get the car in would be as a non-street legal
track toy, but it could certainly come in as that--the company that brings
in the Lotus Elise brings them in without any trouble. They are now
installing US version federalized Honda/Acura engines to make them street
legal (likely brought in as "kit cars" I'm guessing, but don't know for
sure).

So, while it *could* probably be done, I think the "Ersatz S2" route may
make more sense if you want to drive the car on the street.

Mike Veglia
Motor Sport Visions Photography
http://www.motorsportvisions.com