21530 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 92 / Friday, May 10, 1996 / Notices

applicable Federal motor vehicle safety

standards. Where there is no

substantially similar U.S.—certified

motor vehicle, 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(B)

(formerly section 108(c)(3)(A)(i)(II) of

the Act, 15 U.S.C. 1397(c)(3)(A)(i)(II))

permits a nonconforming motor vehicle

to be admitted into the United States if

its safety features comply with, or are

capable of being altered to comply with,

all applicable Federal motor vehicle

safety standards based on destructive

test data or such other evidence as

NHTSA decides to be adequate.

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 determination in the

Federal Register.

Europa International, Inc. of Santa Fe,

New Mexico (Registered Importer No.

R–91–002) petitioned NHTSA to decide

whether 1992 through 1996 MercedesBenz Gelaendewagen Type 463 Long

Wheel Base V–8 MPVs are eligible for

importation into the United States.

NHTSA published notice of the petition

on February 21, 1996 (61 FR 6684) to

afford an opportunity for public

comment. The reader is referred to that

notice for a thorough description of the

petition. No comments were received in

response to the notice. Based on its

review of the information submitted by

the petitioner, NHTSA has decided to

grant the petition.

Vehicle Eligibility Number for Subject

Vehicles

The importer of a vehicle admissible

under any final determination must

indicate on the form HS–7

accompanying entry the appropriate

vehicle eligibility number indicating

that the vehicle is eligible for entry.

VCP–13 is the vehicle eligibility number

assigned to vehicles admissible under

this determination.

Final Decision

Accordingly, on the basis of the

foregoing, NHTSA hereby decides that

1992 through 1996 Mercedes-Benz

Gelaendewagen Type 463 Long Wheel

Base V–8 MPVs are eligible for

importation into the United States

because they have safety features that

comply with, or are capable of being

altered to comply with, all applicable

Federal motor vehicle safety standards.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(B) and

(b)(1); 49 CFR 593.8; delegations of authority

at 49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8.

Issued on: May 7, 1996.

Marilynne Jacobs,

Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.

[FR Doc. 96–11784 Filed 5–9–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–M

[Docket No. 96–045; Notice 1]

Notice of Receipt of Petition for

Decision That Nonconforming 1992

Jeep Cherokee Multi-Purpose

Passenger Vehicles Are Eligible for

Importation

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of petition for

decision that nonconforming 1992 Jeep

Cherokee multipurpose passenger

vehicles (MPVs) manufactured for the

Venezuelan market 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 1992 Jeep Cherokee

that was manufactured for the

Venezuelan market and 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 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 10, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to

the docket number and notice number,

and be submitted to: Docket Section,

Room 5109, National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, 400 Seventh St.,

SW, Washington, DC 20590. [Docket

hours are from 9:30 am to 4 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)

(formerly section 108(c)(3)(A)(i)(I) of the

National Traffic and Motor Vehicle

Safety Act (the Act)), 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 (formerly section 114 of the

Act), 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.

Champagne Imports, Inc. of Lansdale,

Pennsylvania (‘‘Champagne’’)

(Registered Importer 90–009) has

petitioned NHTSA to decide whether

1992 Jeep Cherokee MPVs manufactured

for the Venezuelan market are eligible

for importation into the United States.

The vehicle which Champagne believes

is substantially similar is the 1992 Jeep

Cherokee that was manufactured for 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 1992

Jeep Cherokee 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.

Champagne submitted information

with its petition intended to

demonstrate that the non-U.S. certified

1992 Jeep Cherokee, 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 1992 Jeep

Cherokee 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
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 92 / Friday, May 10, 1996 / Notices 21531

Systems, 105 Hydraulic Brake Systems,

106 Brake Hoses, 107 Reflecting

Surfaces, 109 New Pneumatic Tires, 113

Hood Latch Systems, 116 Brake Fluid,

124 Accelerator Control Systems, 201

Occupant Protection in Interior Impact,

202 Head Restraints, 203 Impact

Protection for the Driver From the

Steering Control System, 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, 211 Wheel Nuts, Wheel

Discs and Hubcaps, 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 1992 Jeep

Cherokee 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 a

noncomplying symbol on the brake

failure indicator lamp; (b) installation of

a seat belt warning lamp; (c)

recalibration of the speedometer/

odometer from kilometers to miles per

hour.

