Enclosed is the text of US Senate bill S2237. It looks like a shell game to me. New car manufacturers will improve their Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) by crushing larger pre 1980 trade-ins. The CAFE would be improved by the difference of fuel economy of trade-in vehicle compared to the new car. The manufacturer will presumably meet or exceed the CAFE specifications without really improving the fuel economy of its new cars. Note the new car buyer doesn?t have to know anything about this game. The fallacy in this proposal is that old gas guzzlers are not driven as many miles as new cars, especially now as gas prices are rising. The open market attrition of old cars is interfered with. I see three classes of old cars: The best remain roadworthy and are restored or restorable; the inferior specimens reside in a salvage yard and aid the best group; the worst examples will go to the crusher. This proposed legislation will skew the category arrangement toward the crusher.

I propose our legislators defeat this bill. The way to improve the CAFE is through research on alternate fuels, increased efficiency, aerodynamic vehicle design, space efficiency, etc. Shell games do not provide a definitive answer. Write to your Senator; express your views.
Sincerely,
Robert Adler, #06951

To amend the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act (15 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.) to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to take action to encourage the removal of certain model year vehicles from use.

A Bill

To amend the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act (15 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.) to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to take action to encourage the removal of certain model year vehicles from use.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. REMOVAL OF CERTAIN MODEL YEAR VEHICLES FROM USE. -- Title V of the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act (15 U.S.C. 2001 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

“REMOVAL FROM SERVICE OF CERTAIN MOTOR VEHICLES
“Sec. 513. (a) Prior to the expiration of the 90 day period following the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall issue such regulations as may be necessary to establish and implement a program encouraging the removal from use and the marketplace of motor vehicles manufactured prior to model year 1980.

“(b) Such program shall provide that any motor vehicle dealer who receives, as a trade-in on the sale by such dealer of a new motor vehicle, a motor vehicle of a model year prior to model year 1980, may remove such motor vehicle from use and the marketplace.

“(c) Such regulations shall further provide that upon certification by the motor vehicle dealer to the Secretary that the engine block and the chassis of the motor vehicle have been removed from use and the marketplace and destroyed in accordance with such program, the manufacturer of the new motor vehicle shall receive a credit to its corporate average fuel economy. Such credit shall equal the difference between the fuel economy of the new motor vehicle, and the motor vehicle removed from use and the marketplace.

“(d) Regulations under this section shall require proof from the motor vehicle dealer that the motor vehicle was destroyed in accordance with the regulation, and that the vehicles's identification number was removed from the registration list of the appropriate State or States.

“(e)(l) Such regulations under this section shall require the motor vehicle manufacturer to calculate and transmit to the Secretary the financial value per gallon credit.

“(2) No later than 30 days after receipt of the calculations under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall --

“(A) review and approve such calculations to determine if they are in accordance with regulations; and

“(B) if approved under subparagraph (A), publish such calculations in the Federal Register.

“(f) Such regulations shall require

“(1) the motor vehicle manufacturer to rebate the financial value to an individual who traded in a motor vehicle of a model year prior to 1980 described under subsection (b);

“(2) that an individual trading in a motor vehicle shall have evidence that such vehicle has been registered and in use for 1 year prior to the date of trade-in; and

“(3) that an individual who purchases a new motor vehicle and certifies that the motor vehicle of a model year prior to 1980 was not traded in but was destroyed, shall receive such financial value.

“(g) Any person violating a regulation promulgated under this section shall be subject to a civil penalty assessed by the Secretary in an amount not to exceed $2,000.

“(h) No credits shall be given under this section on or after January 1, 1994.”

* Originally published in the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America, Inc.'s "Generator & Distributor", Nov. 1990, v29, no. 11, p12.

Bob Adler is owner of Adler's Antique
Autos, Stephentown, New York, and
specializes in GM truck restoration.
He can be reached at 518-733-5749.
Email