Congress and cars -- Small importers and their reactions -- The first compliance shops -- Making them pass -- The stoichiometric closed loop electronic feedback controlled breakthrough -- The boom -- More fuel on the fire -- In the workshop -- The independent labs -- The shine rubs off -- Meanwhile, at Lamborghini -- The factories push back -- An inaction of Congress -- The market winds down -- Lessons of the gray market -- Chapter notes -- Bibliography -- Index.
Summary:
"In the 1970s, as car enthusiasts in the U.S. grew bored with models manufactured under tightening pollution and safety regulations, some innovative dealers exploited a legal loophole--designed to allow U.S. soldiers and diplomats to return from abroad with their vehicles--to import exotic cars never intended for sale in America. During the 1980s, a rise in the value of the dollar made car shopping in Europe a bargain hunter's dream. A network of unauthorized "gray market" dealers emerged, bypassing factory channels. Middle-class Americans suddenly found they could afford a Mercedes or BMW. These cars had to pass through U.S. customs, equipped to handle only a few independent imports annually. As applications ballooned, the regulatory system collapsed. This is the story of a misunderstood but fascinating period in the automotive industry, when creative importers found ways to put American motorists in new Ferraris while the EPA and DOT were backed up with mounds of paperwork"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.