European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 19, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes wednesday february 19,1986 Gray Market for foreign cars losing steam As Dollar drops by Bob Hoyer Starr writer americans imported a record 67,000 Gray Market autos in 1985, 15,000 of which were sent Home by , Industry sources said. Stimulated by a Dollar that was Strong much of the year imports surged 67 percent above the 1984 figure of40,000. But with the Dollar now in decline Gray Market imports in 1986 arc running below last year s Levels. The department of transportation figures for 1985show Gray Market imports multiplied More than 22 limes since 1980, when just 3,000 foreign specification cars entered the United states. The Gray Market Rose in step with the Dollar s Advance Over the five Yean despite a government crackdown on the illegal entry of vehicles failing to meet us. Clean air and safely standards. In the Spring of 1983, . Customs launched a pro Gram to identify nonconforming cars which must be bonded until they Are converted to . Standards. Beginning with 1968 models All foreign specification cars must be brought into conformance with department of transportation safety requirements. The environmental Protection Agency waives clean air standards on cars that Are at least five years old if they Are imported for personal use. That policy is under review but Market observers expect it to continue through 1986. Can less than five years old must meet Epa standards. German cars dominated the 66,879 Gray Market imports in 1985, the transportation department said. Mer cedes Benz accounted for 62 percent Bow 13 percent and porsche 11 percent Jaguar and Ferrari each with 2 percent and Lam Borghini with 0.5 percent accounted for another 4.5 percent. All other can were included in the remaining 9.5 percent. The 41,465 Gray Market Mercedes imported in 1985 were nearly double the 22,000 that entered the country in 1984. Francis Armstrong director of Dot s vehicle safety compliance office said there were More Gray Market imports in the second half of 1985 than in the first half 37,343 compared to 29,536. Although the Dollar hit yearly highs in february and March Gray Market imports for those months were just 3,952 and 5,015. The Market peaked in october when the Dollar was already in Retreat. Dot figures show 8,432 imports in october 6430 in july 7,751 in August and 6,165 in september. The Market slumped in november to 4,761 imports and hit a yearly Low in december of 3,904. Most dealers and converters link the year end decline to the slumping Dollar which fell about so pfennig against the German Mark from september to december. Bob Dort an manager of american International underwriters military department said the higher volume of imports in the second half of 1985 was because of the lag Between the time can were purchased and their Export to the states. A1u entered the Market last summer with a program including shipping bonding and conversion of can by a stateside modifier. We be had favourable responses from those who be contracted with us. But we re not shipping the volume of can we expected Dorman said. We re still getting business primarily from those who bought can when the Exchange rates were More favourable. The weaker Dollar certainly is going to inhibit some potential buyers from taking a risk on this  Dorman said the Dollar Price comparison of a 40,000 Mark car at a 2.85 Exchange rate and a 2.40 rate shows Why the weakening Dollar is taking the steam out of the Gray Market. The 40,000-Mark car costs $14,035 at 2.85 Marks. But the Price climbs to is 6,666 at 2.40 Marks. That s More thans2.600 difference and it s going to make a lot of people think before deciding to buy a foreign specification  the average Dollar Mark Exchange rate for 1985 was 2.94 Marks. The average for 1984 was 2.85 Marks and in 1983 it was 2j6. In 1980, when Gray Market import were just 3,000, the average Exchange rate was 1.82. Foreign manufacturers opposing the Gray Market argue that the inflated Dollar was responsible for the Gray Market imports Boom in noncomplying imports rather than an overpricing of their Export models. Lined up against foreign producers the automobile importers compliance association representing converters at Home and abroad has lobbied successfully to keep its infant Industry alive. During the past year Mica officials claiming that 10,000 . Jobs and an annual business of $500,000 were at stake managed to sidetrack legislation that would have crippled the Gray Market now the erosion of the Dollar could undo a business that has survived the Best lobbying shot of Powerw foreign manufacturers. News update terrorists claim killing Florence Italy up red brigades terrorists said m a propaganda leaflet that they assassinated former Florence mayor Lando Conti because of his links with n electronics firm they claimed to involved in president Reagan s Star wan program. The communist extremist organization apparently attempting a comeback after being virtually liquidated in 1982, used the Standard re brigades technique of leaving the leaflet in a garbage bin and then telephoning a newspaper. La a Zionc to Tell reporters where to find it. . Official resigns new York a