All cars aboard ?Cougar Ace? to be scrapped

All cars aboard ôCougar Aceö to be scrapped All 4,703 of the Mazda vehicles from the car-carrying vessel 'Cougar Ace,' which nearly capsized off the Aleutian Islands in late July, will be scrapped.
   'After thorough testing by engineers from our American and Japanese R&D centers, we decided the most appropriate course of action,' said Jim O'Sullivan, chief executive officer of Mazda North American.
   The company noted that the 'Cougar Ace' sat listing at more than 60-degrees for nearly a month after an incident at sea, before it could be towed to the Port of Portland, Ore., for repairs and to have its cargo offloaded.
   Although some of the vehicles showed little or no visible damage from being tied down at severe angles for an extended period, the company reconsidered its initial decision to sell any of the vehicles as used.