[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 24, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67430-67431]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33616]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket Nos. 97-060; Notice 2; 97-061; Notice 2; 97-064; Notice 2; 97-
065; Notice 2; 97-068; Notice 2; 97-069; Notice 2; NHTSA-97-3021]


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 notice 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: George Entwistle, Office of Vehicle 
Safety Compliance, NHTSA (202-366-5306).

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: December 19, 1997.
Marilynne Jacobs,
Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.

Annex A.--Nonconforming Motor Vehicles Decided To Be Eligible for 
Importation

1. Docket No. 97-060
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 1991-1996 Lexus SC300 and SC400
    Substantially similar U.S.-certified vehicles: 1991-1996 Lexus 
SC300 and SC400
    Notice of Petition published at: 62 FR 48709 (September 16, 1997)
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-225
2. Docket No. 97-061
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 1979 Jeep CJ-7
    Substantially similar U.S.-certified vehicles: 1979 Jeep CJ7
    Notice of Petition published at: 62 FR 48711 (September 16, 1997)
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-224
3. Docket No. 97-064
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 1990-1993 BMW K1 Motorcycles
    Substantially similar U.S.-certified vehicles: 1990-1993 BMW K1 
Motorcycles
    Notice of Petition published at: 62 FR 51177 (September 30, 1997)
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-228
4. Docket No. 97-065
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 1986--1997 Suzuki GSXR 1100 Motorcycles
    Substantially similar U.S.-certified vehicles: 1986--1997 Suzuki 
GSXR 1100 Motorcycles
    Notice of Petition published at: 62 FR 51178 (September 30, 1997)
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-227
5. Docket No. 97-068
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 1990-1991 Mercedes Benz 420 SE
    Substantially similar U.S.-certified vehicles: 1990-1991 Mercedes 
Benz 420 SEL
    Notice of Petition published at: 62 FR 53047 (October 10, 1997)
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-230
6. Docket No. 97-069
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 1987-1995 BMW K75S Motorcycles
    Substantially similar U.S.-certified vehicles: 1987-1995 BMW K75S

[[Page 67431]]

Motorcycles
    Notice of Petition published at: 62 FR 53048 (October 10, 1997)
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-229
7. Docket No. NHTSA 3021
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 1994-1997 BMW R1100 Motorcycles
    Substantially similar U.S.-certified vehicles: 1994-1997 BMW R1100 
Motorcycles
    Notice of Petition published at: 62 FR 54896 (October 22, 1997)
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-231

[FR Doc. 97-33616 Filed 12-23-97; 8:45 am]
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