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1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R Vspec Early - also known as Midnight Purple II - US legal under Show or Display |
Life is complicated. Laws, rules, regulations are all complicated. To make the Show or Display regulation on Midnight Purple Nissan Skyline GT-R black and white here is what is legal:
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US legal under Show or Display - Midnight Purple II |
1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R Vspec - Early - Midnight Purple II - LV4 - 282 Vspec cars produced . Legal to import to the US under the Show or Display regulations
Here is what is not legal or illegal to import until its 25 years old:
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Not legal in the US until 25 years old : illegal |
1999- 2000 Nissan Skyline GT-R - Midnight Purple III - 199 total cars produced. Illegal in the US. Undocumented, aka not legal. The NHTSA does not see the two cars as the same car. There is no blanket approval, so until this car is over 25 years old it is not legal. Now it would also be possible to either bring the car into compliance, or file a Show or Display petition, but as of June 2023, neither of those petitions exist.
So why the II, and not the III? There were less III than II made.
It all gets down to the Show or Display approval process. In order for a vehicle to be legal under the Show or Display regulations, you have to submit a petition to the NHTSA to request permission for a specific car type, and then a specific car to be legally imported.
If the NHTSA approves the type, then you get the specific car permission, you are allowed to import the vehicle, legally.
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Show or Display approval letter for a Midnight Purple II R34. |
Show or Display is basically a bone that the NHTSA threw to super car owners, like Bill Gates, so they could import limited numbers of expensive cars. Not every car, not every variant is approved.
Other approved cars for Show or Display
2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R M-Spec Nur
2003 Aston Martin DB7 Zagato Coupe
2016 Aston Martin Lagonda Taraf
2011 Aston Martin One-77
2004 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato
1999-2000 Aston Martin Vantage LeMans
1984 Audi Sport Quattro
1978 Australian Ford Falcon XC Bathurst Cobra
1984 BMW Hossack K100RS Prototype M/C
2012 BMW M3 CRT
1990 BMW Sport Evolution M3 (UK Version)
1988-1991 BMW Z1
1992-1995 Bugatti EB110
1994 Cizeta-Moroder V16T
2005 Ferrari Enzo #400 (Pope John Paul II)
1985-1986 Ford RS200 Evolution
1986 Ford Sierra Cosworth RS 500
1997 Gruter & Gut (GG) Duetto Sidecar M/C
2000 Holden GTS-R
1992 Honda NR750
1988 Italdesign Aztec
2015 Koenigsegg Model One:1 Sports Car
1992-1994 Jaguar XJ220
1999 Lamborghini Diablo GT
2011 Lotus Evora GTE F1 Limited Edition
1990-1992 Lotus Opel Omega (LHD)
1996-1997 Maserati Ghibli Cup
2004-2005 Maserati MC 12
1991 Maserati Shamal
1994-1995 Mazda Eunos JCES Cosmo Series II
1993-1998 McLaren F-1
1990 Mercedes Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II
1991 Mercedes Benz 560 SEL Ex-Gorbachev armored
2005 Mercedes Benz AMG CLK-DTM Coupe
2006 Mercedes Benz CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet
1998-1999 Mercedes Benz CLK-GTR Coupe
2002 Mercedes Benz CLK-GTR Roadster
2011,2013 Mercedes Benz G500 Cabriolet Final Edition 200
2013 Mercedes Benz G63 AMG 6x6
2009 Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss
2004 MGTF 80th Anniversary Limited Edition (RHD/UK)
2010 Morgan Aeromax
1990 Nissan Skyline GT-R Nismo R32
1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 V-SPEC Early Model Limited Edition
2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R M-Spec Nur
2011 Oullim Spirra S
1984-1985 Peugeot 205 Turbo 16
1998 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S (last made)
2004 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
2010 Porsche 911 Sport Classic
1987-1988 Porsche 959
1994 Porsche 964 Turbo Flat-Nose X83
1993 Porsche 964 Turbo S Leichtbau
1993 Porsche 968 Turbo S
1996-1997 Porsche 993 Carrera RS GT2
1998 Porsche GT1
1997 Porsche GT1 Strasseversion
1998 Porsche GT1
2016 Rimac Concept One
1985-1995 RMA Amphi-Ranger 2800 SR
2000 Rover Mini Cooper S (last 50 made)
1992 Subaru Version-L Alcyone SVX 4WS
1998 Subaru Impreza 22B STI
Other cars denied Show or Display eligibility.
