[SteveC]

Hi All,

I have been reading up on Motor bikes and there are 3 different types of import.

1 UK Spec Produced for the uk by the manufacturer.
2 parallel import (imported by a dealer and bought up to UK spec.
3 Grey import. (imported privately no mods apart from SVA stuff)

I was wondering are the middlehurst cars by this definition Parallel imports. The Skyline was never released over here officially and was only available in "UK spec" from Middlehurst motorsport. (dealer not manufacturer.)

I know there are lots of small differences between UK and Jspec but if this is the case then who decided on the spec for a UK car ?

I'm not trying to start a flame war but I am curious.. as the insurance seems to be a tad cheaper etc..

have fun
Steve

 

[Fuggles]

Steve,

I guess it would qualiy as a parallel import. Bringing up to UK spec probably means so it can pass SVA, which is what Middlehurst would have to do.

It always pays to ask (especially insurance companies)

 

[Philip]

How can it be a parallel import when it was the only one available?

Phil

 

[Fuggles]

It's parallel to the grey imports.

 

[Talat]

Steve,

I'm not sure that is correct. My understanding, from a bikes point of view, is that a parallel import is an import of a model that is available in the UK. A grey import is importing a model that is not available from a UK dealer, hence a Middlehurst car would be a UK spec car, anyone who imported a 33 or 34 would be a parallel import and a 32 would be a grey import.

Talat.

 

[SteveC]

Hence my confusion the chap who explained the Parallel import is the managing Director of a main dealer Car garage.

I have also heard it explained the way you said it.

any Bike dealers on here who can clear it up ?

/steve

 

[Guy]

Imports

Parallel imports mean the vehicle/bike was actually a EU approved new, but was imported into another country in the EU first.

Grey import means it was not an EU designation vehicle.

3 types are therefore:

1. UK Spec - straight from factory, through UK distributer.

2. Parallel - EU spec, but arrived into another EU country first.

3. Grey import, was designed for non-EU country eg Japan


Regarding GTRs, although they are called UK spec, they were not technically EU type-approved. They were imported by Nissan GB under the old SVA rules that limited the numbers that could be bought in, hence why only 100 R33s (2 x 50 per year) and 80 R34s (SVA limits increased to 100 before being scrapped).

They could technically also be considered grey imports, although the grey importer in this case was Nissan.

Guy

 

[Andy Barnes]

YES

GUY IS CORRECT, THE MIDDLEHURST CARS ALL WENT THRU SVA AS IF YOU OR I COULD HAVE DONE, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THEY HAD A DIFFERENT SPEC AND BECAUSE THEY ARE A NISSAN DEALER IT SUDDENLY MAKES IT AN OFFICIAL UK CAR - NOT

IF THEY WERE THAT OFFICIAL MIDDLEHURST WOULDNT HAVE HAD TO BOTHER WITH SVA - COS THEY ARE NISSAN, BUT NO, THEY HAD TO DO IT THE SAME WAY EVERYONE DID, THRU SVA WITH THE REST OF US.....

 

[bnr34vspec2]

To answer Steve's question on "who decided on the spec for a UK car?"

I remember when I was talking to the R34 GTR's project manager Mr. Tamura when he was here in California, he mention he was heavily involved with deciding the spec for the U.K. spec R34 GTR.

So I would say Nissan, Japan is responsible for the spec of the UK spec R34 GTR.

Jeff