Anyone know what happened to this car after it was impounded?




ICE seizes $700,000 exotic car in San Juan Capistrano - Auto Motion : The Orange County Register

Federal agents this morning seized an exotic car valued at more than $700,000 from Family Classic Cars in San Juan Capistrano, where it had been left from a car show that took place there on Friday.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency served the seizure warrant for a 1994 Cizeta V16.

ICE said the Italian 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.

According to a news release, ICE investigators allege that Orange County resident Zampoli violated U.S. customs and environmental laws when he brought the car into the country in 2001.

In the affidavit filed in support of the seizure, Zampoli’s import agent stated on customs documents when the car was imported that it was worth $125,000, even though the car originally sold new for $600,000, ICE said.

Additionally, the federal agency said the car does not meet U.S. environmental and safety regulations.

“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 ICE 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 folks at Family Classic, meanwhile, say they were just as surprised as anyone when federal agents arrived this morning to seize the car.

“We don’t own the car, we weren’t trying to sell the car and it wasn’t even on consignment,” said Family Classic owner Marc Spizzirri. “Apparently they went to (Zampoli’s) business first to seize the car. Then the next thing I know, I had 10 agents here.”

“The immigration guys were total gentlemen,” Spizzirri added. “They couldn’t have been more cordial. They said, ‘This has nothing to do with you; we are just taking the car out of here.’”

(We are still trying to find a phone number to reach Zampoli for comment.)

As for the Cizeta, it will remain in storage while authorities seek to have it forfeited to the federal government. If that happens, it will be offered at a public auction, ICE said. But if sold, the car would then have to be exported due to it not meeting the environmental and safety standards, the government said.

The Cizeta features a V16 engine capable of producing 560 horsepower and was first unveiled in 1988 in Los Angeles, according to the Cizeta Web site.

 

oh, and the sound.,.

YouTube - Cizeta leaves.

 

So this is what I get to look forward to when I pay taxes? Getting highly dangerous cars off the street rather than criminals....Interesting car, how do cars like this fair in holding their value?

 

The whole thing makes me fume.

Really?

That's just government condoned theft.

I would like to see all the poor excuses for human beings involved in this vomit-inducing story skull****ed repeatedly by a silverback gorilla. And then put on youtube, to raise funds to buy MORE silverback gorillas.

 

Yup, this one car in particular could go on to kill 1,500 innocent school children at any moment while simultaneously blowing out enough poisonous exhaust gases to choke out the entire west coast.

Wow, these guys are f-ing dull in the skull. You'd think they'd have something better to do.

 

Crazy thing is that he could for certain get a show and display permit for the car. Why does ICE have to be such dicks? Why not just tell the guy to get the S&D permit and leave it at that?

 

I think you answered it.

 

I think the burden is on the vehicle owner to follow the laws that are in place at the time the vehicle is imported (as silly as they are). In this case, that simply wasn't done correctly. Perhaps the car was not supposed to stay here for as long as it did or maybe the goal was avoid the high costs associated with EPA conversion necessary to get a 'Show or Display' exemption?

There was a McLaren F1 that was seized under similar circumstances and it was held for about 5 years while the legal proceedings progressed against its owner. Ultimately the owner was not convicted but the car still had to be removed from the country once the trial was completed.

I haven't heard of any charges being issued in the Cizeta case yet but I doubt we will see the car again any time soon, and if we do it won't be in the USA.

>8^)
ER

 

Could it be that the owner has done some other things that brought him to thier radar and this is the only thing they can actually prosecute for?

I don't know the man, nor what he does... he may be a complete saint and totally railroaded... Something invited "The Man" into this guys life.

Wilson

 

I'd suggest shooting a message to Jet-X on FChat if you're on there, he's got pretty much all the information you need on the V16T.