Jalopnik loves an underdog automaker, especially one so bold as to offer a vehicle no more sophisticated than an AMC-era Jeep in this era of padded-room car design. Now, Cross Lander USA — a company whose plan to bring the Romanian Aro SUV to the states has been around for a decade — has gotten approval from the Feds to sell the military-grade truck in the US without air bags until 2008. Long enough, they presume, for the company to prove its meddle and amass enough cash to make its next model compliant with regulations. The company proved its case that it faced "substantial economic hardship" without the waiver, which safety advocates say is a dangerous precedent. Company employees who gave their sperm for the effort are probably among those most pleased with the verdict.
Romanian Vehicle can Skip Air Bags [Rideroom]
Related:
Romanian Cross Lander SUV Hits Import Snag [internal]