With a new year on the horizon, it’s an exciting time for those of us who yearn for vehicles from distant shores. The 25-year import rule often keeps Europe and Asia’s latest and greatest from American soil, but once that cruel waiting period has elapsed, feeding frenzy begins on older, but still wonderful forbidden fruit. For 2023, the list of intriguing importable vehicles is as varied as ever, so the staff here at The Autopian is going to choose some of its favorite hits set to become legal to import sometime next year.
Maserati 3200 GT: Thomas Hundal
Is deciding to import an aged high-performance European coupe a good idea? Well, this one’s a Maserati, so the answer is both “lol, no” and “extremely.” For starters, the 3200 GT was the beginning of a new era for Maserati yet used an engine firmly from the old era. I’m talking about the 3.2-liter twin-turbocharged AM479 V8 from the 1990 Shamal, making the 3200 GT the last biturbo Maserati until the 2013 Quattroporte. Take that as you will. On the plus side, it was impossible to get a wretched single-clutch automated gearbox in a 3200 GT as the only options were a six-speed manual and a four-speed torque converter automatic. Three pedals it is, then. Shift well, and the 365-horsepower grand tourer will propel itself from zero-to-60 mph in around 5.1 seconds. That’s not exactly groundbreaking by today’s standards but it’s still plenty quick.
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There’s more good news, too. Not only does the 3200 GT look fabulous, it comes with boomerang-style LED tail lights that were just so sleek and high-tech for 1998. What’s more, the suspension featured double-wishbones at all four corners, forged aluminum control arms and uprights, and aluminum-bodied dampers. It all adds up to a practical, gorgeous four-seat coupe that goes like absolute hell. Best of all, depreciation has been absolutely ruinous because it’s a Maserati. A quick glance at the online classifieds suggests that you can get into one of these things for under $26,000 before importing costs, which seems like a steal for a manual Italian coupe with proper pedigree. Of course, running costs could still bankrupt you, but what’s life without a bit of risk?
Mitsuoka MC-1: Thomas Hundal
Let’s move on from something very powerful to very tiny. Compared to the Maserati, the Mitsuoka operates at the other extreme of the automotive spectrum. I’m talking about 50 cubic centimeters of fury attached to a tiny 69.1-inch-long machine. This entire microcar weighs less than the engine in the Maserati, perhaps an unsurprising fact considering you can count the MC-1’s horsepower on both hands.
Like the Pontiac Aztek, the MC-1 was available with a tent. Unlike on the Aztek, said tent’s explicit purpose was to keep the elements out. Where we’re going, we don’t need doors, or a roof, or crumple zones. It’s a decidedly old-school approach to mobility that happens to be shaped like a friend. With its upright stance and bright eyes, the MC-1 is adorable, which means it’s most certainly adoptable. In the arms of an angel and all that. If you do want to import an MC-1, you won’t need to make much space for it, and feeding requirements should be quite minimal.
Nissan Cube: Jason Torchinsky
If you hold a grudge, then I think the Mk1 Nissan Cube is a car you should consider. Because I have a grudge about it – well, not the Mk1, but the Cube as we got it in America. See, I remember seeing pictures of the JDM Cube and being fascinated by its bold asymmetrical design, the geometric front end, Those Wheels, and, well, everything. I loved it.
I was so excited for it to come to the US, and then when it did, it was the watered-down one we got, that lost almost all of the exterior charm and tried to make up for it with a thing on the dashboard that looked like a trimmed patch of pubes. I don’t kink shame, but that’s not enough to make up for the enboringification of the Cube.