Donald Manes the City official who stashed his wrist and ankle in an apparent suicide attempt and was implicated in a widening bribery scandal has resigned As president of the Borough of Queens a attorney Aid. Manes who also resigned As the county democratic Leader had previously stepped aside from the Post without formally resigning while he recuperated from the Seu inflicted knife wounds and a heart attack. Manes in statement cited Bis poor health and the allegations against him. The resignations were effective immediately. -1 know i will be fully  he said. However i cannot ask die people i serve to wait for me while devote whatever energies i Hare to my problems rather than  Edward l Koch who bad called for Manes to resign said  glad he had done so. 60,000 Usa eur soldiers to pick which regiment they want to be in by Mike Heronemus staff writer Frankfurt More than 60,000soldiers in Usa eur Are being asked by the army to choose a regiment for them selves by sept. 30. Gen. John a. Witcham jr., army chief of staff announced sept. 3 that All infantrymen Armor and cavalry soldiers and Field and air defense artillerymen would be affiliated with an existing or planned regiment by the end of fiscal 1986. The first of two military personnel Center teams from the states arrived in Germany monday to help Susareu Raits achieve that goal. Maj. John Hamilton and Sec. Nathaniel Dave Wio be visiting v corps units through March 12. Their scheduled stops include Mainz wednesday Giessen thursday Baum older Friday Darm Stadt monday bad Kreuz Nach feb. 25 Fulda feb. 26-27 Wil Flecken feb. 28 Wiesbaden March 4 and Frankfurt March 5. The second team is scheduled to help Vii corps units March 5-28. Scheduled stops include Nuernberg March 5 barn Berg March 6 Schweinfurt March 7 Wuerzburg March 10 Aschaffenbur March 11 Goeppinger March 12 Augsburg. March 14 Munich March 17stuttgart. March 18-20 and Heidelberg March 28. The teams will be visiting brigade and battalion adjutant and personnel no Down to battalion and separate company level Hamilton said. Part of the teams Job will be to show unit personnel sergeants Bow to assign sol Diers to the regiment of their Choice Ham Ilton said. They also will have information on existing and planned regiments and where regimental units Are stationed. They will live regimental rosters and in formation explaining the background procedures and advantages of joining a regi ment. The personnel Center teams won t bedding any affiliation paper work while they Are Here Hamilton said. That will be done by unit personnel specialists and perhaps not for another two months he said. Although the concentration is now on affiliating combat arms soldiers regi mental affiliations for aviation combat support combat service support corps of engineers and ordnance corps soldiers Are being planned. Fifteen combat arms regiments already exist twelve More combat arms regi ments Are planned for fiscal 1986. In All 183 regiments Are planned. Regiments Are not tactical units. They Are organizations of soldiers in the same career Field such As infantrymen. The regimental system is designed for Emmi purposes and offers a Soldier the Opportunity for Long term identification with the regiment and a potential for recurring assignments to units of the regiment Accord ing to a military personnel Cente release. Join ii for soldiers beaded overseas the assignment system looks first for vacancies in a regimental unit then for a vacancy in the same theater where a regimental us is stationed. Dave said the Chance to get stationed close to Home will probably Lead a lot of Young soldiers to join a regiment based geographical location instead of its history. Career cos and officers who or served with several units May elect regi ment based on that past service Hauht Masaid. Overall during phase i on the Affifa ton Effort 85 percent of the Soldier Flat assigned to regimental units Hunita said. That was during August 1984 to As gust 1985. The army s needs come hut Hamilton said and professional dad Ozment assignments such As Drill Serge a or recruiting duty will take soldiers away from regimental units. Personnel managers at the Persoma Center Are appointed As regimental adj Tants to Monitor assignments of those sol Diers on regimental rosters Hamilton said. No ceiling is being placed on the number of soldiers who can join a regiment Ham Ilton said. A.1 Lini i Ever material being banded out by Hamil ton and Dave explains that assignment criteria being used now for soldiers going Back to the states takes into consideration whether vacancies exist in regimental units vacancies in divisions that have regi mental units vacancies at posts where regimental units Are based and states where regimental units Are based in that order of preference. We expect there will be i regiments oversubscribed and other �dersubscribcd.". That Means soldiers in regiments that Are too popular May find themselves in non regimental assignments More often than a Soldier in a regiment with less than a full roster. Well have to wait and sea How that shakes out Hamilton said. Crossing Over to a different regiment will not be difficult though. Beginning in Prtt a Soldier can change his affiliation through his or her military personnel of fice