1995 Audi Avant RS2
1993 Bancroft Roadster
2005 Beijing Auto.Ind. Holding Rodedawg
1990 BMW M3 Sport Evolution III
1987 BMW M6
1985 Citroen 2CV Dolly
2005 Crosslander 244X
2000 Daimler-Chrysler Smart Car
2008 Fiat 500 Abarth
1980 – 1983 Hesketh V1000
1991 – 1996 Honda Beat
1997-2000 Honda Civic Type-R
1989 Honda CRX Exclusive
1988 Jaguar XJ12 Saloon
1993 Jaguar XJ 220 S (race car)
1993 Lamborghini Strosek Diablo
2000 – 2001 Land Rover Defender 130
2000 Lotus 340 R
1996 – 2001 Lotus Elise S1
1992 Mazda Cosmo
2000 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Tommi Makinen Edition RD- RHD
2002 Morgan LeMans ’62 Prototype
1990 – 1991 Nissan Figaro
1991 Nissan Pulsar
1995 Nissan Skyline GTS-T
1989 – 1994 Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R
1999 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-T
2001 Nissan Skyline R34 25GT-T
1991 Pegaso Z-103
1989 Porsche 959 S (race car)
1990 Porsche 962 RLR
1992 Porsche 964 RS
1990 Porsche Carrera 4 Lightweight (race car)
1983 Robin Hood S7
1995, 1998 – 2000 Rover Mini Cooper
1990 Rover Mini Cooper RSP / LE
2012 Saab 9-5 SportCombi 2012 Skoda Fabia Greenline II 2002 Smart Crossblade
1987 Toyota Carina
1990 Toyota HDJ81 Land Cruiser
1991 Toyota Sera
1994 Toyota Supra
1981 Trabant 601-S
1989 Trabant P601
1981 Triumph Bonneville M/C
1996-2006 TVR Sagaris, T350, Tuscan, Cerbera
2000 Volkswagen Beetle (Old Style)
2003 Volkswagen Beetle (Ultimate Edition)
1990 Volkswagen Corrado Magnum Sport Kombi
1986 Volkswagen Type 2 Vanagon Double Cab Pickup Truck
1985 Zastava Fica
Is my imported car legal?
My state doesn't have emissions testing, does it make import easier?
How do you import a disassembled vehicle?
How do you import a car from Canada?
What is a grey market vehicle?
Buy USA Legal R32 and R33 Skylines at Importavehicle.com!
Buy-R.com for Nissan Skyline GT-R and GT-R parts.
A rule permitting entry of nonconforming motor vehicles for purposes of show or display became effective on August 13, 1999. If you wish to import a vehicle for show or display, you must apply to NHTSA for permission to do so and establish that the vehicle is of such historical or technological significance, and that it is in the public interest to show or display the vehicle in the United States even though it would be difficult or impossible to bring the vehicle into compliance with the Federal motor vehicle safety standards.This provision is intended to facilitate the importation of historically or technologically significant vehicles that were never certified by their manufacturer for sale in the United States.
