imports

[Joe Elliott <jee@domain.elided>]

Time for my contribution to this thread:  I know of (knew of) an 
Alfasud and a Giulietta Nuova that came in as diplomat cars and were 
somehow sold before the diplomats returned to Europe.  But I couldn't 
get the details since the owner I knew was the 2nd or third American 
owner of these cars.  I also know of new TVR and a Lotus Elise that 
were brought in in pieces, assembled in the USA, and titled as kits 
cars, not unlike the Asian assault weapons that have been banned from 
importation to the US but get brought in in pieces and become 
homemade guns.  Something that I think should be brought up is the 
relatively new Show & Display registration that the DOT has.  I don't 
know how you get the car through customs, but I'm sure there's a 
provision for it.  The way I understand it, you can bring in anything 
you want as long as you can prove to somebody that it's 
"Technologically or historically significant" and agree to drive it 
less than 2500mi a year.  So that means no mass-produced Alfasuds, 
but it sounds like a good way to get an ES30 SZ in.  As for the whole 
customs thing, how can they prevent you from importing a car?  Can't 
you just say that it's a race car, never to be used upon a highway? 
How can they just assume that a motor vehicle is being imported for 
use as a passenger car?

Joe Elliott

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