So, now it’s finally time to make things right! Import the OG Cube, and pretend like the unfortunate events of the past never happened! It worked for your childhood, so now make it work for you fun and strange city car! -JT
[Editor’s Note: Jason is thinking of the Mk2 Nissan Cube, pictured above. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait a few more years to import that funky asymmetric box, but the Mk1 is still a practical, boxy, tall thing that should be well-suited to urban environments. -TH]
[Editor’s Note: Dammit. I totally forgot about that Mk1 Cube. Shit. This is what I was thinking of when I wrote all that:
Now it makes more sense, right? Shit, I really can’t earnestly endorse that Mk1 Cube, but, whatever. Maybe get the VIN from a Mk1 and stick it on a Mk2 and do it that way. No one at your DMV is going to know! Of course, I can’t actually endorse breaking the law or anything like that, I’m just, you know, talking. I’m still frustrated. – JT]
Fiat Multipla: Jason Torchinsky
When I say I’m excited that the more-recent Fiat Multipla is finally old enough to be imported, I’m not saying it to be ironic or as a joke. I mean it, almost uncomfortably so. I know many people think it’s hideous, but many people also are grown-ass adults who wear crocs or think we didn’t land on the moon or other shit. Point is, you don’t have to listen to everyone.
Especially when it comes to a car that’s an absolute packaging triumph. Look at the funny press pic there: six people, luggage and everything crammed into a footprint smaller than a Camry sedan. It’s roomy in there! And it looks delightfully strange, like Fiat hired an alien consultant for their objectivity when they designed it. The lights at the base of the windshield! The bulges and lumps! The massive greenhouse! I love this baffling thing, and it would be a snacktillion times more practical and useful than any crossover bullshit you could buy. Multipla, bitches! -JT
Ford AU Falcon: Thomas Hundal, Again
All aboard the bogan express! The AU Falcon may often be considered the ugliest Ford ever to come out of Australia, but its drab base-trim interior and controversial styling mask a high-tech masterpiece of Australian ingenuity. Not only was this the first Falcon to be available with independent rear suspension, it also had a drag coefficient of just 0.29. Plus, it could even be had with a workstation in the center console for the serious businessperson on the go.
Perhaps best of all, the AU packed a stout Intech inline-six as standard equipment, making a very reasonable 211 horsepower and 263 lb.-ft. of torque. As a result, these Falcons can often be found doing shed skids and generally causing mayhem. They’ve ascended to meme car status in Australia, so it would be spectacular to see one stateside.
[Editor’s Note: A deep dive into the AU is forthcoming. This hideous machine is an absolute legend for reasons that we shall soon enumerate. -DT]
Fiat Strada: Thomas Hundal, Yet Again
Is the Ford Maverick simply too massive for your tastes? Are you feeling particularly South American? If you answered yes to either of those questions, I have some good news for you. The tiny Fiat Strada pickup will be eligible for U.S. importation next year.
Packing a maximum payload capacity of 1,543 pounds (700 kg) and friendly compact car proportions, the Strada is the perfect urban workhorse for the space-conscious DIY-er. Sure, it won’t be incredibly quick, but it features a practical five-foot nine-inch bed that’ll put most full-size crew cab pickups to shame. Load this thing up with junkyard parts, manure, McChickens, you name it, and you’ll get your messy cargo wherever it needs to be with a certain dose of Italian flair. Alternatively, you could use it as a sort of mobile porch for tailgating. The sky’s the limit!
Volkswagen Lupo: Still Thomas Hundal Here
In 1998, Volkswagen launched a reborn people’s car and something called the New Beetle. While a Golf-based retro car with a circular silhouette was taking America by storm, it was the Lupo that offered many traits that made the original Volkswagen a hit. Tiny, well-built, and practical, the Lupo was the mature choice in the European city car arena, offering proper efficiency along with switchgear and materials similar to on Volkswagen’s bigger cars.
Sure, the Lupo was very slow, but it reportedly had great build quality and should be a doddle to park thanks to its tiny footprint. Plus, from its quirky round headlamps to its practical dashboard shelving, there was just this sense of funkiness to this little car that made it quite lovable. While it would still be some time before the spectacular 3L model arrived, the standard model is still a brilliant city car for the 21st century and will soon be legal to import into America if you want be a celebrity at your local Volkswagen meet.
Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution: David Tracy
You may recall how in late 1997 Mitsubishi released a street-legal version of its Dakkar Rally killer, the Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution. With its huge hood vent, wide fender flares, and big tires, the homologation special is one of the most badass SUVs in history, as Top Gear described in its article September, 2021 article wondering how these things aren’t worth more. From Top Gear:
Mitsu gave its short-wheelbase Pajero quicker steering and a stiffer body, dual wishbone suspension up front and a proper multi-link setup in the back – with nearly a foot of travel at both ends – and a vastly wider track, necessitating those lovely box arches.
