Motorex owner jailed, R32 and R34 legalization rescinded
Monday, March 13, 2006
Posted by: AZhitmanAccording to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the owner of Motorex, Nanahoshi Hiroaki, 33, was arrested Thursday and booked into the L.A. County Jail. He is being held on $1 Million bail.
Booking Details
Hiroaki’s initial appearance is scheduled for Wednesday of this week.
Hiroaki and Motorex came to the recognition of Nissan enthusiasts in the US as they became the only Registered Importer legally authorized to legalize Skylines for US use. As Motorex was able to comply with stringent US crash-testing requirements, they petitioned the courts to protect their interest in the Skyline market by “locking out” other would-be importers from the list of necessary modifications.
Not only did this give Motorex a corner on the market for legal Skylines, it also allowed them to command a premium price for each legalized car. Motorex-prepped Skylines can fetch upwards of $50,000. While making loads of money, Motorex also made loads of enemies.
According to sources, the lease to the Motorex facility has been overdue for months, and is now locked out by the landlord.
The US Department of Transportation has offically rescinded importation eligibility for both the R32 and R34 Skylines, only 96-98 R33 Skylines are still eligible to be imported.
Stay tuned - We’ll keep you updated on the latest news as it becomes available.
Bing will be next.