January is coming quickly, which means you’ll soon start to see lists of the cars you can import into America built in the year 2000. This year, the list of cars you can buy is awesome, but for a twist, some of the best cars that will soon be legal to import won’t be coming from Japan. In 2025, you’re going to want to import these five cars not from Japan, but Europe!
The biggest news early this year was that the first Nissan Skyline GT-R R34s became legal to import without caveats. Finally, the most infamous import and the subject of countless importation stories can be brought in by any Average Joe, provided they have enough money. For some, the Skyline GT-R is the holy grail of imports, so what’s worth waiting for now?
There are a ton of cars out there waiting for their day to come to America, and I want to highlight just a few of them.
Audi A2
Alright, so I’m going to start off by cheating a little bit. I included the Audi A2 on January’s list of cars you can import in 2024. But here’s the thing, Audi A2 production didn’t even begin until November 1999. That means you still can’t import one right now and when you can, you’ll be stuck finding a November or December production example. So, you’re probably going to find a later production unit, anyway.
The A2 was built for a future that never really came, a future where compacts were ridiculously efficient, aerodynamic, and spacious. We did get spacious tiny cars, as owners of Honda Fits and Smart Forfours could attest, but none quite as obsessive about getting everything into one package as the Audi A2.
Why? I love how Audi put supercar levels of engineering into a humble economy car. Audi built the A2 for a future where everyone drove hyper-efficient compact cars constructed out of exotic materials. But the closest we got to that future were dead ends like the A2 and the Smart Fortwo. From a previous piece:
Audi put practically supercar-levels of engineering into the A2. The vehicle bears Audi’s aluminum spaceframe plus aluminum body panels. At its lightest, an A2 weighs 1,973 pounds at its lightest, which is lighter than other vehicles in its class in its day. Audi didn’t stop there, as it carved out a 0.28 coefficient of drag through flush windows, slippery bodywork, and even a wing on the back meant to reduce wind turbulence. It even had a fake grille years before that would become the norm. Another feature is a service flap that allows you to top off the vehicle’s fluids without having to pop off the whole hood.
When you equipped an Audi A2 with a 1.2-liter 60 HP turbodiesel triple, you could score an impressive 78.4 mpg. Not even my 70 mpg Smart Fortwo diesel can regularly touch that. If you don’t care so much for fuel economy, the best gas engine was a 1.6-liter turbo four good for 109 HP and a 1.4-liter diesel triple good for 89 HP. The gasser still got a respectable 40 mpg while the faster diesel earned 54.7 mpg. Mind you, those fuel economy numbers are in US gallons, and this was back in 1999 and the early 2000s.
The best part is the fact that Audi managed to stuff a regular car’s interior in the A2. The rear floor sits really low, so everyone in the car can relax in a more normal seating position. The interior also boasted hidden storage solutions, detachable cup holders, and versatile rear seats that could be folded or removed so the vehicle’s owner could carry large items.
What doomed the A2 was the fact that it was substantially more expensive than other vehicles in its class. Audi effectively made a bet that people would be allured by the fact that the A2 was an engineering masterpiece. In the end, few people cared and Audi sold about half of the A2s it wanted to.
The unpopularity of the A2 is good news for the nerds who love it. A quick search suggests that it shouldn’t be that hard to find a 2000 model year example for under the equivalent of $5,000, but expect the car to have more than 100,000 miles.
Opel Speedster
Before the Pontiac Solstice and before the Saturn Sky there was another small roadster from GM. However, it has been locked out of our borders for more than two decades. It’s the Opel Speedster, a car that if you’re familiar with it, that could be because you drove one in a video game like Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit II.
According to David Tracy from an article at the old site, General Motors was looking for a way to improve the image of Opel. GM noticed the popularity enjoyed by Lotus, a brand it used to own. What if Opel had its own spicy sports car? Lotus was already working on a successor to the highly successful Elise Series I and the two companies struck a deal to develop the two cars in parallel. From the Lotus spokesperson David spoke to:
Lotus had always planned on a Series 2 Elise and when GM approached Lotus to work with them to do a sports car, it was the natural thing to do the two programmes in parallel. Neither car was based on the other and around 8% of the parts were shared but of course the technology and the build process under the skin was similar and some of the suppliers (Bridgestone for example at the time were shared and both cars had cut-down sills).
