Speedster Paul Henry in an LA court

Paul Henry was clocked at 129km/h. Photo / Robert Trathen

Motormouth broadcaster Paul Henry has been hauled before a Los Angeles court after being caught speeding.

The former Breakfast host appeared before a judge after being pulled over for doing 129km/h in his new red Mustang V8 on the outskirts of the city last month.

Although he wasn't arrested, Henry said he rubbed shoulders with "iffy" people charged with everything from driving without a licence to inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The court was ruled with an "iron fist" and heavily-armed officers were ready to handcuff people to chairs.

He was ready to defend himself but the District Attorney dropped the charges because there were more serious cases before the court.

It wasn't the first time his love of speed had got him in trouble with the law in the US. He said he couldn't seem to slow down the Mustang but had managed to talk himself out of other speeding tickets.

"As long as you're not stopped repeatedly in any one state you can normally manage to talk yourself out of it."

Henry said his Mustang could easily reach 210 km/h. Although he'd never driven it that fast, driving was part of the "excitement and thrill of life".

Sometimes there was a price to pay, but sometimes paying that price was fun - like going through the legal system had been.

"It was quite exciting to experience the American legal system first-hand and be in front of a judge."

Henry has had meetings with CNN as he bids to launch his career in America.

Having his own car there, which he stored near LA airport, helped him get "closer to the locals".

He wouldn't say what he paid for the bright red Ford with white Shelby stripes, but similar cars retail for about $40,000.

Henry is on a national book tour to promote his memoir What Was I Thinking? and said crowds at the signing sessions had been unbelievable.

At Auckland's Sylvia Park mall yesterday, a steady flow of people queued for a chance to shake his hand, have their photo taken with him and buy a signed copy of his book.

Unlike many of New Zealand's top celebrities, Henry has no agent.

Glenda Hughes, manager of many high-profile sportspeople over the years, wasn't surprised his star had continued to shine since he left TVNZ last October after a series of controversial comments.

"People who take risks and stretch the boundaries are often popular with the public," she said, giving Shane Warne and David Beckham as other examples.

"We need people to test boundaries and the bottom line is he's talented."

Henry has signed a deal with MediaWorks to appear on TV3 and RadioLive, where he is due to start the drive show next month.