Other approved cars for Show or Display
2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R M-Spec Nur
2003 Aston Martin DB7 Zagato Coupe
2016 Aston Martin Lagonda Taraf
2011 Aston Martin One-77
2004 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato
1999-2000 Aston Martin Vantage LeMans
1984 Audi Sport Quattro
1978 Australian Ford Falcon XC Bathurst Cobra
1984 BMW Hossack K100RS Prototype M/C
2012 BMW M3 CRT
1990 BMW Sport Evolution M3 (UK Version)
1988-1991 BMW Z1
1992-1995 Bugatti EB110
1994 Cizeta-Moroder V16T
2005 Ferrari Enzo #400 (Pope John Paul II)
1985-1986 Ford RS200 Evolution
1986 Ford Sierra Cosworth RS 500
1997 Gruter & Gut (GG) Duetto Sidecar M/C
2000 Holden GTS-R
1992 Honda NR750
1988 Italdesign Aztec
2015 Koenigsegg Model One:1 Sports Car
1992-1994 Jaguar XJ220
1999 Lamborghini Diablo GT
2011 Lotus Evora GTE F1 Limited Edition
1990-1992 Lotus Opel Omega (LHD)
1996-1997 Maserati Ghibli Cup
2004-2005 Maserati MC 12
1991 Maserati Shamal
1994-1995 Mazda Eunos JCES Cosmo Series II
1993-1998 McLaren F-1
1990 Mercedes Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II
1991 Mercedes Benz 560 SEL Ex-Gorbachev armored
2005 Mercedes Benz AMG CLK-DTM Coupe
2006 Mercedes Benz CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet
1998-1999 Mercedes Benz CLK-GTR Coupe
2002 Mercedes Benz CLK-GTR Roadster
2011,2013 Mercedes Benz G500 Cabriolet Final Edition 200
2013 Mercedes Benz G63 AMG 6x6
2009 Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss
2004 MGTF 80th Anniversary Limited Edition (RHD/UK)
2010 Morgan Aeromax
1990 Nissan Skyline GT-R Nismo R32
1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 V-SPEC Early Model Limited Edition
2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R M-Spec Nur
2011 Oullim Spirra S
1984-1985 Peugeot 205 Turbo 16
1998 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S (last made)
2004 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
2010 Porsche 911 Sport Classic
1987-1988 Porsche 959
1994 Porsche 964 Turbo Flat-Nose X83
1993 Porsche 964 Turbo S Leichtbau
1993 Porsche 968 Turbo S
1996-1997 Porsche 993 Carrera RS GT2
1998 Porsche GT1
1997 Porsche GT1 Strasseversion
1998 Porsche GT1
2016 Rimac Concept One
1985-1995 RMA Amphi-Ranger 2800 SR
2000 Rover Mini Cooper S (last 50 made)
1992 Subaru Version-L Alcyone SVX 4WS
1998 Subaru Impreza 22B STI
Other cars denied Show or Display eligibility.
1995 Audi Avant RS2
1993 Bancroft Roadster
2005 Beijing Auto.Ind. Holding Rodedawg
1990 BMW M3 Sport Evolution III
1987 BMW M6
1985 Citroen 2CV Dolly
2005 Crosslander 244X
2000 Daimler-Chrysler Smart Car
2008 Fiat 500 Abarth
1980 – 1983 Hesketh V1000
1991 – 1996 Honda Beat
1997-2000 Honda Civic Type-R
1989 Honda CRX Exclusive
1988 Jaguar XJ12 Saloon
1993 Jaguar XJ 220 S (race car)
1993 Lamborghini Strosek Diablo
2000 – 2001 Land Rover Defender 130
2000 Lotus 340 R
1996 – 2001 Lotus Elise S1
1992 Mazda Cosmo
2000 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Tommi Makinen Edition RD- RHD
2002 Morgan LeMans ’62 Prototype
1990 – 1991 Nissan Figaro
1991 Nissan Pulsar
1995 Nissan Skyline GTS-T
1989 – 1994 Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R
1999 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-T
2001 Nissan Skyline R34 25GT-T
1991 Pegaso Z-103
1989 Porsche 959 S (race car)
1990 Porsche 962 RLR
1992 Porsche 964 RS
1990 Porsche Carrera 4 Lightweight (race car)
1983 Robin Hood S7
1995, 1998 – 2000 Rover Mini Cooper
1990 Rover Mini Cooper RSP / LE
2012 Saab 9-5 SportCombi 2012 Skoda Fabia Greenline II 2002 Smart Crossblade
1987 Toyota Carina
1990 Toyota HDJ81 Land Cruiser
1991 Toyota Sera
1994 Toyota Supra
1981 Trabant 601-S
1989 Trabant P601
1981 Triumph Bonneville M/C
1996-2006 TVR Sagaris, T350, Tuscan, Cerbera
2000 Volkswagen Beetle (Old Style)
2003 Volkswagen Beetle (Ultimate Edition)
1990 Volkswagen Corrado Magnum Sport Kombi
1986 Volkswagen Type 2 Vanagon Double Cab Pickup Truck
1985 Zastava Fica
Is my imported car legal?
My state doesn't have emissions testing, does it make import easier?
How do you import a disassembled vehicle?
How do you import a car from Canada?
What is a grey market vehicle?
Buy USA Legal R32 and R33 Skylines at Importavehicle.com!
Buy-R.com for Nissan Skyline GT-R and GT-R parts.
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