Gallery: Uncle Sam Says No, You Absolutely Can't Have These Cars
01Uncle-Sam-Cars-HP-02
021989-2001-nissan-skyline-r32r34
We've all looked longingly and lovingly at the auto shows in Europe and Japan and wondered how we might drive some of the awesome cars that don't make it to the states. Turns out, a passport, plane ticket and rental agreement might be the only way. Sure, some lustworthy Euro-spec cars *can* make it in. Witness the list of [Show and Display cars](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2011/03/show-and-display/) the overlords at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration OK'd despite the fact that not one of them meets government safety standards. They meet the standards of NHTSA's "Show and Display" exemption. Such cars must be exceedingly rare, historically significant and driven a mere 2,500 miles annually. But if you think a boatload of money and reams of paperwork can get any car into the country, think again. Today, we present some of the cars people tried to import under Show and Display that were rejected by Uncle Sam. We aren't talking about fanboy fantasies here, but actual cars that someone went to the trouble of tracking down and applying to the feds for. Let us be clear: The cars listed here are illegal because they don't meet NHTSA regulations, and aren't more than 25 years old and therefore exempt from those rules. Sure, you could buy one in Canada or Mexico and drive it around -- but an illegally imported car is subject to seizure and a trip to the crusher. These are the cars your government doesn't want you to have. __Above:__ 1989-2001 Nissan Skyline R32/R34 -------------------------------- So many people have tried to bring Skylines into the United States that we're pretty sure NHTSA's phone directory sounds something like this: "Thank you for calling the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. For vehicle-safety-recall information, press 1. If you are inquiring about importing a Nissan Skyline, forget it. No way, no how. Have a nice day." The Skyline has almost as dedicated a fan base in North America as in Japan, and the cars can often be seen on the streets of British Columbia. However, despite countless tries of countless models, the Skyline — with the exception of the 1999 GTR R34 V-Spec Early Model Limited Edition — remains forbidden. Sadly, a number of Skylines have been crushed by the feds after unscrupulous importers skirted laws with ingenious, er, shady methods like disassembling the vehicles and re-registering them as kit cars. *Photo: [gracewong](http://www.flickr.com/photos/gracewong/4278294999/)/Flickr*
031991-1996-honda-beat
1991-1996 Honda Beat -------------------- Don't laugh — Japanese *kei*, those awesome but diminutive vehicles exempt from certain Japanese taxes due to their small size and engine displacement — have a cult following the world over. The Honda Beat is a particular favorite. The Pininfarina-bodied roadster was the last vehicle Soichiro Honda approved. Go ahead and laugh at its size, but the mid-mounted engine achieves nearly 100 horsepower per liter. No, you can't have one. *Photo: [imuttoo](http://www.flickr.com/photos/imuttoo/1297638635/)/Flickr*
041995-audi-rs2-avant
1995 Audi RS2 Avant ------------------- This bit of wagon-awesomeness is the RS2, Audi's first "RS" (*RennSport* or "Racing Sport," in English) vehicle. Based on the 80 wagon and built at Porsche's famed Rossle-Bau plant, this beast would hit 30 mph from a standstill faster than a McLaren F1 road car. Zero to 62 came in a mere 4.8 seconds, thanks to the turbocharged 311-horsepower 5-cylinder engine. All that and you can carry a surprising amount of groceries. Alas, it is categorically ineligible for Show and Display because 2,891 were built — more than the 500 ceiling on Show and Display cars. *Photo: Wikimedia Commons*
051991-nissan-figaro
1990-1991 Nissan Figaro ----------------------- Like the Beat, the Figaro is a *kei* car, exempt from certain Japanese taxes because of the vehicle's size and displacement. Unlike the Beat, Nissan decided to go retro with the Figaro, creating a car that looks somewhat like a cross between a Renault Dauphine and a Crosley radio. Nissan never heavily marketed the quirky Figaro, which was sold along with the snail-shaped S-Cargo van, but it took off and the 20,000 car production run sold out quickly. They're popular in Canada, where cars without import certification can be brought to the Great White North after only 15 years, but it's still illegal in the United States. *Photo: Wikimedia Commons*
062005-rodedawg
2005 Beijing Auto Industrial Holding Rodedawg --------------------------------------------- What could possibly go wrong with importing a Chinese amphibious military vehicle for civilian use? Luis Pallais, a former employee of the Nicaraguan Consul General's office in San Francisco, decided to find out. Pallais signed up a dealer network to distribute the vehicle that he named "Rodedawg" and even got rapper Ice-T to represent the brand, paying him in stock options. Unfortunately, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission, the whole setup was a sham. "From late 2005 through early 2007, Rodedawg Int'l issued nearly thirty press releases touting the success of its ongoing business, when, in fact, it had no revenue or earnings," the SEC complaint read. "Some of these releases contained materially false information or omitted to disclose material information." Those who put down deposits are out of luck, because the Rodedawg was even denied a Show and Display waiver.
072005-cross-lander-244x
2005 Cross Lander 244X ---------------------- See if this story sounds familiar: A salesman wants to capitalize on the Hummer craze by importing a basic, rugged SUV from an automotive manufacturing backwater. It's just like the Rodedawg, but this time the vehicle in question was a Romanian-built Land Rover Defender lookalike known as the Cross Lander, manufactured by ARO. Businessman John Perez, who apparently got his MBA at Malcolm Bricklin University, first sold franchise agreements back in 1998 for $75,000 each, until dealers got nervous about paying for vehicles up front. The company folded. In 2003, Perez bought a majority share of ARO. Instead of investing money in the company as the sale agreement stipulated, he sold off ARO's assets. The Romanian state sued Perez for falsifying documents.