It worked so well that Mitsubishi claimed an incredible 1-2-3-4 finish in 1998 – not in its class, but overall.
Sure, it has dual overhead cams and 24 valves, like Alfa’s beautiful Busso V6. And Mitsu’s V6 has variable valve timing and a twin-plenum intake. And fine, the rev limiter doesn’t kick in until you’re on the fun side of 7,000rpm. And there’s 280 naturally aspirated horsepower on tap. Um, did we miss something? A V6 with more power and torque than the best-ever Busso, years before the 147 GTA came out, and strapped into the winningest Dakar car ever. Where’s the problem?
No, really – it’s a race-dominating, limited-run homologation special with all sorts of top-tier parts and an engine that could trade blows with a Busso all day. So what gives?
Our best guess at this point is that the Pajero Evo just sort of… slipped through the cracks
What an absolute beast; if you can find one, you’ll be SUV owner royalty in the U.S. If you can find one.
Original Honda HR-V: David Tracy
I know many of you hear “HR-V” and think about the current Honda HR-V mini-crossover for sale in the U.S. It’s far from an exciting car, but its ancestor — the O.G. Honda HR-V, shown above — was a legitimately cool little off-road(ish) machine that could be had with a five-speed manual and a shooting-brake style body. Seriously, look at that beautiful, but quirky two-door above. It’s good good approach and departure angles, plenty of ground clearance, and look at all that glass — I bet visibility is exceptional.
It’s a cool little four-wheel drive SUV that scored around 30 MPG highway according to European ratings; that’s not bad!
So there you have it, nine very different cars soon able to be legally driven in America. If none of these seem to do the trick for you, there are heaps more to choose from including the Alfa Romeo 166 and Toyota Progrès. I’d love to hear which soon-to-be-importable car really floats your boat, especially as 2023 should be a banner year for weird import stuff.
Why Now Is The Perfect Time To Import Your Dream Car From Europe And What It Should Cost
Two Prolific JDM Experts Explain How Japanese Cars Became Collectable – The Autopian Podcast
Prove Me Wrong: I Just Don’t Think The Fiat 500L Was That Bad
Here’s What A ‘Shed Skid’ Is And Why Australians Do Something This Ridiculous
Someone Went Through The Work To Import A Chevy Orlando Into The United States
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” And it looks delightfully strange, like Fiat hired an alien consultant for their objectivity when they designed it.”
(the interior) looks delightfully strange, like… …an alien…
https://external-preview.redd.it/x92V08oIqR_RtnEUCDugneHMjxb2FJPt2TpUxbIK6bg.jpg?auto=webp&s=becd8bf05c5efa3cfac58ffed07b2ea44cd9da90
All cool stuff but I want a Citroën XM wagon and a Peugeot 106 Rallye for the yin and yang of PSA.
For extra bizarre I want a Mack Midliner rebadged as a Renault (since these were actually made in France)
106 Rallyes are getting pricy now. A journo friend who works at another site has one. But XM wagon yeah, I can dig that vibe. I had an XM years ago and it was amazing (I think all car designers are required to own one of the big Citroen galactic cruisers at least once in their lives. I’ll have to check the rules).
On the 4×4 front:
The 3rd gen. Suzuki Jimny will be also US-legal next year. I wish I had the funds to import one.
On the euro-truck front, 6th gen Hilux, 3rd gen Mitsubishi L200 (Triton), Mazda B2500,
Oddballs:
1st gen Mercedes A-class.
Ford KA
Mitsubishi Carisma (Volvo V40 platform euro-weirdness)
Opel Tigra
And some great French small cars like the Peugeot 206 and the Renault Clio II will be legal too.
For a comfy French cruiser, Renault Lagunas are nice too.
If you like a Lupo, then you’ll also like a Seat Arosa. Or maybe a Fiat Seicento or Nissan Micra if we’re on tiny cars.