The VX220 / Speedster was built on a different line to the Elise and Exige, the Esprit was on a separate line as well at Hethel. At launch, the VX220 / Speedster had twin airbags, but the Lotus didn’t – it wasn’t a legislative requirement in Europe at the time. Airbags were introduced when the Elise and Exige entered the North American market in 2004MY
As I understand it, GM was keen to introduce a sports car which then (in the UK) helped launch the VXR performance subbrand…
As the Lotus rep explained above, a Speedster looks a bit like a Lotus, but they’re actually very different. The Speedster had a longer wheelbase, a wider rear track, and was designed for easier entry and exist. The cars even had GM engines, starting with a 2.2-liter four making 144 HP while the hot engine was a turbo 2.0-liter four offering up 197 HP. These cars had aluminum spaceframes and fiberglass bodies too, which was pretty neat for a car wearing an Opel badge at the time.
Think of the Speedster as something like a discount Lotus with a 60 mph acceleration time of 4.6 seconds and good handling. Based on a quick search, you should be able to find a Speedster for $20,000 and up. The first ones were built in July 2000, so you still have some time to wait.
Alfa Romeo 147
What if you like compact cars but aren’t interested in a 25-year-old German car? How about a 25-year-old Italian car?
The Alfa Romeo 147 was launched in October 2000 as a replacement for the 145 and the 146. The 147 was built to compete with the Volkswagen Golf and the Audi A3. As Auto & Design notes, the 147’s design is a mix of past and future. For example, the grille is supposed to resemble the ones slapped on Alfas in the 1940s and 1950s. Alfa intended the 147 to be the best-handling hatch on the market and built it on the Alfa 156. The car featured double wishbones up front, a multi-link setup in the rear, and it was a little bigger than a Golf.
The 147 launched with a base 1.6-liter four that made 104 HP, good for hitting 60 mph in a leisurely 10 seconds. The hottest engine you’ll be able to get next year is a 2.0 TS, which gets a two-liter four making 148 HP, good to cut a little over a second off of that acceleration time. If you can wait two years longer, you’ll be able to get a 3.2 GTA, which nets you a 3.2-liter Busso V6 good for a healthy 247 HP and hitting 60 mph in a quick 6 seconds.
It looks like you’ll be able to find a high-mileage example for under $5,000. Of course, the biggest problem is that the earliest these will be eligible for importation into the United States will be towards the end of next year, which is sad.
Holden Commodore VU Ute
Some American enthusiasts are in love with Australian utes. Heck, if General Motors had its way and the Great Recession didn’t happen, we could have seen an Aussie ute wearing a Pontiac badge. But that didn’t happen, so you’re left either importing a ute or taking your chances with companies that swear it can get you a left hand drive ute that’s legal.
The Holden Ute as we know it began production in 2000 and was based on the VT Commodore with some design inspiration from the VX Commodore. I’ve written some about the VT before:
In 1997, the Holden Commodore entered its third generation. The first of these cars was given the VT code and was developed from the Opel Omega B.
Despite the Opel bones, the Holden was bigger and adapted to the needs of Australian car buyers. When Holden was done with the Commodore, the resulting vehicle was sleek with a little bit of muscle. If you didn’t know any better, I bet you didn’t notice that it started as a German car. The VT Commodore also wasn’t just a reskin. Holden spent $600 million over half of a decade to bring the Commodore into the future. Reportedly, the VT got Holden’s first all-new braking system in nearly 20 years. An emphasis was put on handling and safety, too. The VT was 30 percent stiffer than its predecessor, boasted MacPherson struts up front, and a semi-trailing arm independent rear suspension. Holden also baked in a new electrical system and powerful engines.
Said another way, Holden put in a ton of work to ensure the Ford Falcon didn’t get anywhere near Australia’s top car. Remember, this car also served as the platform for the great Holden Monaro/Pontiac GTO. So, why would you care about a car that you have been able to import for the past couple of years? One of the complaints about the VT was the fact that it was considerably heavier than its predecessor.
A base Holden Ute had a 3.8-liter Ecotec V6 rated at 204 HP while the hopped-up SS variant had a 5.7-liter V8 making 302 HP.
