[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 10 (Thursday, January 15, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2385-2386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-926]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2003-16612]


Extension of Comment Period on Whether Nonconforming 2002 Ferrari 
360 Spider and Coupe Passenger Cars Manufactured From September 1, 2002 
Through December 31, 2002 Are Eligible for Importation

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

ACTION: Extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: This document announces the extension of the comment period on 
a petition for NHTSA to decide that 2002 Ferrari 360 Spider and Coupe 
passenger cars manufactured from September 1, 2002 through December 31, 
2002 that were not originally manufactured to comply with all 
applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards are eligible for 
importation into the United States.

DATES: The closing date for comments on the petition is January 26, 
2004.

ADDRESSES: Comments are to be submitted to: Docket Management, Room PL-
401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. [Docket hours are 
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.]. Anyone is able to search the electronic form of 
all comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the 
individual submitting the document (or signing the comment, if 
submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). 
You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal 
Register published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 
19477-787) or you may visit http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Coleman Sachs, Office of Vehicle 
Safety Compliance, NHTSA (202-366-3151).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 11, 2003, NHTSA published a 
notice (at 68 FR 69125) that it had received a petition to decide that 
nonconforming 2002 Ferrari 360 Spider and Coupe passenger cars 
manufactured from September 1, 2002 through December 31, 2002 are 
eligible for importation into the United States. The notice solicited 
public comments on the petition and stated that the closing date for 
comments is January 12, 2004.
    This is to notify the public that NHTSA is extending the comment 
period until January 26, 2004. This extension is based on a request 
from Ferrari North America, Inc. (FNA), the U.S. representative of the 
vehicle's manufacturer, Ferrari, SpA. FNA requested a 30-day extension 
of the comment period. The company stated that this extension was 
needed ``because a portion of the comment period was lost due to the 
holidays, and because of the complexity of the technical analysis 
necessary to evaluate the petition, particularly with regard to 
[Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard] No. 208 conformance.'' Standard 
No. 208 establishes minimum performance requirements for motor vehicle 
systems that provide occupant crash protection. FNA contended that the 
requested 30-day extension ``will not prejudice the parties or unduly 
delay the proceeding and will afford FNA and Ferrari SpA personnel the 
opportunity to fully evaluate the petition in order to determine the 
appropriate scope and content of FNA's comments.''
    NHTSA has considered FNA's request, and concluded that the full 30-
day extension requested by the company is not warranted in this 
circumstance. The 30-day comment period provided in the notice of 
petition should have afforded FNA a sufficient opportunity to evaluate 
the petition and determine the scope and content of its comments. The 
agency notes, in this regard, that FNA has already had an opportunity 
to comment on a previous petition seeking import eligibility for 2002 
Ferrari 360 passenger cars manufactured before September 1, 2002. The 
conformity differences between those vehicles and the ones that are the 
subject of the instant petition should not be so great as to require a 
30-day extension in the comment period. However, the agency is willing 
to provide some extension of the comment period in light of the fact 
that employee absences over the holiday period may have interfered with 
FNA's ability to fully evaluate the petition. NHTSA has consequently 
decided to extend the comment period for an additional two weeks.
    All comments received before the close of business on the closing 
date indicated above will be considered, and will be available for 
examination in the docket at the above address both before and after 
that date. To the extent possible, comments filed after the closing 
date will also be considered.

[[Page 2386]]

Notice of final action on the petition will be published in the Federal 
Register pursuant to the authority indicated below.

    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 12, 2004.
Kenneth N. Weinstein,
Associate Administrator for Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 04-926 Filed 1-14-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-U