Importing a Vehicle less than 25 years old.
There is a load of misinformation out there regarding this issue. If there was an easy route, there would be alot more Defender 110s in the US.
Go to the National Transportation Safety Administration Website:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov and search 'import'.
There is a complete description on all scenarios; Temporary, Permanant, etc.
You will see that the 1993, and ONLY the 1993 Defender 110 (and only the 110) has been petitioned and accepted as a vehicle which is "SUBSTANTIALLY" similar to one previously imported, under category VSP, and therefore, eligible for importation
Many people have brought in vehicles whose VIN information has been altered to make it look like a 25+ year old vehicle, and in all likelyhood, if it gets in this way it will never thereafter be a problem. The big IF is that it DOES get in. If it is submitted falsely, and it is discovered at Customs Clearance time, kiss it goodbye, and be pepared to shell out $10,000 in fines.
Temporary imports are the easiest ones for the Customs people to track, because you, your passport number, and all the vehicle info is on a list. As the year end approaches, they have everything they need to track you down and be satisfied you have exported the vehicle. It CANNOT be sold. If it hasn't actually LEFT the country on the 366th day, it had better be in a bonded lot at the docks, or they will seize it. What happens to it after that is not pretty, but sufficee it to say, the beaurocrats "have their way with it" They were probably the kind of snot-nosed kids that liked to torture kittens when they were little.
If you are coming here, forthe three years, as a Diplomat, or stationed military personnel of a foreign government, you can have it for the three years of your 'tour'.
