Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 96 /Tuesday, May 19, 1998 / Notices 27617

New Pneumatic Tires, 113 Hood Latch

Systems, 116 Brake Fluid, 124

Accelerator Control Systems, 201

Occupant Protection in Interior Impact,

202 Head Restraints, 204 Steering

Control Rearward Displacement, 205

Glazing Materials, 207 Seating

Systems, 209 Seat Belt Assemblies,

210 Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages,

212 Windshield Retention, 216 Roof

Crush Resistance, 219 Windshield

Zone Intrusion, and 302 Flammability

of Interior Materials.

Additionally, the petitioner states that

the non-U.S. certified 1995 MercedesBenz C280 complies with the Bumper

Standard found in 49 CFR Part 581.

Petitioner also contends that the

vehicle is capable of being readily

altered to meet the following standards,

in the manner indicated:

Standard No. 101 Controls and

Displays: (a) substitution of a lens

marked ‘‘Brake’’ for a lens with an ECE

symbol on the brake failure indicator

lamp; (b) recalibration of the

speedometer/odometer from kilometers

to miles per hour or its replacement

with one already so calibrated.

Standard No. 108 Lamps, Reflective

Devices and Associated Equipment: (a)

installation of U.S.-model headlights

and turn signal lenses; (b) installation of

U.S.-model taillight lenses and side

markers; (c) installation of a high

mounted stop lamp.

Standard No. 110 Tire Selection and

Rims: installation of a tire information

placard.

Standard No. 111 Rearview Mirror:

inscription of the required warning

statement on the passenger side

rearview mirror.

Standard No. 114 Theft Protection:

installation of a warning buzzer in the

steering lock assembly. The petitioner

states that the vehicle is already

equipped with a warning buzzer

microswitch.

Standard No. 118 Power Window

Systems: rewiring of the power window

system so that the window transport is

inoperative when the ignition is

switched off.

Standard No. 206 Door Locks and

Door Retention Components: (a)

replacement of the rear door lock

buttons; (b) modification of the door

lock assemblies so that the doors do not

open when the locking mechanism is

engaged and the door release handle is

pulled.

Standard No. 208 Occupant Crash

Protection: (a) installation of a safety

belt warning system through

replacement of the driver’s seat belt

latch and the addition of a seat belt

warning buzzer; (b) replacement of the

driver’s and passenger’s side air bags

and knee bolsters with U.S.-model

components on vehicles that are not

already so equipped. The petitioner

states that the vehicle is equipped with

Type II at both front and rear outboard

designated seating positions, and with a

lap belt in the rear center designated

seating position.

Standard No. 214 Side Impact

Protection: installation of reinforcing

beams.

Standard No. 301 Fuel System

Integrity: installation of a rollover valve

in the fuel tank vent line between the

fuel tank and the evaporative emissions

collection canister.

Additionally, the petitioner states that

all vehicles will be inspected prior to

importation to assure compliance with

the Theft Prevention Standard found in

49 CFR Part 541.

The petitioner also states that a

vehicle identification number plate

must be affixed to the vehicle to meet

the requirements of 49 CFR Part 565.

Interested persons are invited to

submit comments on the petition

described above. Comments should refer

to the docket number and be submitted

to: Docket Management, Room PL–401,

400 Seventh St., SW, Washington, DC

20590. [Docket hours are from 10 am to

5 pm]. It is requested but not required

that 10 copies be submitted.

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.

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: May 14, 1998.

Marilynne Jacobs,

Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.

[FR Doc. 98–13250 Filed 5–18–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA–98–3852]

Notice of Receipt of Petition for

Decision That Nonconforming 1997

Porsche Boxster Passenger Cars Are

Eligible for Importation

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of petition for

decision that nonconforming 1997

Porsche Boxster passenger cars are

eligible for importation.

SUMMARY: This notice announces receipt

by the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) of a petition

for a decision that a 1997 Porsche

Boxster that was not originally

manufactured to comply with all

applicable Federal motor vehicle safety

standards is eligible for importation into

the United States because (1) it is

substantially similar to a vehicle that

was originally manufactured for

importation into and sale in the United

States and that was certified by its

manufacturer as complying with the

safety standards, and (2) it is capable of

being readily altered to conform to the

standards.

DATES: The closing date for comments

on the petition is June 18, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to

the docket number and notice number,

and be submitted to: Docket

Management, Room PL–401, 400

Seventh St., SW, Washington, DC

20590. [Docket hours are from 10 am to

5 pm].

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
27618 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 96 /Tuesday, May 19, 1998 / Notices

publishes this decision in the Federal

Register.

Wallace Environmental Testing

Laboratories, Inc. of Houston, Texas

(‘‘Wallace’’) (Registered Importer 90–

005) has petitioned NHTSA to decide

whether 1997 Porsche Boxster passenger

cars are eligible for importation into the

United States. The vehicle which

Wallace believes is substantially similar

is the 1997 Porsche Boxster that was

manufactured for importation into, and

sale in, the United States and certified

by its manufacturer, as conforming to all

applicable Federal motor vehicle safety

standards.

The petitioner claims that it carefully

compared the non-U.S. certified 1997

Porsche Boxster to its U.S. certified

counterpart, and found the two vehicles

to be substantially similar with respect

to compliance with most Federal motor

vehicle safety standards.

