Re: niche cars

[Richard Saskal <rsaskal@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Subject: Re: Nitch Cars
>
> In a matter of a few years (already there is some European countries) they
> will be instituting equal, or in some cases even more restrictive, emissions
> and safety regulations than is current in the U.S.  When the Euro
> manufacturers have to meet those new requirements maybe it will be possible
> for them to export here

U.S. and European emission regs have pretty much the same goals, but the problem for
any would-be importer is the U.S. bureaucracy.
A Euro-certified car would still have to run its own gamut of tests to prove to the
EPA and DOT that the vehicle was acceptable by American standards, as well as come
equipped with a cockamamie OBD II (or III or IV by now, probably) system.
This costs a fortune and there are two ways to recoup this: Sell a lot of cars
(which Alfa failed to do) or charge a whole lot of money for them (that's how
Ferrari does it).
- -Rich in Utah

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