Sign-In
Cart
The Automotive Gray Market: An Inside History
Paperback
ISBN13: 9780786463732
Publisher: McFarland & Company
Published: Apr 18 2022
Pages: 191
Weight: 0.64
Height: 0.44 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
In the 1970s, as car enthusiasts in the U.S. grew bored with models manufactured under tightening pollution and safety regulations, some innovative dealers exploited a legal loophole--designed to allow U.S. soldiers and diplomats to return from abroad with their vehicles--to import exotic cars never intended for sale in America. During the 1980s, a rise in the value of the dollar made car shopping in Europe a bargain hunter's dream. A network of unauthorized gray market importers and conversion shops emerged, bypassing factory channels and retrofitting cars to meet U.S. regulations and emission standards--at least in theory.
These cars had to pass through U.S. customs, a system equipped to handle only a few independent imports annually. As applications ballooned, the regulatory system collapsed. This is the story of a misunderstood but fascinating period in the automotive industry, when creative importers found ways to put American motorists in new Ferraris while the EPA and DOT were backed up with mounds of paperwork.
Also in
Automobiles
100 Years of Legends: The Official Celebration of the Le Mans 24 Hours
Holtz, Julien
Davoine, Basile
Holtz, Gerard
Hardcover
The Impossible Road Trip: An Unforgettable Journey to Past and Present Roadside Attractions in All 50 States
Dregni, Eric
Hardcover
The Hardest, Longest Race: Henry Ford and the Cross-Country Contest That Changed America
Moskowitz, Eric
Hardcover
Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile
Goodyear, Sarah
Gordon, Doug
Naparstek, Aaron
Hardcover
Mechanic Shop Femme's Guide to Car Ownership: Uncomplicating Cars for All of Us
Milchtein, Chaya M.
Paperback
ASE Technician Test Preparation Automotive Maintenance and Light Repair (G1)
Delmar Cengage Learning
Paperback
California DMV Driver's Handbook: Practice for the California Permit Test with 350+ Driving Questions and Answers
Prep, Discover
Paperback
100 Cars That Changed the World: The Designs, Engines, and Technologies That Drive Our Imaginations
Publications International Ltd
Auto Editors of Consumer Guide
Hardcover
Mobile Solar Power Made Easy!: Mobile 12 volt off grid solar system design and installation. RV's, Vans, Cars and boats! Do-it-yourself step by step i
Prowse, William Errol, IV
Paperback
The Race to the Future: 8,000 Miles to Paris - The Adventure That Accelerated the Twentieth Century
St Clair, Kassia
Paperback
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD) 11th Edition, December 2023 (Complete Book, Color Print) National Standards
U S Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
Paperback
The Machine That Changed the World: The Story of Lean Production-- Toyota's Secret Weapon in the Global Car Wars That Is Now Revolutionizing World Ind
Jones, Daniel T.
Roos, Daniel
Womack, James P.
Paperback
Killed by a Traffic Engineer: Shattering the Delusion That Science Underlies Our Transportation System
Marshall, Wes
Paperback
Driving the Green Book: A Road Trip Through the Living History of Black Resistance
Hall, Alvin
Paperback
Jeep, Dana & Chrysler Differentials: How to Rebuild the 8-1/4, 8-3/4, Dana 44 & 60 & AMC 20
Shepard, Larry
Paperback
Chevy Big-Block Engine Parts Interchange: The Ultimate Guide to Sourcing and Selecting Compatible Factory Parts
Baechtel, John
Paperback
CDL Study Guide 2025-2026: 6 Practice Tests and CDL Permit Prep Book [2nd Edition]
Hettinger, B.
Paperback
The Story of Classic Cars Gift Set: A Tribute to Four Automotive Icons
Smith, Luke
Codling, Stuart
Tomalin, Peter
Hardcover
Food Truck Business Guide for Beginners: Simple Strategic Plan to Build and Maintain a Successful Mobile Business
Durrant, Shaun M.
Paperback
100 Most Collectible Cars: Timeless Icons of Automotive Excellence
Publications International Ltd
Hardcover
CDL: Commercial Driver's License Truck Driver's Test, Fifth Edition: Comprehensive Subject Review + Practice
Mike Byrnes and Associates
Paperback
Backroads & Byways of Upstate New York: Drives, Day Trips, and Weekend Excursions
Smyczynski, Christine
Paperback
Understanding A3 Thinking: A Critical Component of Toyota's Pdca Management System
Sobek II, Durward K.
Smalley, Art
Hardcover
Cult of Gt-R: A True Story of Crime, Obsession and the World's Most Coveted Car
Zummallen, Ryan
Paperback
Formula 1 75 Years: At Speed with the World's Greatest Motorsport
Mann, James
Codling, Stuart
Roberts, James
Hardcover
Oklahoma Drivers Manual: Comprehensive Guide to Passing the Oklahoma Drivers Test and Safe Driving
Starcrest, Lucian
Paperback
Auto Biography: A Classic Car, an Outlaw Motorhead, and 57 Years of the American Dream
Swift, Earl
Paperback
Pennsylvania Driver's License Mastery: Ace Your Exam! 360 Practice Q&A (21 Full Tests) with Expert Tips and Detailed Explanations
Publishing, Autoadept
Paperback
Corvette: The Photographic History of a Legendary Sports Car
Publications International Ltd
Hardcover
Hypercars: Ultimate Innovation, Engineering, and Performance
Publications International Ltd
Hardcover
Designing Dreams: Essays on the Inside Story of Gm, Harley Earl and America's Golden Automotive Age
Ruzzin, Dick
Hardcover
Classic Cars: 60 Years of Driving Excellence
Auto Editors of Consumer Guide
Publications International Ltd
Hardcover
Inglés Fluido para Camioneros: Aprende el Inglés que Todo Camionero Necesita en Estados Unidos
Lamar, Juancho
Paperback
The Great Driving Right Show: Cars, Crisis, and the Rise of Fossil Fascism
Callison, William
Edwards, George
The Zetkin Collective
Paperback
Shelby American: The Renegades Who Built the Cars, Won the Races, and Lived the Legend
Lerner, Preston
Hardcover