Wallace submitted information with

its petition intended to demonstrate that

the non-U.S. certified 1997 Porsche

Boxster, as originally manufactured,

conforms to many Federal motor vehicle

safety standards in the same manner as

its U.S. certified counterpart, or is

capable of being readily altered to

conform to those standards.

Specifically, the petitioner claims that

the non-U.S. certified 1997 Porsche

Boxster is identical to its U.S. certified

counterpart with respect to compliance

with Standards Nos. 102 Transmission

Shift Lever Sequence * * *, 103

Defrosting and Defogging Systems, 104

Windshield Wiping and Washing

Systems, 105 Hydraulic Brake

Systems, 106 Brake Hoses, 109 New

Pneumatic Tires, 113 Hood Latch

Systems, 116 Brake Fluid, 124

Accelerator Control Systems, 201

Occupant Protection in Interior Impact,

202 Head Restraints, 204 Steering

Control Rearward Displacement, 205

Glazing Materials, 206 Door Locks and

Door Retention Components, 207

Seating Systems, 209 Seat Belt

Assemblies, 210 Seat Belt Assembly

Anchorages, 212 Side Impact

Protection, 216 Roof Crush Resistance,

219 Windshield Zone Intrusion, and

302 Flammability of Interior Materials.

Petitioner also contends that the

vehicle is capable of being readily

altered to meet the following standards,

in the manner indicated:

Standard No. 101 Controls and

Displays: (a) Substitution of a lens

marked ‘‘Brake’’ for a lens with an ECE

symbol on the brake failure indicator

lamp; (b) replacement of the

speedometer/odometer with one

calibrated in miles per hour.

Standard No. 108 Lamps, Reflective

Devices and Associated Equipment:

Installation of U.S.-model taillamp

assemblies and front sidemarkers. The

petitioner states that the vehicle is

equipped with conforming headlights,

turn signal lenses, and a high mounted

stoplamp.

Standard No. 110 Tire Selection and

Rims: Installation of a tire information

placard.

Standard No. 111 Rearview Mirror:

Inscription of the required warning

statement on the passenger side

rearview mirror.

Standard No. 114 Theft Protection:

Installation of a warning buzzer in the

steering lock assembly. The petitioner

states that the vehicle is already

equipped with a warning buzzer

microswitch.

Standard No. 118 Power Window

Systems: Rewiring of the power window

system so that the window transport is

inoperative when the ignition is

switched off.

Standard No. 208 Occupant Crash

Protection: (a) Installation of a safety

belt warning system through

replacement of the driver’s seat belt

latch and the addition of a seat belt

warning buzzer; (b) replacement of the

driver’s and passenger’s side air bags

and knee bolsters with U.S.-model

components on vehicles that are not

already so equipped. The petitioner

states that the vehicle is equipped with

Type II seat belts at both front

designated seating positions. The

petitioner notes that the vehicle is a

2-seater.

Standard No. 301 Fuel System

Integrity: Installation of a rollover valve

in the fuel tank vent line between the

fuel tank and the evaporative emissions

collection canister.

Additionally, the petitioner states that

bumper shocks and bumper pads must

be added to the rear bumper of the nonU.S. certified 1997 Porsche Boxster for

it to comply with the Bumper Standard

found in 49 CFR part 581.

The petitioner also states that a

vehicle identification number plate

must be affixed to the vehicle to meet

the requirements of 49 CFR part 565.

The petitioner finally states that all

vehicles will be inspected prior to

importation to assure compliance with

the Theft Prevention Standard found in

49 CFR part 541.

Interested persons are invited to

submit comments on the petition

described above. Comments should refer

to the docket number and be submitted

to: Docket Management, Room PL–401,

400 Seventh St., SW, Washington, DC

20590. [Docket hours are from 10 am to

5 pm]. It is requested but not required

that 10 copies be submitted.

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.

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: May 14, 1998.

Marilynne Jacobs,

Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.

[FR Doc. 98–13251 Filed 5–18–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE: 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA–98–3848; Notice 1]

Beall Trailers of Washington, Inc.;

Petition for Temporary Exemption

From Federal Motor Vehicle Safety

Standard No. 224

Beall Trailers of Washington, Inc., of

Kent, Washington, (‘‘Beall’’), a whollyowned subsidiary of Beall Corporation,

has petitioned for a one-year temporary

exemption from Motor Vehicle Safety

Standard No. 224 Rear Impact

Protection. The basis of the petition is

that compliance would cause

substantial economic hardship to a

manufacturer that has tried in good faith

to comply with the standard.

This notice of receipt of the petition

is published in accordance with agency

regulations on the subject and does not

represent any judgment by the agency

about the merits of the petition.

Beall manufacturers and sells dump

body trailers. It produced a total of 311

trailers in 1997, of which 124 were

dump body types. Standard No. 224

requires, effective January 26, 1998, that

all trailers with a GVWR of 4536 Kg or

more, including dump body types, be

fitted with a rear impact guard that

conforms to Standard No. 223 Rear

impact guards. Beall states that

‘‘alterations may have to be made to the

trailer chassis or even raising the dump

box to provide space for the retractable

guard,’’ indicating that a guard that

retracts when the dump body is in

operation is the solution it is seeking in

order to comply. According to Beall’s

application, the company has ‘‘placed

significant resources (time and money)