This 247th entry to the people's pics section is a real oddity, and represents something that hasn't been repeated since entry number one, all the way back in the year 2000. The pictures are sent from Spencer Rayner (spencerrayner at yahoo dot com), who is only the second R4 owner ever to contact me from the United States. He writes: 'Hi, very excited to have my Renault 4 in the USA, and considering an across country road trip - has anyone ever driven an R4 from east to west coast?'
The photos date from 31st July 2007. Spencer comments on the pictures: '...at a local gas station, at the Sheriffs Dept when I had to get VIN checked so I can use her, and at my farm in rural Georgia, USA. When they see me drive through town I get a lot of waves from the Cadillacs and the Lincolns. I drive Minis as well here - so they know I am odd :) '.
I wrote to
Spencer,
mentioning the idea I'd often had of taking an R4 across America, if
only the cost of shipping the car over and having it modified to meet
all regulations wasn't to prove an issue. His reply might be of
interest to any others interested in doing such a thing, since you
won't find any other Renault 4s knocking about in the States, and it
might be the only way to get one there: 'Hey Pete, I have been
importing Minis (99% RHD by the way) here for 6 years in containers of
between 5-7 Minis per month and have to deal extensively with customs,
EPA, and DOT. Here is my website: http://www.minifarm.eu
'So
long as a vehicle is over 25 years it is exempt and can be imported
into the USA - customs duties are 2%. So my 1974 R4 was a breeze to
bring in. That 25 year law applies to citizens and residents
like myself. Now someone like yourself who would be a visitor can bring
any year vehicle into the states for 12 months and then it has to be
shipped out of the USA or sold if it is over 25 years. So,
you could ship a pre 1982 Renault 4 into NYC (cheapest port at about
£500 - £700), drive her to the west coast and then sell her there - not
California though since they have draconian laws - but Oregon or
Washington would work. Or, you could ship your 2008 Porsche, drive that
across the USA and then ship her back home again :)
'I
am
looking to move to Seattle from Atlanta and will take my trusty R4 with
me. Cheers and a great site!!!'
Spencer adds that he is always on the lookout for both Renault 4 and pre-1982 Mini parts, in addition to the Minis themselves if they're going cheap. He can also provide details of his shipper and offer import advice.