Australia’s Which Car? says that the V8 engines of the SS model were prone to oil leaks and felt lethargic despite their displacement. The publication also said things came alive after about 4,000 RPM, but wringing the engine out felt like work. Then there’s how the publication felt about the automatic transmission: “It can’t always decide what ratio it needs and when it does deign to shift, the quality can be pretty awful depending on where the throttle pedal is at the time.”
But, ultimately, if you can put up with the problems, the magazine says the Holden Ute is “nicely thought out.” It looks like you can find an example for under $20,000, just try to get it inspected so you end up with a decent example.
Ariel Atom 1
The last vehicle on this list is a glorified go-kart for adults. The Ariel Atom didn’t officially go on sale in America until 2005 as the Ariel Atom 2, but come next year you will be able to get one of the early ones here.
To most, the name “Ariel” relates to the rolling piece of scaffolding I’m talking about here, but it had a long history of selling motorcycles before that. From the National Motorcycle Museum:
The Ariel Cycle Company was formed in 1897 by the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company, originally of Dublin, Ireland, to make bicycles. Charles Sangster of Cycle Components in Selly Oak, near Birmingham, England, bought Ariel shortly thereafter and first used the name on a tricycle. Motorcycles soon became part of the product mix. Ariel wisely hired a number of British motorcycle visionary engineers and designers – Val Page, Vic Mole, Bert Hopwood and Edward Turner to name a few.
Ariel went on to build iconic motorcycles like the Red Hunter and the Square Four plus weirdos like the Leader. The original Ariel died in 1970. The Ariel we know today was founded by Simon Saunders in 1991 as Solocrest Ltd. This company claims the motorcycle history of Ariel even though the old Ariel is only related to the new one by name.
With that in mind, here’s what Ariel says about the first Atom:
With a long held dream of building a new ‘Lotus 7’ Simon Saunders started to put his ideas into reality while working as a Senior Lecturer in Transport Design. Together with student Niki Smart and input from Stewart Grand Prix (to become Red Bull Racing), TWR, British Steel, Ford Motor Company and friends from Aston Martin the LSC or Lightweight Sports Car was born. Shown for the first time at the 1996 British Motor Show the car received great acclaim as the most interesting car at the show. After subsequent months of testing and development the process of designing the all new Atom started from scratch spanning the next three years.
Launched in 1999 with first deliveries in 2000 the Atom quickly became the star of the developing trackday scene and captured the motoring world’s imagination. Road legal and with an 1800cc K Series Rover engine in 120bhp, 160bhp and 190bhp output the car was the original ‘NO DOORS NO SCREEN NO ROOF’ and demonstrated that light weight gave giant slaying capability, no matter what the opposition.
The oldest Atom I’ve found currently for sale is a 2006 and it has an asking price of $53,000. So, I’m not sure what you could expect for pricing.
There you have it, these are five awesome cars that you can import next year that do not come from Japan. Of course, this list isn’t exhaustive and you can probably point out plenty of other cool rides out there. I didn’t even mention the Lotus 340R or the absurdly rare 1 of 4 TVR Typhon.
Sadly, some enthusiast cars have high prices even after 25 years after their production. My advice is to chase after something that’s still cool, but enthusiasts don’t really care about. It should also be noted that the Customs agent clearing your car should be looking at the month your vehicle was produced, so simply buying a 2000 model year car won’t be good enough. It has to be actually 25 years old.
Sadly, buying cars from Europe isn’t as easy as cruising Japan’s auctions, but an importer should be able to handle the legwork for you. As always, I also recommend getting an inspection whenever possible. But with some determination, you should be able to find a really cool car.
(Images: Manufacturers.)
I like the A2, although damn, it would be hard to install a good aftermarket infotainment unit in there without blocking something.
Cartronic makes an excellent single din carplay/android auto headunit.
I mean….the Pioneer head unit I have is single-din. My concern is that the screen would block the flasher button and cupholder (and whatever is to the left of that cupholder).
Excuse me, it’s power acoustic. I have it in my viper, it isn’t motorized or anything it’s a widescreen single din. it wouldn’t block anything. That’s why I got it as well.
