As many a car enthusiast is well-aware, the statute of limitations on any car imported  to the United States expires after 25 years, which includes safety and emissions regulations, structural requirements such as bumper heights, and many other limitations.  They are known as the “gray market” limitations and have created a black market for a good many cars that are not sold on the US domestic market.  Currently, Homeland Security funds, which could be better spent elsewhere to perhaps secure our borders or possibly fight terror threats, get spent to keep a few cars out of the ports.As of right now, the law hasn’t changed.  But, with a bit of work from the good people of this country, that may change.  Currently, there is a law stating that if a “We the People” petition on the White House website reaches 25,000 signatures in less than 30 days, the Obama administration must take it seriously.  Thankfully, someone’s done just that, and a petition asking for modification to the gray market law was started only days ago.  The petition’s goal is to reduce the minimum age for importing an previously illegal car to the United States to 15 years, from 25, reasoning that the original law was created through pressure from special interests such as Mercedes-Benz, who refused to sell some of their higher-output models here in the 1980s.  In case you’re still not interested, here’s a short list of some cars that would be now legal to import here that are currently illegal due to this law:

-Nissan Skyline R32, R34

-Lancia Delta Integrale

-Ford Escort RS Cosworth

=Lotus Carlton

-Euro-spec BMW E36 M3

-Nissan Silvia S14

-Audi RS2, S3

-Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution I, II, III

That’s only a partial listing–there are many more that I would love to see on these shores whcih are currently illegal due to this law.  So, please click on the link below, and sign the petition, if you want to see any of those above (or one I failed to mention) become legal to import.

https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/!/petition/stop-using-homeland-security-funds-seize-imported-vehicles-and-change-dotepa-exemption-15-years/L50BZzwj

-Al