PAS Magazine :Show or Display: The first R32s in the U.S.! - BONUS: Sean Morris Interview

Nissan Skyline GT-R Key

A few months back I did a photo shoot and interview with Jacob Leveton for PAS Magazine about the NISMO R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R's I imported under Show or Display.

One small error. You don't need to bring in every car though a Registered Importer, just any car not over 25 years, or not under Show or Display. If the car is newer than 21 years, and coming in under Show or Display, you need an ICI.

You’ve become a bit of a guru on getting a car imported legally. In general, what does it take to bring a car into the U.S.?

You’ll need to bring any car in through a Registered Importer, which can bring it up to current Federal standards, but there are a several agencies you will need to be aware of, as each has its own requirements. 

NISMO Optional Parts Catalog

How does the Show or Display exemption work?

If you can convince the NHTSA the car you're trying to import is historically- or technologically-significant and it agrees, you can bring it in for “show or display” purposes, drive it on public roads for up to 2,500 miles per year, etc. There are many rules around it too; production numbers typically have to be fewer than 500 produced. It’s basically referred to as a Bill Gates / Paul Allen rule. Those guys pushed the law through to make the Porsche 959 legal for import. If you want to get a law like this changed, you may need Bill Gates and Paul Allen money.

Other cars on the “Show or Display” exemption list include: the McLaren F1, Bugatti EB110, Ford RS200, BMW Z1, Mercedes CLK-GTR Roadster and Lamborghini Diablo GT. Each had to be requested by someone who wanted to bring the car into the US, and get it approved. If it’s less than 21 years old, still needs to meet emissions regulations, so it needs to be brought in by an ICI (Independent Commercial Importer) who will have to bring the car up to emissions specs.

NISMO Nissan Skyline GT-R Brochure

Head over to PAS Magazine for the full article and interview.

http://www.25yearoldcars.com forum for discussion about importing vehicles over 25 years old to the US.