and, in Quebec, Bugatti - -

[JHertzman@domain.elided]

I have been shunting all of the protectionist/conspiracy/social-political 
commentary off to a sidebar file after minimal skimming - - thought briefly 
of responding to Luca off-digest but decided he probably wouldn't understand 
me - - admired April for her ability to stay rational - - thanked a few 
others off-digest for being both intelligent and civilized - - (and you know 
who YOU are -) and long-since gave up on Michael Smith. It isn't worth 
arguing about which aspects of Ferrari are preponderantly Italian, let alone 
worth chewing on the America's Cup issues. But my skim slipped into a 
double-take in the last paragraph of Michael's AD7-1345 post:

" Welcome to the world's most boring automotive market...the good ole US of 
A, why have you done this to yourselves? And to head off those Canada's 
just as bad flames, we did it because we had to. No one would make a 
Canadian Spec only model..well except maybe Lada, or Volvo. Once the US 
started mandating standards for cars, Canada had no choice if it wanted to 
buy anything but made in Canada American cars -"

OK, Fiat exports current Alfas to Canada? Or, 

Fiat would, except they wouldn't make a Canadian-spec only model? And/or,

Canada, because it "had to", adopted regulations causing Fiat to withdraw 
from the Canadian market? 

"Once the US started mandating standards for cars, Canada had no choice if it 
wanted to buy anything but made in Canada American cars-" Huh? I'm losing the 
logical thread here - -

If I am reading between the lines of his prior paragraphs correctly, (which 
is doubtful, I suppose) "importing any perfectly safe and clean burning 
European made car is entirely practical for an ordinary Canadian citizen.", 
even if the manufacturer will not support it. Lucky fellows.

Sorry, chaps. Back to my burrow - -

John H.

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