Mark McChesney wrote:
>
> An Italian designer (on loan from Ghia) in my studio that wants to take a
>'59
> MGA that he just bought (in US) back to Italy. The Italian gov't wants a
> Certificate of Origin/tech data before they will let it into Italy. All he
>has
> is a pink slip and the title. Does anyone know what a Cert. of Origin is???
>The
> Italians said something about getting it from the manufacturer. :-) Lets see,
> that would be BMW now. MG = Rover = BMW. Is this Rossa tape???
>
> Mark McChesney
> '65 E-type OTS
Mark,
A Certificate of Origin may mean something different
in your neck of the woods to what it does here in
New Zealand. It can be a separate piece of paper, or
it can be a brief sentence on the face of the Commercial
Invoice which accompanies the shipping documents, Bill
of Lading, etc.
What it usually says is something like:
"I certify that the goods, the subject of this shipment,
being one 1959 MGA two-door roadster sports car, is of
British origin."
The statement is then signed by the shipper.
It think it would also help if your colleague could produce
for his authorities something like a BMIHT certificate.
Even photocopies out of MGA handbooks or workshop manuals
clearing showing that the car was made in Great Britain
are a big help.
New Zealand Customs also used to (may still do) keep the
glossy sales brochures of all the cars that were imported
so that they could check what was on the shipping documents
with what the manufacturer's specifications, especially the
vehicle's weight and dimensions.
Back in 1984 my wife and I came back home from Vancouver, B.C.
and brought our four Healeys and her 1965 T76 Cooper with us.
We gave N.Z Customs copies of all the documentation, BMIHT
certificates, colour photos and brief histories of all the cars.
They took it all and left us in a waiting room for nearly half
an hour, getting more and more anxious by the minute. Finally
the Chief Customs Officer appeared. Our fears were allayed.
He was a Triumph nut.... and had been pouring over our photos.
He and his staff could not have been more helpful. We got "star"
treatment and all the cars were de-stuffed from their containers,
and off the Auckland wharves in a day.
I hope that things go as smoothly for your colleague.
Cheers
Mark Donaldson
Ardmore
Auckland, N.Z.
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