More foreign car models become eligible for unrestricted importation in the United States every year. Here are the best cars you can finally import in 2023.
At one time in American history, you could import pretty much any car you wanted. However, when regulations changed in the ’70s and ’80s that made imports more expensive, gray market conversions of foreign brands could often be imported for significantly less money. Eventually, there came a point when Americans were buying so many custom-modified Mercedes-Benz models that the manufacturer — worried about preserving the integrity of their brand — joined other interested parties in lobbying Congress to create a restriction on imported cars. Thus, the 25-year rule came to be in 1988 with the Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act.
Today, dozens of foreign cars are off the table for American drivers, including many desirable and unique models, including special editions and high-performance upgrades. Later, with the help of Bill Gates, a Show or Display exemption was carved out for low-production cars of particular interest, which allowed Gates to import and drive his Porsche 959 legally — although it was still limited to 2,500 road miles per year.
Despite these regulations, more foreign car models become eligible for unrestricted importation every year. Most of them are mundane and typical cars with no particularly desirable traits, but some are quite the opposite, including coveted supercars that have long existed as forbidden fruit for American car enthusiasts. Here is a look at 12 awesome cars that are finally legal to import in 2023.RUF Turbo R Limited
While RUF cars are based on the venerable Porsche 911, they are a unique make and model with performance far exceeding the already powerful Porsche. In the ’90s, auto engineering technology progressed steadily and exponentially such that peak horsepower from the beginning to the end of the decade jumped significantly. While Porsche injected its air-cooled and lightweight cars with ever-increasing power well over the 300 horsepower mark, RUF tuned them to the extreme.
RUF is a German tuning house with a long history of modifying and upgrading Porsche vehicles, making so many alterations that the company is legally considered a manufacturer. In the late ’90s, Porsche chose to phase out water-cooled engine production with the 1998 model year, so RUF took one of them and created a fitting swan song for the outgoing engine. This car carries a flat-six boxer engine with twin turbos and creates 625 horsepower, the most ever from an air-cooled engine, which is paired with carbon-fiber bucket seats, carbon-ceramic brakes, and a custom sound system. It is otherwise trimmed nicely in fine leather with RUF custom badges and embossments, ensuring you know you are driving something special.
With only seven produced and a value close to $2 million, it would surely qualify for Show or Display, but now it can be driven as much as you want — if you ever happen to find one.
[Featured image by Alexandre Prévot via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0]Peugeot 306 Rallye
Peugeot sold cars in the US for years, but sales slowly dwindled until the company left the market in 1991. Many interesting cars have come from the French automaker in the decades since –- we just haven’t been able to get them. With 25 years since 1998 rolled around, we can now enjoy an excellent hatchback from the country that was produced for just two years in 1998 and 1999 — the Peugeot 306 Rallye.
The ’90s are peppered with hatchback cars from all automaking countries, although some are more exciting than others. Peugeot introduced the 306 in 1993, bringing to the European market an attractive and well-engineered car for the masses that drove as good as it looked. It proved a success, and a couple of years later, Peugeot introduced the GTi-6 variant with a twin-cam engine with up to 167 horsepower backed by a six-speed manual. This lively and efficient car brought a bit of excitement to a great platform and led to the Rallye version in 1998.
To gain an advantage in rally racing, shedding weight is a must. With that in mind, the Rallye 306 used the same mechanicals as the GTi-6 but could eliminate up to 143 pounds by dropping luxuries such as air conditioning and fitting the interior with lightweight cloth and manual accessories. While this model is not likely to hit any more rally circuits, this year it can hit your driveway.Plaxton President
For decades, double-decker buses have roamed the streets of London, not only serving to get commuters from one location to another but also ferrying tourists to Westminster Palace, Big Ben, or the Eye. Beyond riding one while on vacation, most Americans probably never think much about them.
However, this year is the first that you can legally import the excellent Plaxton President, a Volvo-powered bus with two floors and room for several families. Plaxton is a bus manufacturer from Northern England, and its 1998 President debuted with some much-needed changes to the traditional double-decker. It brought a streamlined front end and a much-needed low floor to the double-decker, features now seen as commonplace on modern buses. It later became one of London’s most successful models.
Why would anyone care about a London bus being eligible for import? That is where your imagination comes in. The amount of attention you might draw in your own bus is immeasurable, and it can be the platform for a rolling party. Best of all, one could be imported for a camper conversion. There could be no better way to show up to the Coachella or Bonnaroo RV campground in your own two-story house, ready for partying at night and relaxing in the air conditioning by day.
Getting it imported and shipped to your driveway may be unimaginably costly and arduous, but this list isn’t about whether you should import it — it’s about whether you could. As of 2023, you can.Rover 75
The British have a long and proud history of automobile manufacturing. Not only have they built up a robust and expansive auto industry, but the British have also established some of the finest luxury motorcar brands in the world, such as Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin. Sadly, one of their favored luxury marques — Rover — gets little exposure in the colonies, even though the company has made many excellent automobiles over the years, including the Queen’s 1974 Rover P5.
