As a result, the dollar appreciated nearly 50 percent against the yen, deutsche mark and other European currencies. By March 1980, the federal funds rate was 20 percent. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker to dramatically raise interest rates. The stagflation crisis of the 1970s pushed U.S. Unlike today, there was no prohibition on importing a new Euro-Benz.īetter yet, they were cheap. They kept coming because German-spec Mercedes offered horsepower and features not available in American-market Mercedes. I had a good reputation, and they kept coming.” “I was selling high-dollar cars to people paying in advance. “I had so many orders to fill, I couldn’t keep up,” he says. The romance of being a young American expatriate living in Southern Germany was enriched by the lucrative automotive gray market.Īs the decade began, Americans were avidly seeking out German-market Mercedes 500SELs and 280s, and de Board was selling them as fast as he could. The early 1980s were a golden time for Douglas de Board. Proposed automotive tariff would slap a 25 percent import duty on classic cars.America once enjoyed a thriving automotive gray market. Often lost in the argument: It wasn’t always this way. Opponents note it was largely automakers, not consumer advocates, lobbying in the law’s favor. Proponents of the legislation claim the IVSCA keeps American drivers safe. It prevents individuals from importing new foreign-market vehicles without undertaking a lengthy-and costly-testing and federalization process. The basis for this enforcement? The Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act, commonly known as the 25-year import rule. Clearly someone thinks this is a matter of national security-or acts that way for the cameras. Dramatic photos of the carnage were then shared, as if to serve as a warning for would-be automotive bootleggers. In two memorable instances, the agency crushed an illicit late-model Land Rover Defender (in 2013) and 2000 Mini Cooper (in 2014)-never mind that these were newer, arguably safer and more efficient versions of cars once legally sold here without issue. ![]() Sidestep the rules and you’re liable to have your car seized, and even destroyed, by United States Customs and Border Protection. Each team member in Japan & Houston head-office works towards adding value to our product by ensuring our Japanese used motors and transmissions meet our quality standards.It’s true that Americans can legally import, own and drive any foreign-market car they want-so long as it is more than 25 years old. " Low mileage used Japanese engine" sounds good but we want our customers to know that behind the scenes we work hard to acquire them in Japan. We work harder to add quality to our product. Vendors selling cheap engines make money by compromising on quality. We hire the most experienced and certified technicians and knowledgeable sales representatives whose aim is to satisfy the requirement of our customers in best possible way ! We care for our customers so we ship what we would install in our own vehicle. ![]() We offer expedited shipping nationwide within continental United States & Canada. Most customers realize cheap price in used engine business always means low quality ! Majority of our business relies on repeat customers. We believe in doing business with integrity and lay greater importance to customer service.Īll Japanese engines & Transmission go through a rigorous testing procedure before shipment.
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