For those of you in the U.K. - Page 2

Maybe you can import it. I saw one of those Lamborghini SUVs from the early 90s in Los Angeles.

I feel sorry for all the suckers that buy Land Rovers.

I didn't know that these were hard to get...I see them every once in a while in Tampa

Crash testing would be the first obstacle. However if the 'new' Defender is close enough to the old one (which was no longer sold in the US after 1997 i think?) in its structure, then you may not have to get it re-crash tested. Whenever the DOT required airbags in passenger cars, LR just decided to quit importing the Defender rather than retrofit. It was between 96 and 98, but I am thinking closer to 96 or 97.

Motorex is a Californian company which knew there was a large, pent up demand, for Nissan Skylines. This had been building all during the 90s and 00s, in part due to the internet, online gaming, and Gran Turismo. They actually bought several Skylines, brought them over, and 'sacrificed' them to the gods of the NTHSA for crashworthiness testing. Then they were allowed to make the other modifications and sell them as streetlegal grey market imports.


Once they got the certification, they started imported a pretty wide variety of Skylines, across several 'generations'. Once wind of that went back to the government they had to either stop imported the older ones (or, buy several and crash test them) or maybe their whole program got shut down. I didn't really pay too much attention, and I suspect the demand for Skylines has been partially satiated. No doubt the importation of the Lancer Evos and Impreza STis has also bit into that market.


Also, once one company (lets say Motorex) forks over the dough to pay for crashtesting, I don't know whether they get an import monopoly, or if anyone can ride on their coattails and start doing it. Not having an import monopoly certain takes the incentive out of buying several cars to crash in government impact testing.

Every east coast elitist knows that owning a Range Rover is as part of the uniform as being uncircumcized and having strong feeling of loathing for your father.

Hence their Australian nickname, The Toorak Tractor

The guy who ran Motorex is in jail, for something unrelated.

I believe one of the reasons they are not legal to be imported into the US is they do not conform to the safety and emissions rules.

The only thing I see in this thread is Discostus avatar. !!!!!!!!!!!