081998-2000-rover-mini-cooper
1998-2000 Rover Mini Cooper --------------------------- Before there was a MINI, there was the original: the Rover Mini Cooper. While the last 50 Mini Cooper S vehicles that came down the production line in 2000 were cleared for import under Show and Display, other examples of Sir Alex Issigonis' iconic design aren't allowed if they haven't celebrated a 25th birthday. *Photo: Wikimedia Commons*
091987-toyota-carina-ed
1987 Toyota Carina ED --------------------- We're not sure why someone would want to bring over a Camry-like mid-size built on a Celica platform, but someone must have a penchant for 1980s Japanese cars. The "ED" model designation stands for "Exciting, Dressy" and not what you were thinking. *Photo: Wikimedia Commons*
101992-mazda-cosmo
1992 Mazda Cosmo ---------------- In Japan, Mazda created an upscale brand called Eunos. The flagship car of the Eunos brand was the Cosmo, a technologically advanced vehicle with such features as the world's first factory-optioned vehicle GPS navigation system (on a CRT, nonetheless) and the only triple-rotor engine that Mazda ever built. Only 8,875 were sold, and Mazda has yet to build a car as expensive. *Photo: [zanthraxnl](http://www.flickr.com/photos/zanthraxnl/4805119032/)/Flickr*
111998-2009-chevrolet-jimny
1998-2009 Chevrolet/Suzuki Jimny -------------------------------- Though *Consumer Reports* never liked the Suzuki Samurai, it had a dedicated following among off-roaders. Production continues to this day of the vehicle formerly known as the Samurai, sold in South America as the Chevrolet Jimny (not the GMC Jimmy) and in the rest of the world as the Suzuki Jimny, as shown above. It's a popular car, which explains why it wouldn't get a waiver to be imported as a rare vehicle. *Photo: Wikimedia Commons.*
Cao et al (2012), PLoS ONE122001-2002-land-rover-defender-130
2000-2001 Land Rover Defender 130 --------------------------------- Of all the cars on this list, this is the one that has us scratching our heads. A *Defender*, excluded from the United States on the grounds of *safety*? On second thought, though it has successfully conquered the harshest environments from the savanna to the tundra, the Defender isn't exactly renowned for daily reliability, and highway shoulders are very dangerous places to wait for a tow truck. Maybe NHTSA has a point. *Photo: [katynicolson](http://www.flickr.com/photos/katynicolson/3667256449/)/Flickr*
Image: Pete Warden131985-zastava-fica
1985 Zastava 750 'Fica' ----------------------- It looks like a Fiat 600 because it's a Yugoslav version of the Italian car produced under license. We're not sure why anyone would bother bringing one to the United States, but it doesn't matter now, as it's older than 25 and not subject to NHTSA import rules. *Photo: [leartoon](http://www.flickr.com/photos/leartoon/3597926307/)/Flickr*
141996-2006-tvr-sagaris-t350-tuscan-cerbera
1996-2006 TVR Sagaris, T350, Tuscan, Cerbera -------------------------------------------- Peter Wheeler, the former owner of British boutique carmaker TVR, felt that airbags and ABS gave drivers a false sense of security and therefore did not install them in the fantastic creations that he oversaw. As such, newer TVRs didn't make it to the United States. *Photo: Wikimedia Commons*
151996-2001-lotus-elise-s1
1996-2001 Lotus Elise S1 ------------------------ Though the Series 2 "Federal" Elise is legal in the on this side of the pond, the Series 1 car or its 340R derivative is not. That doesn't stop some shady dealers from trying to sell them on eBay, however. *Photo: [furlined](http://www.flickr.com/photos/furlined/4001907207/)/Flickr*
162000-daimlerchrysler-smart-car
2000 DaimlerChrysler Smart Car ------------------------------ We suspect the application to import a first generation Smart Fortwo took place before 2006, when the second generation of Smarts began arriving on U.S. shores. Either way, it's hardly a rare car and we're not surprised it was denied. *Photo: [kerryvaughan](http://www.flickr.com/photos/kerryvaughan/3362023722/)/Flickr*
172003-volkswagen-beetle
2003 Volkswagen Beetle Ultima Edicion ------------------------------------- Despite the fact that this particular car is registered in Oregon, Mexican-built Beetles weren't allowed in the United States if they were younger than 25 years old -- not even the Ultima Edicion version shown here, one of the final 3,000 cars sold as 2004 models. *Photo: [SoulRider.222](http://www.flickr.com/photos/31019817@N02/3643005490/)*/Flickr
181981-1989-trabant
1981, 1989 Trabant ------------------ This East German relic has gained fame as everything that was wrong with manufacturing in a planned economy. However, poor build quality, long production delays and features that were eons behind Western counterparts also meant the Trabi was easy to fix, highly coveted in the Eastern bloc and now remains a symbol of that unique East German nostalgia known as *Ostalgie*. The earliest Trabis are over 25 years old, meaning they're not subject to NHTSA regulations. If you're really interested in bringing one over, get an earlier model, as they hardly changed during their production span. No surprise why this one got denied, as they were churned out by the millions, but it is a tad ironic that bureaucratic rules often criticized as protectionist are what's keeping the Trabant out of the United States, as it was extreme protectionism that allowed the car to be built in the first place. *Photo: [jon\_knox](http://www.flickr.com/photos/jon_knox/4581963739/)/Flickr* *Post updated Tuesday, April 12, 7:25PM to clarify import rules*
