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I saw a 2005+ RHD about 8 months ago and I REALLY wish I would have turned and stopped him after he waved. Only thing I can think of was that he was military, but maybe he did purchase from the UK, I don't know. Either way, it was probably the coolest thing I had ever seen.
We were both at opposite sides of the street at red lights and I looked across thinking to myself "uhhh, is there no driver in that MINI???" Sure enough, as he drove by, he was sitting in the passenger side driving. I thought it was the coolest thing. He gave an emphatic wave (obviously an enthusiast) and continued on. Never saw it again! Sure was nice...Royal grey with a black roof. Real sharp.
I wonder why we couldn't order one with right hand drive, I can't think of any law or reason why they couldn't make it so... And it would be way cool to have one stateside.
When I was in the Air Force stationed in the UK, I tried to buy a 2004 RHD from the military BMW dealership, but was told if the vehicle was ever going stateside it would have to be LHD. I thought that to be strange so I inquired further when I went to the Mini plant in Cowley, Oxford. Two different tour guide said all minis going to the states had to be LHD according to the U.S. DoT. If you're a UK citizen, you can import a RHD mini to the states, but it can only be on a one year basis. If you’re a UK military serving in the states, you can have it here as long as his tour is.
Another strange thing I saw in the UK was Minis bought through military sales had different options than the MiniUSA site. One was mini coopers convertible. Convertible were not just for the MCS. They also have a wider color range for military dealers.
there is a law that states you cannot have a RHD drive vehicle if there is currently a LHD model of that vehicle sold in the US.
Well that's interesting!!! I'm wondering how in the heck the guy that I saw got his RHD MINI in. I'm wishing more and more that I would have stopped him now!
When I was in the Air Force stationed in the UK, I tried to buy a 2004 RHD from the military BMW dealership, but was told if the vehicle was ever going stateside it would have to be LHD. I thought that to be strange so I inquired further when I went to the Mini plant in Cowley, Oxford. Two different tour guide said all minis going to the states had to be LHD according to the U.S. DoT. If you're a UK citizen, you can import a RHD mini to the states, but it can only be on a one year basis. If you’re a UK military serving in the states, you can have it here as long as his tour is.
Another strange thing I saw in the UK was Minis bought through military sales had different options than the MiniUSA site. One was mini coopers convertible. Convertible were not just for the MCS. They also have a wider color range for military dealers.
I wonder if the UK citizen decided to sell while still here. Would that still be possible. A few BMW E30 M3 Sport EVOs came to US that way.
__________________ 2006 MINI Cooper JCW GP0019
RMW tune & cams*17% pulley*ITG filter*Brisk plugs*H-Sport Comp RSB*KMac camber plates*resonator delete*TSW studs/jack pads*H&R 5mm spacer*CT AX6 pads*Motul RBF600*RedLine*15x7 Motegi TrakLites2*Nitto NT01 205/50-15 BRG/W 2003 MINI Cooper S R.I.P. Sheila
from what I understand of the importation of military owned vehicles is "Yes the can sell them," but the vehicle would need to be brought up to American standards of emission and safety within the first year of sales.
Now I have seen lots of 1996 - 2000 (classic style) Minis (not reVinned) imported from Japan recently. The Japanese emissions standards have always been higher than the US‘s, well except for California. You may want to thing about checking that out.
the classic minis sold stateside (about 10,000) were all LHD all the RHD minis that were in the us were imported. so technically the 60-67 RHD minis driving around are doing breaking the law. but the amount of cops that would know that any LHD minis were sold here is small im sure.
__________________ Bandit: 07 MCS DS/B. Leatherette. Climate control, Cold Weather, Convenience access, DSC. LSD. "seven" Piano black dash. Nav.
I have a neighbor that drives a BMW 325i that is rhd. It is a 2002 or 3.
I drive a rhd classic mini and have had three of them and asked many law enforcement types if they were legal. There is no law in Texas I assure you.
familiarstranger is correct - you're not supposed to permanently import any RHD car for which there's a LHD equivalent sold in the States, and that's a federal regulation, not a state one.
The postal jeeps probably get an exclusion based on the specific duties they have to perform, because I'm pretty sure there were Jeep models available concurrently with RHD and LHD.
__________________
Last edited by ScottRiqui; 12-04-2007 at 08:34 PM.
[/FONT][FONT=ArialMT]. As previously indicated, an import
eligibility decision can be based on the substantial similarity of a non-U.S.
certified vehicle to a vehicle manufactured for importation and sale in the United
States, and so certified by its original manufacturer. If the vehicle you are seeking
to import is right-hand drive, even if there were a U.S.- certified version of that
vehicle, it might not be considered "substantially similar" for import eligibility
purposes. Our experience has shown that the safety performance of right-hand
drive vehicles is not necessarily the same as that of apparently similar left-hand
drive vehicles offered for sale in this country. However, NHTSA will consider the
vehicles "substantially similar" if the manufacturer advises the agency in writing,
on the manufacturer ' s letterhead (and not that of an authorized dealership or
other such entity affiliated with the manufacturer) that the right-hand drive vehicle
would perform the same as the U.S.-certified left-hand drive vehicle in crash
tests. Absent such evidence, the petitioning RI would have to demonstrate that
the vehicle, when modified, would comply. In this case, you might want to contact
one or more of the RIs listed on our website to obtain their opinion on the
feasibility of conforming the right-hand drive vehicle to the FMVSS, and the costs
involved in conforming the vehicle and petitioning NHTSA for a determination as
to whether the vehicle is eligible for importation.
I have a 78 Mazda RX7 that is RHD, that I bought off of a guy who was stationed in Japan in the early 80's in the US Military. He brought it back with him, never titled or registered it or anything. Took some paperwork and some time, but I got it all titled and registered just fine. In NY there are some weird inspections you have to go through, but nothing major. It is old enough where no one really cared though lol.
I recently purchased a classic Mini RHD and found no law in VA that requires it to conform to LHD standards.
After having driven the car a bit, I see no crash test merit either. In fact, if I were to be in a head on with anything else in such a small car, it's not likely that the side of the car I'm on would make a whole hell of a lot of difference anyway.
That being said, I'm not posotive, but pretty sure that most people in law enforcement wouldn't consider this an infraction(if it were) that warrants the bother of citing. Theres got to be something much more pressing, Know what I mean?
Founding Members - DC METRO MINIs
Sure was nice...Royal grey with a black roof. Real sharp.
And it would be way cool to have one stateside.
Bandit: 07 MCS DS/B. Leatherette. Climate control, Cold Weather, Convenience access, DSC. LSD. "seven" Piano black dash. Nav.
