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Rare Cizeta V16 sports car, worth $700,000, seized by federal agents in Orange CountyA
$700,000 Italian sports car that originally was brought into the United
States in 2001 for maintenance was seized today in Orange County as
part of a federal investigation into violations of environmental and
transportation safety regulations.
Agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement found the 1994
Cizeta V16 sports car at the Family Classic Cars showroom in San Juan
Capistrano, eight years after an agreement specified that the car would
be sent back to where it came following repairs.
The car is one of fewer than a dozen such vehicles produced by
automotive engineer Claudio Zampoli in a joint venture with music
composer Giorgio Moroder, said Immigration and Customs Enforcement
spokeswoman Virginia Kice.
The government alleges that Zampoli and his agent violated U.S. customs
and environmental laws, Kice said They allegedly claimed the vehicle
was worth $125,000, even though the car originally sold new for
approximately $600,000.
In addition, Zampoli and his representative failed to export the
vehicle within a reasonable period of time, according to the allegation.
“Make no mistake, the illegal importation of gray market vehicles like
this is not just a technical violation,” said Miguel Unzueta, special
agent in charge for the customs agency's Office of Investigations in
Los Angeles. “Cars that don’t meet U.S. standards are outlawed for a
reason. These vehicles can pose a real threat to public health
and safety.”
The car was loaded onto a flatbed truck and taken to a secure government storage facility, Kice said.
The Cizeta will remain in storage while authorities seek to have it
forfeited to the federal government. If the vehicle is
forfeited, it will be offered for sale at a public auction. Since
the vehicle does not meet U.S. environmental and safety standards, any
domestic buyer would have to export the car following its purchase.
Source: Los Angeles Times
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