If you are a fan of the classic British icon – the 1960’s Mini – then I suggest you look away now. US Custom officials destroyed this classic British Mini worth $20,000, as it did not comply with U.S. safety standards.
The car was destroyed in Plumstead, New Jersey as part of Operation Atlantic – an initiative between the US and British governments – aimed at preventing imports of cars such as this across the Atlantic.
However vehicles that are 25 year old or more, are exempt from these safety standards.
If vehicles don’t meet the required safety standards, the vehicles are seized from owners who thought they had followed proper procedures.
According to the U. S. Customs and Border Protection’s New York Field Office, the Mini left England destined for the Newark seaport.
This particular Mini was likely manufactured in 2000 but the VIN, had been changed to disguise the car as a 1988 model in an effort to skirt federal safety and emission standards.
Associate administrator at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Nancy Lewis told Yahoo: ‘Foreign sellers were defrauding American consumers who thought they were purchasing a vintage car, when in fact they were purchasing a potentially unsafe car.’