Personally, I’m waiting for the early 2000s stuff to be legal. A diesel J120 Prado is on the top of my wishlist.
The Multipla is becoming quite the cult classic now, and there’s not many good ones left. A VW Lupo? You’ll be fighting with the VW weiners for again the few that are left as they were dirt cheap for years and now most have gone.
HRV you can probably still find one on eBay UK, Hondas are pensioners cars here and old people love them that sweet elevated seat height.
I love the Fiat Strada. It’s the perfect example of being what everyone says we need but no one will buy.
Of these, I’d probably pick the Fiat Multipla for myself.
I’ve got a Paj Evo for sale just down the road from me $62AUD, a bit too rich for me
Please check your state and local regulations. Just because NHTSA and DOT say it’s okay, doesn’t mean your state will allow you to register these.
The AU Falcon is awesome because it’s the only car I know of where the digital odometer rolls over to zero after a million km:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCogIA2LMdY
All the others stop at 999999. WTF?
At the risk of being “that guy” and rubbing it in, as an owner of a MkII Cube I will argue that it is worth waiting for. One of the benefits of moving to Australia from the US was the ability to buy a 2004 Cube3 – the three row, 7 seat version of the Z11 Cube. Blue over tan, just like in the photo above. Arguably even better packaging than the Multipla. Amazing headroom and greenhouse visibility, seven passengers on a Nissan Micra platform, super easy to park in the city, comfortable in-town suspension, a million weird, inexplicable cubbies and storage spaces, and interesting enough that I still get questions and comments every week. And with roof racks on I have been able to transport a family of four, acres of luggage, a roof-top box, two surfboards, and a full-sized two-person kayak all at the same time for a cross-country road trip. The only Achilles heel for these cars is power. With the CVT transmission and the modest four cylinder (1.4L) it is not a performance car. As we always say, pressing down the accelerator just makes it louder, not faster. And while some find it “unattractive”, I think it has a unified. almost minimalist anti-style style that means it has aged absurdly well. Looks just as odd and subtly interesting today as it did almost twenty years ago. I have long suspected the 2nd Gen Cube to be pure Torchinski bait.
I mean if you want an ugly CUV, you could just get a B9 Tribeca instead of the Multipla, but I do wonder if this import thing is good for Canada and Mexico as well? seems like the cars might be easier to get, and cheaper. I would like a 96 Ramcharger 360 with 4 or 5 speed manual. (not sure if you could get a 5 Speed and the big engine) That being said, I might actually rather wait a year and get a 99 with a 360 if they came with manuals as well.
The B9 Tribeca is a whole lot bigger than a Multipla.
You don’t have to wait for Canada – the standards are so closely aligned and there’s so much cross-border traffic that there’s no real restrictions. Canada did at one point have stricter bumper laws, which meant no GTOs and Canadian Audi TTs having weird goiters on their bumpers.
The problem with the AU is that all the good stuff like the IRS and more powerful I6 were only available in the XR6 and Fairmont Ghia (XR8 also had IRS). The bottom models – including the almost top of the range Fairmont still had a solid rear axle, because tough. It just makes them worse somehow, cos the base models are fantastically ugly to the point where I (at least) think they are cool.
Totally with you on the Multipla. I actually like the styling of it, and the practicality appeals to me.
I have to wait until next year for the Rover 75 so I can go as Inspector Barnaby for Halloween.
Didn’t Clarkson review the Multipla in the very first episode of Top Gear? Taking it to France to get cheese and wine or something? Pretty sure first episode…but very least early on.
I hate that I know this, but that was the Citroen Berlingo… he did review the Multipla in one of his other specials that he was doing around this time.
Thomas has a little secret, he picked up all of his choices 10 years ago as Canada has a 15 year input rule.
Plus the cube was for sale up here.
Slightly embarrassed to admit it, but I thought the Maserati in the lead pic was a last gen Buick Riviera when I first saw it…
As long as you Americans don’t set the AU down the path of Skylines and Supras you can have a few, ok?
