Show and Display Explained

Many Hypercars like the McLaren Speedtail can not be registered in the USA but there is a loop-hole called the Show & Display Law, often referred to as the Show & Display rule. Let's focus on the McLaren Speedtail as an example. 106 Speedtails are being built and an estimated 35 are destined for the USA, but due to the three-seat layout meant that McLaren wasn't able to fit side airbags, which are required by law for any new car sold in the US. Additionally, the Speedtail has two retractable rear-facing cameras replacing traditional side mirrors, which also aren't legal in the US plus a mountain of other things which prevent the car from being registered in the normal way.

So, how do the Rich and Famous who can afford these cars get them registered in the US? The answer is the "Show and Display" rule is a statutory amendment in the United States that allows certain privately imported automobiles to be exempted from the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) 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, and that do not have a federal counterpart that was originally built for the United States market. Because of the expense and effort required to import a vehicle with this exemption, the approved vehicle list is mainly limited to high-value sports and touring cars. Applications under the "Show and Display" rule are reviewed and managed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which allows the vehicles to be registered for limited use on public roads (2,500 miles annually).

The approval for "Show and 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. Because the manufacturer of a "Show and Display" vehicle does not necessarily endorse its import, such automobiles would be considered Grey Imports.

For those who are seeking help in registering your Speedtail or any other car that falls into this category, you can contact Knight International /email legal@knight.international who will assist you with the Show & Display application, export transportation and registration.

There is a list of approved and disapproved vehicles for Show and Display on the NHTSA website http://icsw.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/.

To import these cars, the owner must submit the Show and Display application to NHTSA to receive approval. We are able to provide this service to you. With approval, the owner must obey the 2,500 mile a year on-road use limitation.

Documents Needed

1. Signed Application http://icsw.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/ShowDisplay/ApplShowDisplay.pdf
2. Insurance Policy limited to 2,500 miles per year – must be printed on a binder
3. Copy of Title (ownership)
4. Copy of Bill of Sale
5. Photographs, front, rear, side, interior, etc.

Customs

1. Contract with Knight International
2. Copy of Drivers License
3. Limited Power of Attorney
4. Non-conforming declaration form
5. Copy of Title
6. Copy of Bill of Sale/Proforma Invoice
7. Show or Display Waiver

Knight International

1. Copy of Insurance
2. Copy of 3520 http://www.epa.gov/oms/imports/forms/3520-1.pdf
3. EPA release
4. Copy of HS-7 http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/hs799short.pdf
5. Show and Display release
6. Copy of 7501 – customs entry
7. Book for records keeping

For anymore information please feel free to comment below