Alfas can't be purchased, but SUV's can

[George Graves <gmgraves@domain.elided>]

To re-enforce Brian Shorey's comments (and ON-TOPIC, hopefully). SUVs 
were invented to circumvent the automobile safety regulations 
instituted in the late seventies (and thus serve as cash-cows for 
Detroit). These regulations are strict and cover such things as 
automobile glass, bumper height, bumper crash absorption, headlight 
height, headlight coverage pattern, tail light make-up, Etc. Etc., Etc. 
Trucks are exempt from these requirements (as well as fuel economy 
standards. Cars getting the same gas milage as one of these big V-8 
SUVs, have to pay a 'gas-guzzler tax.' As I understand it, trucks do 
not.) Now, we Alfa Romeo lovers would like to have to have new Alfas. 
At one time, if a marque wasn't represented in the USA, one could just 
buy one overseas and bring it back (or, there were places like 
Zumbach's in New York who would do it for you). Now we can't. Why? 
because new Alfas can't pass the SAME US safety laws as those laws that 
SUVs DON'T HAVE TO PASS! What good are safety laws when the largest 
single type of vehicle bought in this country isn't required to adhere 
to those laws? I'll tell you what it does. It makes a mockery of the 
laws, and it keeps many people from buying the brand and type of car 
they want. That's what it does, and I, for one, resent it. The guy who 
wants to buy a non-complying truck, because that's his passion, gets to 
do so with Uncle Sam's blessing. Those of us who want to follow our 
passion and buy a new Alfa Romeo cannot, because the same laws that 
lets SUVs exist won't let us bring an Alfa into the USA. That's Freedom?

My 2 Cents worth.

George Graves

On Monday, September 2, 2002, at 07:47  PM, alfa-digest wrote:


> Date: Mon, 2 Sep 2002 22:29:26 -0400
> From: "Brian Shorey" <bshorey@domain.elided>
> Subject: RE: SUVs
>
> <snip>
>
> The only thing wrong with SUV's, trucks, etc, imo, is that they aren't
> made to adhere to the same type of bumper laws that passenger cars
> adhere to.  It makes no sense to me that passenger car bumpers all have
> to be at a uniform height, so if they crash into each other they absorb
> equal energy, but SUV and truck bumper heights can be much higher.  In
> fact one might argue it's almost criminal that passenger cars aren't
> allowed to raise their bumper heights to protect themselves against
> SUV's.
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