hgp@houem.UUCP (#H.PAGE) (02/11/85)
<...> I drove a Citroen CX in Germany; when I returned to America, the thought of importing such an auto entered my mind. The strong American dollar again made me consider importing an auto from Europe. Reciently I purchased a book, _Handbook_of_Vehicle_Importation_ (distributed by the Automobile Importers Compliance Association; 1607 New Hampshire Ave., N.W.; Washington, D.C. 20009; Cost:$ 23.00) that describes the procedure one must follow when importing a non-conforming vehicle. The book was very helpful in helping me conclude NOT to import a non-conforming auto. Chapters include: * Introduction * Glossary * Understanding the Import Process, Purchase and Transportation * U.S. Customs and the imported vehicle * The EPA, Emissions Standards and the imported vehicle * The DOT, Safety Standards, and the imported vehicle * Final Admission, Notice of Recovery, and Fines and Penalties * Pitfalls to Know and Avoid * Status of The Law and Regulations Also included (in an nice big, thick section) is an example of all the necessary paperwork. My conclution was that, unless the car was manufactured in 1972 or before, or one has LOTS of $$$ and LOTS of patience, forget it. Also, I did a little preliminary investigation concerning the purchase of a VW Jetta through a German dealer. The response was that the conforming model had a six month wait for delivery and it was apparently priced in dollars. (Those greedy Germans :-)) Have fun! Howard G. Page ..!ihnp4!houem!hgp (201) 949-0366