It's a free country - as long as you only buy American

In the last couple of years, I have been around a fair chunk of the USA as a petrol-head and come to the conclusion that; there are plenty of car buffs but not many choices on the road. If you want

a new car, there are about 35 models and they all look the same, which which is fine if you are not a petrol/gear/piston head. If you want something classic, it's the same story, though they at least tend not to be all painted black or silver. PLUS, because the US has always been (and still is) so strict on the importation of vehicles, it's not a common thing to do and so stuff never intended for the US is really far and few between.

Here in the UK, we get everything from Europe and we get a whole bunch of cool cars from Japan when they are not that old too - I imagine this is largely because we don't have much of an auto-manufacturing trade left. The Yanks do and that's why choices are a bit stagnant. Yes, everything out there is reeeeeeally cool when you get there... For about a week; after which - oh look, another Charger, another Camaro, another Mustang... Meh. Here in the UK, I don't get that turned on by newish Ferraris anymore for the same reason - I haven't been for years. In London, they are everywhere along with Porsche Cayennes and Maserati Quattroportes. Jeece, I turn my head more quickly when I see an Infiniti these days! 

Don't get me wrong, there are some great looking and rare machines on both sides of the pond that take my breath away - and there's no way I'm not gonna double-take a F430 in the Sainsbury's car park or a '67 GT500 in the Walmart parking lot. BUT, I'm also likely to double-take the 1990s Lincoln Towncar parked up outside a terraced house overlooking Preston Park or a 2005 VW Polo GTi on the US-1 PCH... I hope my point is coming across.

I guess the difference is that here in the UK, we can have the 90s Lincoln Towncar (that no-one in the States wants anymore because it wasn't very cool in the first place) - for just a little over the cost of getting it here. Our American friends do not have the same luxury as I will explain in as 'layman terms' as I can:

• A vehicle that was never intended for the US market (unless altered to suit) is considered a 'non-conforming vehicle'. Got it?
• A 'non-conforming vehicle', to be imported must meet DoT (Dept. of Transport) AND EPA (Environment Protection Agency) standards. This is the killer.
• To make a 'non-conforming vehicle' meet standards, you must hire a specialist ICI (Independent Commercial Importer) to make the alterations - if they can even be made.

Is your head hurting yet? You wanna see the list of stuff DoT and EPA need for a vehicle to conform; it's daft! Bumpers, lights, reflectors, crash-testing might even be necessary - it's just a no-go. There is however 'some' hope:

• An imported vehicle that is at least 25 years old is NOT required to meet all DoT/EPA specifications.

Ok, so now the Yanks can finally bring in knackered old E30 Tourings and 25 year old R32 Skylines. In August 2018, the very early R33s will be allowed too theoretically... But what if an American wants an E36 Touring? Or an Alfa GTV? The short answer? Tough. This is why imported stuff is really few and far between; old stuff is relatively easy but then to the American enthusiast, it's easier to get something old and cool that is already there. I contacted a guy about his diesel Saab 9-3 in the US and I learned it was a real headache to formally import, but after about 20 modifications and a lot of patience, it was transformed into a 'conforming vehicle' - kudos to the owner. In fact, the only reason he had half a chance was because the car already existed in the USA, just not in diesel form - if it had been RHD, it is alleged that it would have been a straight 'no' because a RHD would undoubtedly lend different crash test data.. But then arguably, so would the heavier diesel engines; either the 2.2 or the more powerful 1.9.

So why do they make newer cars so hard to import? Easy. It protects the US auto industry. If self-confessed car-nut John Smith came home in a 2015 Scirocco R, which he had to import from Germany - his neighbour is going to go out and import a 2015 Civic Type R. Both John and his neighbour are going to pass the bug onto their work colleagues and so on... That's a whole bunch of cash not earning the US anymore than import duty.

So what can be done about it? Nothing mate. Tough luck.. Uncle Sam has spoken.

Unless....

• A non-resident may import a non-conforming vehicle for tourist purposes for a maximum period of one year; after which it must be formally imported, exported or destroyed.

Ok, so this doesn't help John Smith or his neighbour but it will provide both some pleasure at a gas station or a car show when a crazy British tourist pulls up in a Civic Type R or a Scirocco - they can have a go in it too:

• The temporarily imported vehicle must be driven 'principally' by the non-resident or their spouse/direct family member.

The whole idea of importing anything into the US can be a bit of a headache to be honest. Even chocolate these days. With our cars in Britain and Japanese imports to boot, the added headache is that we are RHD - which is super cool in the US but because nothing RHD has really ever been crash-tested in the US, even cars that would otherwise conform because of a US equivalent - don't. Which means you might now have to crash test a bunch of RHD versions just to permanently import a car that already exists (apparently the Euro NCAP test is not admissible) - in this instance, you really would sell up and buy something there or change to something 25 years old (or 24 years on a POA for a year - but that's another story).

Why am I telling you all this? Well, I find it interesting and I have learned so much in recent times that I thought I would share.

"No really?"

I'm going to temporarily import a 'non-conforming vehicle' to the US. This month. And I want to document the process.