Why Can't I Import a Foreign Car?

[Bud]

Originally Posted by sloinker
I think any car should be importable as long as it has deluxe Lucas electrics onboard.


I have had many MG and Triumph cars over the last 50 years. Lucas has taught me the true meaning of patience.

 

[bunnspecial]

Now that they've fallen into the >25 window, I've really wanted to import a 1994 MG RV8. Unfortunately, prices have also have gone nutty on them-they're a bit of a niche car, and there weren't a ton of them made.

BTW, I find it interesting that the OP shows a US spec Spitfire to make the point. You can spot it as US spec from a mile away thanks to the big solid rubber overriders. I'm not sure Triumph guys have a name for those-on 1974 MGBs we call them "Sabrinas" after an English actress who had large "bumpers" sticking out also...

 

[Driz]

I used to have to do personal car importations occasionally and like every other Customs Officer avoided it if I could. CARS JUST SUCK. Between all the agencies and DMVs and their constantly changing (mostly stupid) rules it drove us nuts though YOU Are the one who is completely on the hook to straighten it all out in the end. And rest assured if DMV decides a T isn't crossed or some I dotted you do the leg work and expense to fix it.
The CBP web site will spell everything hopefully out in generic terms. Still, if i was going to bring one in that was possibly questionable I'd call around and see how much each customs broker is charging and what's required . Then you'll know if it's worth the mods or can be done at all. It might be the best few hundred extra bucks you ever spent if you actually fo it.
Would you believe even bringing in a Canadian car is a pain? Those mostly meet all our standards and it still is s major pain depending on the make. You need a manufacturers statement of compliance from the Canadian corporate that it meets all US standard. Some won't do it just to push up sales for their US colleagues. That happened to my friend but a broker somehow got that certification for him, go figure.....
I see somebody suggested just driving it over and registering it quietly later on. Don't do it! You won't have the paperwork to please DMV and no CBP importation paper = no registration. Better yet you get stuck and have to pay to leave it in storage run back and forth on your dime. I've seen plenty of those long faces over the years. Check with a customs broker and save all the pitfalls and aggravation..... just my wisened 2 cents worth .......

 

[Passport1]

My disagreement with this issue is not the law itself but the legislative intent that created the law in the first place. I guess I can't agree that my safety is the province of some unknown bureaucrat in DC. Besides in many cases cars built and marketed only for foreign markets frequently have higher safety standards than in the US.

I can ride my motorcycle 70 miles south from here in NC and ditch my helmet when I cross the NC/SC border. I don't because my safety is important to me but the decision is mine not some elite pinhead behind a government desk. How to reconcile that with the supposed grey market 'safety' issue?

BTW if the Buick Roadmaster convertible in Rain Man had been a grey market car instead the movie would never had been the same.

 

[NormanBuntz]

In 2007 I was thinking of trying to import a 25+ year old Lancia or Alfa Romeo from Europe. I talked to an alleged "importer" from Texas who claimed his process was to buy and ship the car to the USA and get it titled first in Vermont, then in my state. His reason was that Vermont DMV regs were lax. Sounded too sketchy to me.

 

[wings&wheels]

Protectionism of a domestic industry, maintenance of a bureaucracy, politicians catering to key constituencies and being able to tell the rest of us they are doing something to keep us 'safe".... I could go on.

Certain foreign manufacturers, MB and LR specifically, have lobbied aggressively and provided detailed build information to keep controls on the non-manufacturer imports....preserving their markets and margins.

Realistically, there is no logical reason except for the above to not allow cars from countries or regions (the EU) with similar regulations from being imported. While the regs are not completely parallel, they are all close enough/ Europe's regs on crash protection (but not necessarily seatbelts) and headlights were much more ahead of our for many years, e.g. the 7" sealed beam.

This is one area that I would not cross the line on, the Feds have and do pursue this and many cars have been crushed for show. Whether or not you can get something non-compliant registered in a state is irrelevant to the federal issue, and they do have access to the databases.

I didn't think the 959 was driveable, outside of 'demonstration', until the 25 year window. I have seen a number of them around here since then.

The 25 year rule is a great opportunity, but compliance, while not difficult, is fiddley and the vehicle must be completely stock. My LR 90 is a French import, PM me if you have any thoughts of going down that path.

 

[wings&wheels]

Originally Posted by wings&wheels
Protectionism of a domestic industry, maintenance of a bureaucracy, politicians catering to key constituencies and being able to tell the rest of us they are doing something to keep us 'safe".... I could go on.

