Until few years ago I had a technically “not-for-U.S.” car – a Caterham Seven - fully factory completed and engined in the UK in 1992. It was subsequently dis-assembled at the works for shipment. I don’t know what its original intent was as its frame was built with a one-off mix of Reynolds light alloy steel bicycle tubing. Whereas Caterhams come into the U.S. as “kit” cars with the engines separately procured here, this one came in complete, with an odd VIN (SADLF0000000##### vs. the normal SKDLN1234…, with the last digits of my VIN being the engine serial number). Before I got it in 1994 (with 46 original miles), it had acquired an additional NC state-assigned VIN and title. I subsequently re-titled it, insured it, and registered it in VA as a ’92 using the Caterham VIN. I road-drove it and clubman-raced it for 11 years with no regulatory problems. Fortunately this part of VA does not have to do emissions testing, so carbs, no cat, no bumpers, no sweat. It is still on the road in another part of the country.
There well could have been some intrigue between the works, the wealthy recipient in NC, and my delivering “facilitator.”
Linear Mode
