The "Show or Display" rule is a statutory amendment to the United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) that allows certain privately imported automobiles to be exempted, if the vehicle in question is deemed to meet a standard of "historical or technological significance".

The amendment, which became law on August 13, 1999, is intended to apply to vehicles that could not feasibly be brought into compliance with the FMVSS, including requirements for destructive testing and that do not have a similar make or model certified for sale in the United States market. Applications are managed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and may allow limited use on public roads ( annually).

The permitted vehicle list is mostly restricted to expensive sports and touring automobiles due to the cost and effort needed to import a vehicle with this exemption.

Background The United States is not signatory to the United Nations World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations. Until 1967, Americans were still allowed to purchase cars from overseas with no restrictions. From 1968 to 1988, Americans were permitted to purchase recent vehicles abroad and modify them to meet NHTSA and EPA design regulations, in what was known as the grey market. In 1988, Americans were largely forbidden from owning individually imported vehicles.

Detail of Law The approval for "Show or Display" import is granted if the prospective importer is able to show historical or technological significance of the vehicle in question, and if the vehicle was produced in limited numbers (with 500 being used as a threshold value.) Import approval is granted on a combination of make, model, and production-year; thus, there is no need to re-apply for approved vehicles when further examples are imported in the future.

NHTSA originally proposed an annual mileage limitation of 500 on-road miles, and also required that a certified mileage statement be submitted annually during the first five years after import. During a comment period on the wording of the statute in May 1999, the Special Vehicles Coalition recommended that the figure be increased to 2,500 miles (a figure already in use by the insurance industry as a threshold to describe a limited-use vehicle.) The Coalition also recommended the elimination of the annual mileage statement requirement, as such a statement would not accurately reflect on-road mileage for vehicles that are also used off public roads. Both recommendations were incorporated into the final wording of the statute, though NHTSA retains the right to inspect an imported vehicle for the purpose of verifying mileage.

Citing unspecified concerns about public safety, NHTSA reserves the right to approve a vehicle for "Show or Display" import, but disallow it from being registered for use on public roads. The administration also reserves the right, at the time of import, to place any other arbitrary restrictions or limitations on the use of an imported vehicle. Regardless of "Show or Display" approval, imported vehicles must also meet the import restrictions defined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

NHTSA does not require FMVSS compliance for any imported vehicles that are above a certain age, currently 25 years.

Notable examples Microsoft founder Bill Gates bought a Porsche 959 which did not have Department of Transportation and Environmental Protection Agency approval. The contraband car was stored for 13 years by the Customs Service at the Port of San Francisco, until the Show or Display rule came into force so it could be released into his custody.Display of Speed: Under the "Show or Display exemption, Americans can now import previously forbidden exotics", January 7, 2001, autoweek.com

Vehicles eligible

, these are the only cars that have been approved for import under the Show or Display exception. Some of these models have since passed the 25 year mark, meaning that both they and even the less-limited versions of the same car (i.e., the non-Nismo Nissan Skyline R32) are exempt from import restrictions anyway.

MakeModelModel Year Aston Martin DB7 Zagato Coupe 2003Aston MartinLagonda Taraf 2016Aston MartinOne-77 2011Aston MartinV12 Zagato 2012–2013Aston MartinValkyrie2023-presentAston MartinVanquish Zagato 2004Aston MartinVantage LeMans 1999–2000 Audi Sport Quattro 1984 Australian Ford Falcon XC Bathurst Cobra 1978 Bentley Mulliner Bacalar 2022 BMW Hossack K100RS Prototype M/C 1984BMWM3 CRT 2012BMWM3 Sport Evolution (UK Version) 1990BMWZ1 1988–1991 Bugatti Centodieci 2022 Bugatti Divo 2020-2022 Bugatti EB110 1992–1995 Cizeta-Moroder V16T 1994 Ferrari Enzo #400 (Pope John Paul II) 2005 Ferrari J50 2018 Ferrari Monza SP1 & SP2 2019-2022 Ferrari SP30 2013 Ford RS200 Evolution 1985–1986 FordSierra Cosworth RS 500 1986 Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA) T.50 2022 Gruter & Gut (GG) Duetto Sidecar M/C 1997 Holden VTII GTS-R 2000 Honda NR750 1992 Italdesign Aztec 1988 Jaguar XJ220 1992–1994 Koenigsegg One:1 2015 Lamborghini Diablo GT 1999 Land Rover Range Rover Vogue 25th Anniversary Final Edition 1995 Land Rover Defender Celebration Autobiography 2016 Land Rover Defender Celebration Heritage 2016 Lotus Evija 2021-present Lotus Evora GTE F1 Limited Edition 2011 Lotus Exige Cup 430 Final Edition 2021 LotusOmega (LHD) 1990–1992 Maserati Ghibli Open Cup 1996–1997MaseratiMC12 2004–2005MaseratiShamal 1991 Mazda Eunos JCES Cosmo Series II 1994–1995 McLaren F1 1993–1998McLarenSpeedtail2020–Present Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II 1990Mercedes-Benz560 SEL ex-Gorbachev Armored 1991Mercedes-BenzAMG CLK-DTM Coupe 2005Mercedes-BenzCLK DTM AMG Cabriolet 2006Mercedes-BenzCLK-GTR Coupe 1998–1999Mercedes-BenzCLK-GTR Roadster 2002Mercedes-BenzG-500 Cabriolet Final Edition 200 2011, 2013Mercedes-BenzMercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6x6 2013Mercedes-BenzMaybach G650 Landaulet 2013Mercedes-BenzMcLaren SLR 722S 2009Mercedes-BenzSLR McLaren Stirling Moss 2009 MG TF 80th Anniversary Limited Edition (RHD/UK) 2004 Morgan Aeromax 2010 Morgan Morgan Plus 8 GTR 2021 Morgan Plus 8 Speedster/Roadster 50th Anniversary Edition 2018 Nissan Nismo R32 Skyline GT-R (VINs BNR32-100000 through BNR32-100562) 1990NissanR34 Skyline GT-R M-Spec Nür 2002NissanSkyline GTR R34 V-SPEC Early Model Limited Edition 1999 Oullim Spirra S 2011 Pagani Zonda 1999-2018 Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 1984–1985 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S (Last Made) 1998Porsche911 GT3 RS 2004Porsche911 Sport Classic 2010Porsche911 Turbo S 1998Porsche911 Turbo XLC Option Package 1998Porsche959 1987-1988Porsche964 Turbo Flat-Nose X83 1994Porsche964 Turbo S Leichtbau 1993Porsche968 Turbo S 1993Porsche993 Carrera RS GT2 1995–1996PorscheGT1 1998PorscheGT1 Straßenversion 1997 Rimac Automobili Concept One 2016 RMA Amphi-Ranger 2800 SR 1985–1995 Rover Mini Cooper S (Last 50 made) 2000 Spyker B6 Venator 2012 Subaru Impreza 22B STi 1998 SubaruVersion-L Alcyone SVX 4WS 1992 Toyota RAV4-EV (SWB Prototype) 1997

References

External links