Certain foreign manufacturers, MB and LR specifically, have also lobbied aggressively and provided the feds with build information to keep controls on the non-manufacturer imports....preserving their markets and margins.

Realistically, there is no logical reason except for the above to not allow cars from countries or regions (the EU) with similar regulations from being imported. While the regs are not completely parallel, they are all close enough/ Europe's regs on crash protection (but not necessarily seatbelts) and headlights were much more ahead of our for many years, e.g. the 7" sealed beam.

This is one area that I would not cross the line on, the Feds have and do pursue this and many cars have been crushed for show. Whether or not you can get something non-compliant registered in a state is irrelevant to the federal issue, and they do have access to the databases.

I didn't think the 959 was driveable, outside of 'demonstration', until the 25 year window. I have seen a number of them around here since then.

The 25 year rule is a great opportunity, but compliance, while not difficult, is fiddley and the vehicle must be completely stock. My LR 90 is a French import, PM me if you have any thoughts of going down that path.






Weird, not sure what happened here...maybe I hit quote....

 

[AC1DD]

Originally Posted by NormanBuntz
Originally Posted by JLTD
I thought that importing a vehicle was simple, IF it adheres to US standards - safety and emissions. For example, you can import a new Volvo...pick it up at the factory, drive it to the port and the ship brings it over to you. MB has the same IIRC.

The difference is that new Volvo is built for you with U.S. safety and emissions specs. Not so with that 26 year old Porsche you may like in France. AND you can't just go to Europe as Joe US Citizen and do the deal on a 25+ year old car. I'm pretty sure you have to use a U.S. agent or licensed importer. Then the car has to be government inspected at the port before you can take it away.

The process is a PITA.


Most states could give a rats behind if the car in question meets regulations (although a few like CA do) they just want their money for registration and or inspection and emissions.

Like others have said bring it over as a "for display only" vehicle and that it will only be operated on private property. Once it gets here most states will register it and just drive it on the road, make sure you do have insurance though. Otherwise the DOT can't be bothered with the odd individual that import such vehicles.

 

[wings&wheels]

Originally Posted by AC1DD
Originally Posted by NormanBuntz
Originally Posted by JLTD
I thought that importing a vehicle was simple, IF it adheres to US standards - safety and emissions. For example, you can import a new Volvo...pick it up at the factory, drive it to the port and the ship brings it over to you. MB has the same IIRC.

The difference is that new Volvo is built for you with U.S. safety and emissions specs. Not so with that 26 year old Porsche you may like in France. AND you can't just go to Europe as Joe US Citizen and do the deal on a 25+ year old car. I'm pretty sure you have to use a U.S. agent or licensed importer. Then the car has to be government inspected at the port before you can take it away.

The process is a PITA.


Most states could give a rats behind if the car in question meets regulations (although a few like CA do) they just want their money for registration and or inspection and emissions.

Like others have said bring it over as a "for display only" vehicle and that it will only be operated on private property. Once it gets here most states will register it and just drive it on the road, make sure you do have insurance though. Otherwise the DOT can't be bothered with the odd individual that import such vehicles.



But Customs cares...

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by Passport1
My disagreement with this issue is not the law itself but the legislative intent that created the law in the first place. I guess I can't agree that my safety is the province of some unknown bureaucrat in DC. Besides in many cases cars built and marketed only for foreign markets frequently have higher safety standards than in the US.

I can ride my motorcycle 70 miles south from here in NC and ditch my helmet when I cross the NC/SC border. I don't because my safety is important to me but the decision is mine not some elite pinhead behind a government desk. How to reconcile that with the supposed grey market 'safety' issue?

BTW if the Buick Roadmaster convertible in Rain Man had been a grey market car instead the movie would never had been the same.


I think you missed the point made earlier. It's not because of safety, it's to protect the margins of the automakers. They just use safety as an excuse. Once you know that, it makes perfect sense. It's just to prevent a form of arbitrage. Mercedes has a lot of cheaper models in Europe that you don't see in the US. Like you can't buy an E class without a sunroof but it's an option in Europe.

There's grey market cameras out there too, but the only way the manufacturers stops those is that they won't honor the warranty if it's not meant for the US market.

 

[JHZR2]

I'd love to have a 2013 or so Renault twingo diesel MT over here.

 

[SZR48207]

Originally Posted by skyactiv
Originally Posted by Reddy45
Protectionism for domestic makers is part of it.

