Katrina-ravaged cars being sold in Bolivia

A second life
But nothing’s final in the global used car business. The Mini began a second life when it was sold to Copart Inc., one of the U.S.’s largest auto salvage companies. Copart listed the Mini in an online auction in early 2006, saying it had suffered from “waterflow” but not mentioning the hurricane, Sanchez says.

Geico declined to comment on this case, and a Copart spokesman did not return repeated calls seeking comment.

The Bolivian buyer paid $7,000 for the Mini, but it took another $5,000 in shipping costs and import duties before he could kick the tires. He immediately towed the car to his friend’s shop. About 50 other Katrina car owners have come to Sanchez for help since then, he says, but he’s turned nearly all of their vehicles away as beyond repair.

The Mini’s history was easy to spot, Sanchez says: mud caked to the engine block, pedals rusted in place, and a New Orleans safety inspection sticker on the windshield.

Undeterred, the owner shelled out an additional $7,000 — plus $4,000 in tax and shipping this time — on the parts from a second Mini from Copart, this one condemned after a front-end collision. Parts from a third are now on their way to complete the job, Sanchez says.

How much will all the labor cost? He’s a friend, Sanchez says with a shrug. He’ll cut him a deal.

And despite the new owner’s pain, getting a brand-new Mini shipped to Bolivia would probably hurt even more — about $35,000 with taxes and shipping costs included, Sanchez estimates.

Unmatched pace
Bolivia is taking in the first world’s castoff cars at a pace unmatched in South America, where its neighbors now strictly regulate car imports.

The total number of registered cars in Bolivia leapt 11 percent in 2006, from 537,000 to 602,000, says Freddy Koch, who monitors used car imports for nationwide air quality program sponsored by the Swiss development agency Swisscontact. All but 5,000 of the additional vehicles were used.

Factor in unregistered used imports that slip into Bolivia, and the annual growth rate is a staggering 20 percent, Koch says.

Bolivians pay a steep price for their new mobility: on dry winter afternoons, air pollution in Cochabomba (pop. 600,000) now rivals that of downtown Los Angeles.

Back in New Orleans, the McGaws tore down their mold-blackened home and rebuilt on the same lot. They used the car insurance settlement to buy Colleen a new 2006 red Mini — this time with cruise control.

In garages a hemisphere away, recovery from Katrina drags on.

“The tragedy continues,” Sanchez says. “These cars just keep causing problems.”

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