Every small country town you visit here has at least a few AUs, a HQ-WB Holden Ute and an unbelievably mint Subaru Brumby out the front of the local pub/bowling club/Chinese restaurant. Long may it continue!
I love the Lupo! The 1.7 SDI for me, please – that thing will outlive the post-nuclear cockroaches. So will a 1.9 JTD Multipla – they’ve proven themselves as taxis in Serbia and many are still going strong after well in excess of 400,000 hard miles.
A few more suggestions off the top of my head:
– Daihatsu Storia (X4, of course, with the 713 cc JC-DET)
– Peugeot 206
– Lada 2120M “Nadezhda” (the Niva minivan!)
And of course, my name wouldn’t be SparkySparkington if I didn’t go for the M100 Daewoo Matiz.
That Maserati…. you could skip the whole hassle of importing one and just buy a US Coupe GT 6 speed manual. You get the same sexy body (minus the love them or hate them boomerang tail lights), the bulletproof Ferrari derived F136 NA V8, and something that can actually be serviced at almost any competent garage or homewrench with decent parts availability. Don’t get me wrong – I would love a Shamal with that motor – but in that body style a US Coupe GT with the manual box just makes so much more sense. Especially when they can be had for ~$30k,
These are generally good choices (I even like the boring Nissan Cube), but I feel that the Golden Age of Automobiles ended with the Japanese asset bubble bursting. All of my true dream cars are already eligible. I guess I am not complaining!
Oh, and 2023 marks when all years of the Rover 800 Coupe are finally US-legal, considering it was originally designed specifically for the US market and just never sold here, that’s something. Not the most exciting car generally, but very nice interiors on those
I’ll take the Strada and Lupo and if I have enough money left get the HR-V. You get free shipping if you buy in bulk right?
This is a good place for a reminder that for NHTSA import purposes it’s the verified date of manufacture of the individual vehicle that matters, not the model year. If you’ve got a 1998 model-year car that was actually manufactured on, say, November 14, 1997, then it’s already eligible. If, on the other hand, it didn’t roll off the assembly line until June 26, 1998, then it won’t become eligible next month just because the calendar will say 2023; instead you’ll have to wait until at least June 26, 2023, when an entire 25 years will have elapsed for that one.
All true, but somehow cars still keep coming in based on model year alone. It does no harm but I would be nervous if there was anything even a tiny bit out of order with my paperwork.
At that point it’s a matter of hoping that the Customs inspectors don’t know and/or don’t care about the difference. Time-consuming and expensive if they do, though.
That is correct! I think I was supposed to add that as a secondary author’s note to this piece. Indeed, CBP is supposed to check for the month and year of manufacture, though I’m told by importers that depending on the port, sometimes they’ll just look at the year and send it through. However, I’m not sure it’s worth the chance that you’ll get a stickler.
Also, when you’re dealing with a vehicle that isn’t quite old enough yet, a misconception is that you can import it first, then wait until it’s of age to start the importation process. What you’re really supposed to do is store the car at its origin (or some other, more lenient place) until it comes of age. Of course, I’m sure there are people who get around that, but that’s the safe way to do it.
I’ve been through the import process only once, with a car that was quite comfortably thirty years old at the time, but certainly in my case the inspectors were diligent enough about things in general that I wouldn’t have wanted to have risked hoping they’d overlook a date of manufacture that was a bit too recent. For my other 25-year-rule cars I’ve taken the easier route of finding one already here that had been privately imported and later put up for sale after the owner decided to move on to something else.
Stop giving Pajero Evo’s coverage, they’re getting too expensive as is!
Ooooh, I have never imported a vehicle, but that Strada is calling to me. If I can find one for the right price, I might have to jump through all the hoops. The Pajero is pretty tempting, too.
I’m not going to tempt the law with the Cube Mk2, but I like the idea. And I like the look of the Multipla, but I don’t think I want one for myself. The others might be fun, but probably not worth the import hassle for me.
The easy thing to do is hire an importer! I highly recommend The Import Guys. When I used them in 2021, they charged just $1,100 over actual cost…and that peace of mind was so worth it.
I’ll definitely keep them in mind if I can find a reasonably priced Strada. Thank you for the tip!