It seems hard to believe that emissions played any part in the fact that PI
TR6's were not imported into the US.I mean this was the era of American
Muscle cars. Even into the 70's it seems the big three were producing big HP
, high compression engines.
Nick Gemas
----- Original Message -----
From: "jonmac" <jonmac@ndirect.co.uk>
To: <LaJoMor@aol.com>
Cc: <6pack@autox.team.net>
Sent: Saturday, November 30, 2002 1:34 AM
Subject: RE: TR6 PI
> Were fuel injected Triumphs (TR5-6 in particular) ever imported into
Canada?
>
> Hi, Larry
> In reply to your question, not as far as I'm aware. There was such a gulf
of
> difference in the performance between the two versions that had it been
> offered in Canada, a substantial 'grey' import channel ran the risk of
being
> opened up. This would have created chaos and left not only
Standard-Triumph
> in the UK but its national sales companies in Canada and the States in
some
> considerable difficulties - mainly of a litigation nature. I do know that
> just a few cars did sneak in - in fact, over the course of about a year
and
> a half, I sold six to an American who claimed he was living in France and
> the cars I'd sold him kept getting stolen! Wasn't quite that gullible -
but
> something was going on. Eventually, we discovered he was driving the cars
to
> France, removing the engine/gearboxes and shipping the cars to New York.
The
> power units then followed on another ship and were reunited in a covert
> operation. The once more completed car was then sold at a substantial
price
> premium. I think (but can't be sure) that Road & Track then published a
> road-test of one of these 'imports' and then the brown stuff hit the fan
BIG
> TIME at the factory. A year later, this guy's wife wrote to me to say her
> husband was doing a ten year stretch in a California State Penitentiary!
> Looking back to those days, it's my understanding the Federal Spec car
> wished on the whole of North America was the only way to ensure total
> product conformity. In reality and probably only in '68 and '69, it was
only
> CA that insisted on a reduced level for smog - all or most of the other
> States in the US could have coped with the emission levels from the
injected
> engine. That said, imagine the problems that would have arisen if
California
> had had carbed cars and almost everywhere else in the US had had the
> injected variant. Thatr's why all the European manufacturers took the
'easy
> out' and offered only one model for all States - and Canada as well.
>
> Cheers, John
|