Why is a Midnight Purple III Skyline GT-R Illegal, and a Midnight Purple II Skyline GT-R legal?

1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R Vspec Early - also known as Midnight Purple II - US legal under Show or Display

Updated 6/29/2023
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:

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:

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.

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.

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

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