Automobile customization: an Italian anomaly in Europe!

Customozation

Car_tuning © by campdarby

I have been working in the automotive sector since 1993, first in the competition vehicle sector for important international companies both on the racetrack as well as at the operators’ premises, and then in the world of “tuning”. Tuning is a word that is often abused and linked to clandestine races instead of automobile customization.

Article 78 of our rules of the road, in fact, prohibited any vehicle modification that was not authorized by the manufacturer.

The new European Traffic Regulations, which Italy has adopted but still doesn’t seem to know how to apply, recognizes automobile customization even without the manufacturer’s permission.

The Monti decree has already seen, in Article 78 of the Traffic Code, a violation of free competition, in fact giving the last word to manufacturers regarding automobile customization or even the simple changing of the diameter of the rims while maintaining unchanged the way the tire rolls.

We hope that regulations regarding how to safely personalize our automobile are also adopted quickly in Italian as occurred twenty years ago in other European countries such as Germany.
Copying what the Germans have done could benefit the entire Italian economy.

Many automobile owners customize their cars even if they run the risk of meeting up with a zealous law enforcement officer who could fine them (it has also happened for special sanctions like sporting mufflers for a well-known Italian brand).

There are, however, many more automobile owners who would like to make their own car “unique” but don’t do so for fear of running the risk of administrative fines.
Regulating this market in Italy, perhaps by taking on the German TUV rules, would allow a considerable increase in revenue for companies in the industry with a subsequent increase in jobs without any kind of support from the government.

But as we well know, the simple things that can be done in Italy are those that are never considered, which is why we continue to malign an industry which, in the 60s and 70s gave great prestige to Italian creativity.

Paolo Camerin

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