[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 5 (Wednesday, January 8, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1075-1076]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-297]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2002-13986]


Decision That Certain Nonconforming Motor Vehicles Are Eligible 
for Importation

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of decision by NHTSA that certain nonconforming motor 
vehicles are eligible for importation.

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SUMMARY: This document announces decisions by NHTSA that certain motor 
vehicles not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable 
Federal motor vehicle safety standards are eligible for importation 
into the United States because they are substantially similar to 
vehicles originally manufactured for importation into and/or sale in 
the United States and certified by their manufacturers as complying 
with the safety standards, and they are capable of being readily 
altered to conform to the standards.

DATES: These decisions are effective as of the date of their 
publication in the Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marilynne Jacobs, Office of Vehicle 
Safety Compliance, NHTSA (202-366-2832).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Under 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(A), a motor vehicle that was not 
originally manufactured to conform to all applicable Federal motor 
vehicle safety standards shall be refused admission into the United 
States unless NHTSA has decided that the motor vehicle is substantially 
similar to a motor vehicle originally manufactured for importation into 
and sale in the United States, certified under 49 U.S.C. 30115, and of 
the same model year as the model of the motor vehicle to be compared, 
and is capable of being readily altered to conform to all applicable 
Federal motor vehicle safety standards.
    Petitions for eligibility decisions may be submitted by either 
manufacturers or importers who have registered with NHTSA pursuant to 
49 CFR Part 592. As specified in 49 CFR 593.7, NHTSA publishes notice 
in the Federal Register of each petition that it receives, and affords 
interested persons an opportunity to comment on the petition. At the 
close of the comment period, NHTSA decides, on the basis of the 
petition and any comments that it has received, whether the vehicle is 
eligible for importation. The agency then publishes this decision in 
the Federal Register.
    NHTSA received petitions from registered importers to decide 
whether the vehicles listed in Annex A to this notice are eligible for 
importation into the United States. To afford an opportunity for public 
comment, NHTSA published notice of these petitions as specified in 
Annex A. The reader is referred to those notices for a thorough 
description of the petitions. No comments were received in response to 
these notices. Based on its review of the information submitted by the 
petitioners, NHTSA has decided to grant the petitions.

Vehicle Eligibility Number for Subject Vehicles

    The importer of a vehicle admissible under any final decision must 
indicate on the form HS-7 accompanying entry the appropriate vehicle 
eligibility number indicating that the vehicle is eligible for entry. 
Vehicle eligibility numbers assigned to vehicles admissible under this 
decision are specified in Annex A.

Final Decision

    Accordingly, on the basis of the foregoing, NHTSA hereby decides 
that each motor vehicle listed in Annex A to this notice, which was not 
originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal motor 
vehicle safety standards, is substantially similar to a motor vehicle 
manufactured for importation into and/or sale in the United States, and 
certified under 49 U.S.C. 30115, as specified in Annex A, and is 
capable of being readily altered to conform to all applicable Federal 
motor vehicle safety standards.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(A) and (b)(1); 49 CFR 593.8; 
delegations of authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8.

    Issued on: January 2, 2003.
Marilynne Jacobs,
Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.

Annex A

Nonconforming Motor Vehicles Decided to Be Eligible for Importation

1. Docket No. NHTSA-2002-13384

    Nonconforming Vehicle: 2001 and 2002 Ducati 996R motorcycles.
    Substantially similar
    U.S.-certified vehicle: 2001 and 2002 Ducati 996R motorcycles.
    Notice of Petition Published at: 67 FR 62520 (October 7, 2002).
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-398.

2. Docket No. NHTSA-2002-12730

    Nonconforming Vehicles: 2002 Mercedes Benz Gelaendewagen 5-Door 
Long Wheel Base multipurpose passenger vehicles.
    Substantially similar U.S.-certified vehicles: 2002 Mercedes 
Benz Gelaendewagen 5-Door Long Wheel Base multipurpose passenger 
vehicles.
    Notice of Petition Published at: 67 FR 55307 (August 28, 2002).
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-392.

3. Docket No. NHTSA-2002-12731

    Nonconforming Vehicle: Left-Hand Drive Japanese Market 1997 Jeep 
Grand Cherokee multipurpose passenger vehicles.
    Substantially similar U.S.-certified vehicle: 1997 Jeep Grand 
Cherokee multipurpose passenger vehicles.

[[Page 1076]]

    Notice of Petition Published at: 67 FR 48701 (July 25, 2002).
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-389.

4. Docket No. NHTSA-2002-12732

    Nonconforming Vehicles: 1997-2001 and 2002 Porsche Boxster 
passenger cars manufactured before September 1, 2002.
    Substantially similar U.S.-certified vehicles: 1997-2001 and 
2002 Porsche Boxster passenger cars manufactured before September 1, 
2002.
    Notice of Petition Published at: 67 FR 48700 (July 25, 2002).
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-390.

5. Docket No. NHTSA-2002-13333

    Nonconforming Vehicle: 1997 BMW 850 Series passenger cars.
    Substantially similar U.S.-certified vehicle: 1997 BMW 850 
Series passenger cars.
    Notice of Petition Published at: 67 FR 59593 (September 23, 
2002).
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-396.

6. Docket No. NHTSA-2002-13382

    Nonconforming Vehicles: 1999 and 2000 Bimota SB8 and 2000 Bimota 
DB4 motorcycles.
    Substantially similar U.S.-certified vehicles: 1999 and 2000 
Bimota SB8 and 2000 Bimota DB4 motorcycles.
    Notice of Petition Published at: 67 FR 62521 (October 7, 2002).
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-397.
[FR Doc. 03-297 Filed 1-7-03; 8:45 am]
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