Car importing loophole? - frontal impact

[RunningRich]

I'm struggling to find it on the LTSA website.

When they introduced the 1996 frontal impact rule I thought that vehicles imported prior to a certain date were exempt if you had proof of import?

Was this a phase-in allowance only?

Anyone recall the date? I'm looking at a 1996 car imported 2002 from UK but never registered. The car does not meet frontal impact requirements per the LTSA lists.

[fivebob]

It has to have been cleared by customs prior to 01 Feb 2002, or else VINed and complied prior to 01 April 2002. Customs clearance may happen in NZ or at the port of departure, so it doesn't necessarily have to be landed in NZ before 1/02/2002

Details can be found in http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/rules/frontal-impact-2001.html

[RunningRich]

Awesome, that is exactly the date I was looking for. So near and yet so far for what I'm looking at.