Because we the enthusiast people didn’t gather behind the effort to lower the gray market importation limit from 25 to 15 years, the We The People petition filed a couple of months ago has failed. In order to get the Executive Branch to consider such requests, each petition needs 25,000 signatures and this one didn’t get it. That isn’t to say the decision would have been overturned, but now it won’t even get a look.

It is said that Mercedes-Benz helped get the original law passed the eighties, which means you can only now import the car – the 500 SEL – that prompted Mercedes to fight for it. Or there’s always a 1986 Citroen CX or 1986 Nissan Skyline R31 to leave you thoroughly underwhelmed with your options.

Petition to shorten gray market import exemption fails originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A group of enthusiasts have started a We The People petition urging the Executive Branch in Washington to stop using what it says are Homeland Security funds to police gray-market vehicles. The petition also seeks to have the federal gray market exemption age reduced from 25 years old to 15 years old. As of right now, any vehicle imported into the U.S. must be able to comply with our government’s safety and emissions standards unless they are 25 years old or older, making it nearly impossible for the importation of newer vehicles on an individual basis. The petition declares that the 25-year rule was originally adopted at the behest of automakers like Mercedes-Benz.

Automotive history buffs may recall that in the ’80s, Benz only offered Americans the lackluster 380SEL while the rest of the world enjoyed the 500SEL. As a result, a massive gray market erupted for the more powerful sedan, and by some estimations, 22,000 Mercedes-Benz vehicles floated in outside of the dealer network in a single year. That caused the company to lean heavily on lawmakers to shut the import door.

The White House has agreed to respond to any We The People petition that accrues 25,000 signatures in a month. So far, this particular effort has only gained just under 5,000 names. Head over to the We The People site to check out the petition and add your own name to the effort if you agree.

Petition started to change gray market exemption from 25 to 15 years originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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