Quick Quentin question....

I might have this completely wrong, but wasn't old "slicked-back" one of the first motoring journalists to start encouraging people to buy imports? Then, he gets a job with Richard Branson's startup venture that lets people buy cheap cars and suddenly he's against them?

Very fishy indeed.

So. We have the first casualty:

Every spare five minutes I get, I have been e-mailing their contact address at

I'm with you. Ridiculous piece of TV and my wife had to stop me from ranting and frothing at the mouth. I run a UK model (which is in about two hundred pieces in the bodyshop), but I seem to recall Autocar announcing that Mitsubishi were now SELLING and SERVICING those self-same grey imports. Nice set of double standards, eh?

I agree with your letter, heard about the show when my father-in-law phoned me up to express his concern about my new car that is on it's way from Japan as we speak! What a load of cr*p the show was, not what the BBC should broadcast at all. We've had 4 imports in the past 2 years, best cars we've ever had.

WRX RA
Celica GT4
Eunos Roadster
Honda Prelude

NE40

Rannoch,

You will also find some support from the Mitsi boys on Lancer Turbo Register.

firstly I didn't see the program (arse) but...

if my car and the many other ones out there are illegal because their imports how came a respectable company like Grange park motors in Southend-on-sea (who imported my 92Kreg WRX) can import hundreds of these cars and sell them legally???

If a car can pass the SVA its UK road legal.

Who's the weakest link now Anne Robinson? THE BBC!
Send something from SIDC/BBS to points of view.

The comment about different countries having different specs is True (I work in the motor manufacture trade) but most Japanese cars have everything fitted as standard where as the uk has to put up with a cost reduced version. i.e. I have a nice rear screen wiper, do U(k)? http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/smile.gif

Seriously, a friend in the regulations and legistration department said something about side impact being less stringent in Japan and started to get boring, so I said cheers and left it at that.

Sorry to add what may seem a dampener to the cause. I think a lot depends on how old/when in the vehicles development phase your car was made. As a lot of safety changes have happened in the last ten years, so a MY98 STi may have more safety features than an 8 year old UK spec Ford Escort but no one says the escort is unsafe.


Trev.

[This message has been edited by tizard99 (edited 30 November 2000).]

Rannoch,

If you are still going ahead with this, I have collated a few

I didn't see anything on the brief update last night. Crap about someone's insurance, some other information and nothing about "grey" illegal cars....

I did watch Hard Cash last night and it would appear that they know what they are talking about. I couldn't help but wonder if the things they were talking about last night were also misleading - it seemed genuine enough!!

There was a 30 second report at the end reporting viewers who had phoned in and complained about their losses due to being involved in accidents with drivers with no insurance. No mention of Imports or Grey's though.

Rannoch, I think you should send our petition to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission as well as to the BBC!!

Thank you all for your comments, emails and support.

I will be putting the final 'petition' and letter together tomorrow (Wed) to both the BBC and the BSC. I will include representation of Matt whose sale of a grey Legacy fell through directly due to the programme last week http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/frown.gif

I have contacted Hard Cash letting them know and they have not responded to me at all.

I will let you know what happens - although I understand the process for adjudication is between 3-6 months http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/frown.gif

Thanks again,

David

Yet more support.

Grey import, EVO 6, not on LTR.

L. Bunce PO15

Opps, sorry forgot.......

Trevor I SS16