Standard No. 108 Lamps, Reflective

Devices and Associated Equipment: (a)

installation of U.S.-model headlamp

assemblies; (b) installation of U.S.-

model front and rear sidemarker/

reflector assemblies; (c) installation of

U.S.-model taillamp assemblies.

Standard No. 110 Tire Selection and

Rims: installation of a tire information

placard.

Standard No. 111 Rearview Mirror:

replacement of the convex passenger

side rearview mirror.

Standard No. 114 Theft Protection:

installation of a warning buzzer

microswitch and a warning buzzer in

the steering lock assembly.

Standard No. 115 Vehicle

Identification Number: installation of a

VIN plate that can be read from outside

the left windshield pillar, and a VIN

reference label on the edge of the door

or latch post nearest the driver.

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 U.S.-

model seat belt in the driver’s position,

or a belt webbing actuated microswitch

inside the driver’s seat belt retractor; (b)

installation of an ignition switch

actuated seat belt warning lamp and

buzzer. The petitioner states that the

vehicle is equipped with a lap and

shoulder restraint that adjusts by means

of an automatic retractor and releases by

means of a single push button at each

front designated seating position, and

with a lap and shoulder restraint that

releases by means of a single push

button at each rear outboard seating

positions.

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.

Interested persons are invited to

submit comments on the petition

described above. Comments should refer

to the docket number and be submitted

to: Docket Section, National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration, Room

5109, 400 Seventh Street, S.W.,

Washington, DC 20590. 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 7, 1996.

Marilynne Jacobs,

Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.

[FR Doc. 96–11785 Filed 5–9–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

[Docket No. 96–39; Notice 1]

Notice of Tentative Decision That

Certain Nonconforming Vehicles Are

Eligible for Importation

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Request for comments on

tentative decision that certain

nonconforming vehicles are eligible for

importation.

SUMMARY: This notice requests

comments on a tentative decision by the

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) that certain

motor vehicles that are certified as

complying with Canadian Motor

Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208,

Occupant Restraint Systems, but do not

comply with Federal Motor Vehicle

Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208,

Occupant Crash Protection, are

nevertheless eligible for importation

into the United States because (1) they

are substantially similar to vehicles that

were originally manufactured for sale in

the United States and that were certified

by their manufacturers as complying

with the safety standards, and (2) they

are capable of being readily altered to

conform to FMVSS No. 208.

DATES: The closing date for comments

on this tentative decision is June 10,

1996.

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)

(formerly section 108(c)(3)(A)(i) of the

National Traffic and Motor Vehicle

Safety Act (15 U.S.C. § 1381 et seq.) (the

Act)), a motor vehicle that was not

originally manufactured to conform to

all applicable Federal motor vehicle

safety standards (FMVSS) shall be

refused admission into the United States

unless NHTSA has decided, either

pursuant to a petition from the

manufacturer or registered importer or

on its own initiative, 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 (formerly section 114 of the

Act), 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.

On August 13, 1990, NHTSA

published a Federal Register notice at

55 FR 32988 announcing that it had

made a final determination on its own

initiative that certain motor vehicles

that are certified by their original

manufacturer as complying with all

applicable Canadian motor vehicle

safety standards (CMVSS) are eligible

for importation into the United States

under the precursor to 49 U.S.C.

§ 30141(a)(1)(A). As identified in the

notice, the Canadian-certified vehicles

determined to be eligible for

importation include:

All passenger cars manufactured on or after

September 1, 1989 which are equipped by

their original manufacturer with an

automatic restraint system that complies with

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard