More on the Viewt
I was surprised and pleased to see the photo of the display Mitsuoka Viewt at the Wanaka museum.
Along with the editorial piece on public service intransigence, it reminded me of past foolishness from that quarter.
I was once a vehicle certifier Transport Consultant, not afraid to go into bat for my clients.
The Mitsuoka Viewt was one of those occasions. The one in the Wanaka collection may even be the same car.
Following are my file notes on getting it accepted here in NZ.
What the Hell is a Mitsuoka?
A Japanese student arrived in New Zealand with a car provided to him by his family to use while he was here. This car had started out in Japan as a Nissan March four door hatchback. It had then had fibreglass replacement panels fitted front and rear so that it resembled a scaled down Mk 2 Jaguar.
The fact that the modifications had been carried out in Japan sent the LTSA into a real fizz. Their first reaction was that the car could not possibly be registered here.
Their objection was based on their 1993 Low Volume Vehicle Code, which they considered only covered modifications carried out in New Zealand.
I had to point out to the Vehicle Standards Regulations made no such distinction, and that in fact they had two Low Volume vehicle codes then current in New Zealand.
The original 1991 code did allow for modifications overseas and had never been rescinded. I could process the car as a modified vehicle and got their agreement to do so.
Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men. When the car was presented for inspection, another LTSA official vetoed the registration.
It took 6 more weeks to sort out the mess. We ended up getting extra documents out of Japan, copies of the Japanese Society of Automotive Engineers “Automotive Industry Yearbook” proving that we were correct in our assessments, and even a declaration from Nissan that the base car did indeed meet LTSA recognised standards.
We even got an LTSA official to come and physically inspect the vehicle item by item and point out what parts of New Zealand law were not complied with. No such items were identified.
Eventually they gave in, and the car was registered. But not without inconvenience and loss of face to the student concerned. Twice he had come down to Wellington to collect his prize, and twice returned empty handed. Trev Lister email TH I would be surprised if there was more than one Viewt here; it would have a very limited appeal, even to the most undiscerning orphan Japanese import buyer! Congratulations Trev, you’ve won $50 in MTA vouchers for this issue.