Power Acoustik CP-71W Single DIN 6.5″ Color Touchscreen Car Stereo with Bluetooth Connected Apple CarPlay + Android Auto (New) – Walmart.com
Ooh, that’s an interesting design. Didn’t know those were a thing. Thanks for sharing.
I believe my brother could be talked into an Aussie ute.
We imported our 1949 Beetle from Düsseldorf in the midst of the pandemic and shipping slowdowns: nearly six months elapsed between their receipt of the car and its arrival in Miami. We spent a very sobering amount on bringing it over in a sealed 20ft container and wound up spending more on shipping alone than on any car we’d ever purchased up to that point. Caveat emptor for anyone looking for the peace of mind that comes with secure shipping.
https://classicmotorsports.com/articles/how-this-humble-beetle-made-it-to-the-amelia/
Nobody ever mentions the Aussie Falcon Utes. I will Take a 5.0 Ford Falcon XR8 please.
I have a 25 year old Italian lined up for import and yeah, it’s only giving me slight stress heart palpitations so far. It would probably be easier if I hired someone else to do the paperwork, but I’m a lunatic, so nah…
Wow, I didn’t realize the Speedster was that different, always just assumed it was full badge engineering cause you know, GM.
7200 total Speedster production so very similar number to the Opel GT version of the Kappa which was 7500. The total Sky/Solstice/GT Kappa production was 100,000+.
The Holden Ute and the Speedster. Ive always coveted the Speedster. Someone must be able to build some seats that would allow me to fit. Maybe spray foam and a garbage bag?
As a general rule, are parts for 25 year-old German, Italian or Aussie cars more unobtanium? Asking for a friend, because
Ithey crave the A2, 147 and the ute.Ithey would very much dislike to learnI’dthey’d have to 3D print or find a machinist to make common wear items.Can speak for the 25-year-old Aussie cars – parts are mostly plentiful (particularly if you don’t mind buying & fitting used parts). There were shitloads of Falcons and Commodores sold; all of the weak spots are known and understood and there’s a sizeable aftermarket for the cars for all sorts of things.
That said, I had a hell of a time sourcing a replacement A/C compressor for my ute – and it wasn’t cheap. So it’s not perfect – but like most problems, they can be resolved with a liberal application of cash.
Unfortunately the Utes are a very late 2000 build – so I expect they’ll appear on this same article in ~12 months time. I bought one of the first VU utes to bring to America and its build was January 2021 (note that the linked review says that the price is as of December 2000).
e: when shopping for these vehicles you can do yourself a favor and filter by desired drivetrain rather than trim – I picked up an S in outstanding condition that still had the LS1 – where a similar condition SS would be probably $15k more expensive – or a similar priced one would have had the absolute shit beaten out of it.
Basically you could get any trim with any engine – and if you don’t care about the body kit (or plan on making upgrades later) you will get a nicer car for less money without sacrificing the ability to send the rear tires to hell.
The Audi A2 diesel, Ariel Atom, and Opel Speedster are all excellent choices.
The Atom in particular would be a great basis to build an aerodynamic streamliner off of it, either as a turbodiesel or an EV. The Audi A2 would just make a great overall daily driver. The Opel Speedster is a Lotus Elise minus the premium cost. Too bad the Eco Speedster, its aerodynamically superior twin with a 112 horsepower turbodiesel, was never put into production. With a 0.20 drag coefficient, the Eco Speedster could get 94 mpg US and top 160 mph.
I can’t wait to see a TVR Sagaris stateside 🙂
Too bad there’s only one Speed 12 in existence.
Of these, my vote goes to the Opel Speedster.
Wanted one since the first time I played NFS-HP2. Now I can have one!
Small error on the A2 part, its 1.6 petrol engine is atmo, not turbo. But it was innovative in being one of the firsts with direct injection (the FSi)
A2s and Speedsters and Utes, oh my!
Ha, just yesterday in some Facebook car group I’m part of I saw a photo of a car transporter with 3 Holden Utes on it going down the highway. Wouldn’t be surprised if they were recent imports.
LOVE the VX220/Speedster because of NFS Hot Pursuit 2. They’re very cool little cars and could make for an enticing Miata alternative when they’re importable. For whatever reason I always associate them with the UK market…are there left hand drive versions out there? I also assume they aren’t that much of a pain to keep running since there’s a lot of GM parts bin stuff.
