I’m no purist but part of me laments such a low VIN being turned into a rally car in “recent” years. But I guess in 2010 you could import a LHD car to the UK for the price of a bag of potato chips.

 

 

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1280219

 

The “Samuri” spec can polarise opinions - but that aside, this seems like a fun car to rally if that’s your thing.

2 hours ago, AK260 said:

I’m no purist but part of me laments such a low VIN being turned into a rally car in “recent” years. But I guess in 2010 you could import a LHD car to the UK for the price of a bag of potato chips.

This car is not 'HLS30-00059' in any practical sense. It is simply the identity of 'HLS30-00059' pinned onto a much later bodyshell. 

The description says that the body was 'replaced' ("...the original bodywork was in a lamentable state and had to be replaced...") but that is not possible on these cars as each bodyshell has its own unique identity - assigned to it by the factory - and it is non-transferable.

The description tries to side-step this ("...very few “original” parts remain, and a substantial part of the bodywork is comprised of 1972 and 1973 parts...") but the bodyshell of this car is that of a complete post-1973 car, from which the original identity - in the form of the firewall-engraved chassis prefix and body serial number - has been removed, and replaced with that of another car.

To all intents and purposes, 'HLS30-00059' no longer exists.

Wow Alan! That is pretty shady practice.

 

I was reading the advert on the phone under a duvet while having insomnia and half a brain on - clearly missed a lot of what you pointed out.

 

So in reality someone is likely to spend upwards of £60k only to discover they have a cut and shut in all but name! :o

 

It reminds me of another car that came out of the ZFarm with a “questionable VIN v rest of car” situation which a good friend of mine bought and returned to them.