Dozens of Cars Slide Off Ship in Heavy Seas [VIDEO] | gCaptain

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Looks like they broke their straps.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I didn't see any evidence of straps.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

On the evening of February 3, 2012, 64 vehicles slid off the deck of the Cambodian-flagged cargo ship Aston Gate while traveling from Toyama, Japan to Vladivostok, Russia.

They weren't secured at ALL, just sitting loose on a snow covered deck?

I guess that is what can happen when you entrust your cargo to ships flagged to Cambodian registry. Though many of our ships get flagged to Liberia, another place with "looser" laws (to save money).(

Not surprising.

By the looks of them, I suspect they are "old" 10-15 year old cars thrown off Japan's roads because they failed the VERY strict Japanese road safety and inspection laws. FEW Japanese cars are more than a few years old, and still able to pass inspection.

I'd suspect that these are scooped up at auction at around $1000 to $2000 apiece, for shipment in bulk for resale to 3rd world countries where they can be resold cheap but for a profit, and driven around at their new homes.

Someone took a gamble - this time - and lost.

Big time (for them).

I doubt there was any maritime insurance...likely bribery at the Russian end to get them into Vladivostok, I would guess...

Back when I was in Peru, a dozen years ago, this business was so big, that the President of Peru then, complained in the media - Caritas and the El Comercio that these $1500 -$2500 heaps were damaging the auto retailers in Peru.

But cheap *SELLS*, especially in countries that have no road inspections or safety inspections.

I'd laugh seeing some of the Japanese buses in service down in Lima and rural Peru, some of them still had the Japanese characters , slogans, signs and such still painted all over them. It looked pretty funny, but people do what they have to do.

If it runs, drive it. Period.

One blue Dodge Maxivan from the late 70's I saw in Arequipa, Peru, still had the words (in English) "Shuttle to Airport" stenciled on its back door.

Likely a refugee from Miami, the gateway to South America.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

And a new reef is born. Cool!

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

Poor tie downs.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200