That and GT3 both solidified my love for them. Add to the fact that it’s a normal, easy to find parts for engine, and I love it.
For me it was the Speedster and the CLK-GTR
The Vauxhall VX220 probably got more attention from the British press, and are RHD. The Opel Speedster (which is identical) went a bit more under the radar in Germany, and are LHD.
Honestly I would prefer the Vauxhall because the RHD is so much easier to adapt to than the kph speedometer haha. UK cars have mph.
When a USDM S2 Elise has a floor in the 40s, an Opel Speedster is looking extremely tempting at half that.
If we’re going to do an Alfa – I believe i’d prefer a 156.
Probably a Sportswagon – Either with the Busso V6 or the JTD 5 cylinder Turbo
If we’re talking little Alfas: I really like the look of the MiTo. I think it’s adorable and slick at the same time. Although it’s still new for Americans: it would be eligible for import to Canada (2008 introduction, and 15y rule)
Oh man I would happily sell a kidney and possibly one of my kids for a Speedster. The A2 is just weird enough to be fun though.
Mercedes being very careful not to mention the Smart Roadster in another year or two because she doesn’t want competition…
The ute is by far the coolest here. Would be the star of any Cars & Coffee.
I think David would like the i3 lumped in here.
I always had a soft-spot for the Opel Speedster. Sadly, the closest I came to driving one was in Metropolis Street Racer (that was a Sega Dreamcast game, for you young’uns).
Mercedes, it would be great to have an article about the Import process from Europe side, I recall the one for importing vehicles from Japan but if you pull the trigger for one of these, I am not 100% sure if its the same process. I don’t know why but I want a Ford Ka lol
The Ford Ka convertibles are pretty interesting and a lady I know has one. She loves it and no problems whatsoever. Inexpensive as well!
I like the Ford Puma and Opel Tigra from the late 90s to early 2000s. Worth having a look
Japan has a whole industry of companies and individuals who make importing as easy as picking a car and sending your money over. Plus, the auction system is a bit like a candy store. I’ve noticed that importing from Europe is a little bit harder.
Getting my passport has opened up some doors. I want to fly out to somewhere like the UK, drive an A2, and then maybe figure out how to bring it home with me.
It’s not much harder, at least not from the UK. I found an exporter who paid the owner for me and arranged for the car to be picked up from him and taken to port, then they got it on the boat, and I just had to find a customs guy on this side.
Earlier this year I imported a car from the UK without much trouble as well. I paid the owner directly but I went with a shipping company that handled everything from retrieving the car to clearing it through customs. I had to hire a local agent to get it from the secure area of the port after it had cleared customs and out to the parking lot where I was waiting with a trailer but that’s about it.
Yeah sounds like a pretty similar experience. What did you bring in??
A 1982 Triumph Acclaim HL with a Trio-matic. How about you?
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53958968424_fbb558552a_c.jpg
Very interesting. Mine was a couple years ago but it was a Peugeot 306 GTi-6. Drove it for 2k miles and then piston number one and its associated connecting rod got a very ugly divorce.
Ouch. So far the only trouble I’ve had with the Acclaim is a broken ignition switch. Fortunately it failed in a way that’s easy to bypass by using the tip of a Leatherman tool to make contact between two adjacent posts on the rear of the switch so that’s what I’ve been doing while looking for a replacement.
And now seeing your picture and the surrounding cars, then looking at your entry for the Members’ Rides, I will be in touch. I need to hear more about all your cars!
Also consider a Renault Twingo. They are as cool as 1st gen Ka, and you can get them really cheap on Germany. Better, book a 30 ft container and put both (or a bunch) of them to save on shipping.
Things may have changed, but every time I have looked at it, containers are far more expensive than RORO. So unless you’re cramming said container full of parts as well it’s likely not worth it. Even if you do want the parts it might be easier to ship them separate.
It’s not bad. I did it from the UK. Since all the documents were already in English I didn’t have to worry about certified translations, but I just had to find a company to get it on a boat, and then someone on this side to get it cleared through customs, then it was just getting it registered. Obviously there are a lot of steps I’m glossing over, but it honestly was a lot easier than I expected.