Interpretation ID: nht91-7.46

DATE: December 13, 1991

FROM: Tony Llama -- President, Davenport Enterprises

TO: Paul Jackson Rice -- Chief Counsel, NHTSA

TITLE: None

ATTACHMT: Attached to letter dated 01/03/92 from Paul Jackson Rice to Tony Llama (A39; Part 591)

TEXT:

We have a customer in Ecuador that assembles Fiat automobiles under a franchise from FIAT DO BRAZIL. They have contacted us for the purpose of designing and building an air conditioning unit for this vehicle. In order to do so, we must bring a car to the U.S.A. so that our engineers can work on it.

By means of this letter, we would like to request from you prior written approval of vehicle admission to the U.S.A. for a period not exceeding 90 days, at which time it will be returned to Ecuador.

This vehicle will come on a 20 foot container to our facilities in Dallas, Texas, and at no time will it be driven on the road. Upon completion of our work, it will also be returned on a 20 foot container.

The specifications of this vehicle are as follows:

Make: FIAT Motor No: 7575071 Model: PREMIO Chassis No: E-00091PI004 Engine: 1,600 cc Color: Blue

One 1,100 cc engine will also be sent in a box inside the container, so we can design a compressor mount and drive kit for this engine, since this automobile will be equipped with either engine. This engine number is: 2764999.

In order to speed up the paper work, we are enclosing copies of a previous request that was granted to us. In this case the vehicle was never sent due to problems beyond our control, so the forms were never used.

Since there are other countries bidding for this business, time is of the essence. We would be very grateful if you could send us the authorization as soon as possible.