Curse or blessing? Possible boom of replicas in America
12/09/2015
The Americans have done it! The first attempt failed, but now the Low Violume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act was signed into law last week during the negotiation and passage of H.R.22 - Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015. The new rule states that replica manufacturers that produce no more than 5,000 cars on a global basis can register up to 325 finished cars per year in the U.S. that do not have to meet current safety regulations. The vehicles must be visually similar to a model built at least 25 years ago and they must be equipped with a current engine that meets applicable EPA or CARB standards.
The DeLorean Motor Company, which continues to build the DMC-12, so to speak, and provides spare parts, wants to be able to officially build DeLoreans with an updated engine (V6, 3.7 liters, 360 hp) again thanks to the law.
Previously, such cars could already be registered in the USA, but only if the car was delivered as a kit and the customer found and installed a suitable engine themselves. Of course, the new legislation greatly simplifies the whole thing and a lot of small companies are getting ready to deliver such old-new cars from 2017.
Whether this is really a blessing must at least be viewed critically. For owners of a classic DeLorean, the innovation has both advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, the supply of parts for their car will probably improve, while on the other hand, their car will become less rare if new sports cars continue to be produced. And whether a Bugatti 35 with a modern V8 engine, for example, is really desirable, we also dare to doubt.