But the other aspect is crash safety.


For the longest time I wanted to import a Nissan Tsuru from Mexico since you could get a "2015" model of a car that hadn't changed since the 80s. Dead simple car.

But I looked into it and CBP has rules for which cars can be imported into the US and the inevitable conclusion is it's just easier to buy here.

https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/importing-car









Is the video supposed to sway my opinion? Because it doesn't. I even said that the simplicity of the Tsuru was why I wanted one.

Not everyone who owns a vehicle is interested in the safety aspect of it. To me, so many other features of the car stand well above crash safety.

 

[Silk]

You can import almost anything into NZ. When the restrictions were lifted in the late '80's all sorts of weird stuff was coming in from Japan. What they found was that JD vehicles meet Japanese Standards, not world standards, not even the pretty basic New Zealand standards of the time. Glazing, lighting, seatbelts, tyres, they all needed to be changed. This happens at border entry now, so they are compliant by the time of sale in NZ.

Back in 2006/07 I converted a MkII Jag to left hand drive...the owner was taking it to the US with him. If I converted a lefthand drive car to righthand drive here, there would be so many rules and regs, paperwork to smother me....it would end up very expensive all round. I guess the same would happen in the US. However, if I do it here, I have no hoops to jump through, just do the job, get paid and the customer takes his car away. It arrives in the US, lefthand drive, all factory, and what is not factory (the electric powersteer rack and pinion) is a compliant upgrade. Oh, I put a 4.2 in it as well, but again, almost a bolt in so nothing to look at too close.

 

[Andrew1972]

I think you should be able import whatever you want.

The caveat is you should only be able to title and register for use on any public road nationally if it meets federal standards before 25 years old.

Take it to the track or your yard you can do what you want.

 

[PandaBear]

Emission regulation mainly, then safety regulation. I think there's a way to import if you don't drive it on the street (competition only) or as a classic car (i.e. less than 1500 miles a year).

Seriously, what is worth importing? Other than some exotic classic or boutique for showing, I can't see why.

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted by PandaBear
Emission regulation mainly, then safety regulation. I think there's a way to import if you don't drive it on the street (competition only) or as a classic car (i.e. less than 1500 miles a year).

Seriously, what is worth importing? Other than some exotic classic or boutique for showing, I can't see why.


Exactly. Not worth the hassles.

 

[Andrew1972]

Imagine if they lifted restrictions the junk that would flood the market. The Chinese makers are pretty good now however earlier model years in European crash testing was a sick joke.

 

[wings&wheels]

Originally Posted by Mr Nice
Originally Posted by PandaBear
Emission regulation mainly, then safety regulation. I think there's a way to import if you don't drive it on the street (competition only) or as a classic car (i.e. less than 1500 miles a year).

Seriously, what is worth importing? Other than some exotic classic or boutique for showing, I can't see why.


Exactly. Not worth the hassles.



TVR, Morgan, Puch, Citroen, Renault, just to name a few....there are a lot of interesting cars we cant have (yet) that would make great drivers outside of boutiques, and importing a 25+ year old vehicle isn't that bad at all.

 

[Passport1]

Perhaps you are correct about disguising the influence of the foreign manufacture's profit margins with a specious 'safety/emissions' claim. Just more sophistry from the elites at the NTSB/EPA. If your explanation is true it certainly weakens the excuse for not allowing importation of rare and highly desirable European market models.

I think you missed my point made earlier. In a country that touts individual liberty and a free market economy why should its citizens be encumbered by mindless bureaucracy?

The reality is that the numbers of cars which would be imported each year by enthusiasts would be de minimis and not worthy of suffocating regulations.

Who is John Galt?

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by Passport1
Perhaps you are correct about disguising the influence of the foreign manufacture's profit margins with a specious 'safety/emissions' claim. Just more sophistry from the elites at the NTSB/EPA. If your explanation is true it certainly weakens the excuse for not allowing importation of rare and highly desirable European market models.

I think you missed my point made earlier. In a country that touts individual liberty and a free market economy why should its citizens be encumbered by mindless bureaucracy?

The reality is that the numbers of cars which would be imported each year by enthusiasts would be de minimis and not worthy of suffocating regulations.

Who is John Galt?


Special interests shows up in many different aspects of government.

The real question is why do you think it's a real free market economy and why do you think citizens should not encumbered by mindless bureaucracy?

You mind as well try to figure out how quantum entanglement really works.