Letter from overseas

From a UK automotive and rally product developer:

ALL CUSTOMERS RESIDENT USA & CANADA

Dear Sirs

IMPORTANT

It is with regret that under the terms of our product liability insurance we have had to confirm to our insurers that our products will not be sold within The USA or Canada.

Whilst we value your business highly, we cannot risk jeopardising the terms of our insurance and therefore have to advise that we can no longer supply you with Rally Design products.

Apologies, but it is a direct result of litigation culture prevalent in North America.

Yours faithfully

---

Grant Hughes

> Apologies, but it is a direct result of litigation
> culture prevalent in North America.

Yup. We suck.

---

Brian Driggs | KG7KCA | PHX, AZ | 89 Pajero
alterius non sit qui suus esse potest

Yeah but why Canada??

---

www.rallyrace.net

Skye Wrote:
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> Yeah but why Canada??

Guilty by association, I guess. :shrug

---

Brian Driggs | KG7KCA | PHX, AZ | 89 Pajero
alterius non sit qui suus esse potest

Maybe I'm a bit more of a pessimist. Hopefully not all (or at least too many) custom parts manufacturers start taking this stance. The company that sent me this makes custom Ford parts, like front mounted ARBs, fully adjustable TCA and compression struts, and more as well as some Subaru stuff.

Remember, they don't state that it is their choice, but required by their insurance provider. I'm sure Prodrive, Selholm, Ohlins, etc. have similar requirements. Why do you think gravel rally tires in the US are in such limited supply. Dunlop won't even consider a US based supplier for rally tires, much less be willing to sell any direct. They've also told their UK based retailers to not sell their tires to US based customers.

---

Grant Hughes

Skye Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yeah but why Canada??
>
> ______
> Undercover Canadian evildoer
> Rally car's almost done I swear...
> www.rallyrace.net


Ontario is one of the most litigious regions in North America..

---

Andrew M
Onterrible
30ish

I think its overblown. The dollar is weak and so is our president. They just don't want our money.

---

Scott Manley
Spokane, WA
86' XR4Ti
37

hudson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Skye Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Yeah but why Canada??
>
> Ontario is one of the most litigious regions in
> North America..
>

No kidding?

I was just figuring the ease of getting parts to the US via Canada.

Those bastards can't do that. Fetch me a lawyer, I'm gonna sue them for not selling me stuff! (Don't laugh, it could happen)

---

Pete Remner
Cleveland, Ohio

1984 RX-7 (rallycross thing)
1978
Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver.

Pete Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > > Yeah but why Canada??
> >
> > Ontario is one of the most litigious regions
> in
> > North America..
> >
>
> No kidding?
>
> I was just figuring the ease of getting parts to
> the US via Canada.
>
> Those bastards can't do that. Fetch me a lawyer,
> I'm gonna sue them for not selling me stuff!
> (Don't laugh, it could happen)

To be honest with you I was some surprised myself when I heard it.. but it makes sense really.. ontario is just america with more taxes and free health care

---

Andrew M
Onterrible
30ish

Grant hit the nail dead smack on the head. For the last 2 years i have been trying to convince a European tyre manufacturer, who happens to be supplying thousands of tyres for many teams all over Europe to consider exporting rally tyres to US. Myself and my associate spent a truck load of money getting regulations and case studies officially translated, paid for the expenses of the law firm the tyre manufacturer hired just to come out empty handed. They are affraid some schmuck will get hurt rallying on their tyres and somebody will sue them. Sad but true, you don't believe me ? We gave up, fuck selling good quality 15" rally tyres for $100/each.

---

Cheers
M.Samli
Phoenix AZ
Gaylant VR4
EVO III GSR (Stolen)


Rallies are no place for traitors

NoCoast Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Maybe I'm a bit more of a pessimist. Hopefully
> not all (or at least too many) custom parts
> manufacturers start taking this stance. The
> company that sent me this makes custom Ford parts,
> like front mounted ARBs, fully adjustable TCA and
> compression struts, and more as well as some
> Subaru stuff.
>
> Remember, they don't state that it is their
> choice, but required by their insurance provider.
> I'm sure Prodrive, Selholm, Ohlins, etc. have
> similar requirements. Why do you think gravel
> rally tires in the US are in such limited supply.
> Dunlop won't even consider a US based supplier for
> rally tires, much less be willing to sell any
> direct. They've also told their UK based
> retailers to not sell their tires to US based
> customers.

I hear you, but surely motocross has roughly the same "oh my god we might get sued" factor? Maybe all this is more about the market being a lot smaller and the parts/tires are coming from Europe?

---

Andrew M
Onterrible
30ish

hudson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I hear you, but surely motocross has roughly the
> same "oh my god we might get sued" factor? Maybe
> all this is more about the market being a lot
> smaller and the parts/tires are coming from
> Europe?

Motocross may. And there may be motocross part manufacturers that are forced to stop selling their custom products to US based customers. Then again, motocross bikes typically aren't driven on public roads and highways like rally cars are.

You have a point about market influence.

I'm sure if more of a US market existed, the increased liability insurance cost could be offset by increased revenues.

---

Grant Hughes

ditto

---

Andrew M
Onterrible
30ish