What is "Show or Display" all about?

I wrote and re-wrote this post a few times over, and I've decided that the best way to share some interesting facts about "Show or Display" (variously "Show and Display") is to offer up a few articles and resources that have already been published. They're better written than what I had come up with, even if they aren't as comprehensive individually. They offer the complete picture when read together.

Below are two articles from AutoWeek magazine which are available online. The first is fairly brief and was written about a month after "Show or Display" passed in 1999. The second, written over a year later, is a much more in-depth article, but is slightly outdated (the CLK-GTR has been approved, Trabant rejected). At the center of the article is Gary Bartlett and his XJ220. The article also references the difficulty of EPA compliance of post-OBDII (1996) cars, but these OBDII conversions been since been accomplished. [See bottom of post for photos from this article.]

The third article is from Motive Magazine and is sort of a rewording of what's already been written on the DOT website, but in much clearer terms. The author describes why it's so hard to get late-model cars through EPA and DOT, and why "Show or Display" is a viable alternative as long as you aren't looking for a daily-driver.

Check out the Wikipedia article on the Porsche 959 for a blurb about Bill Gates' car and Canepa's work on getting EPA approval.

Finally, head over to the DOT-NHTSA page about "Show or Display" and then look at the list of approved and disapproved cars.

If anyone has any other vaulable resources regarding "Show or Display" please feel free to post them in the comments section.

Easier Import Rules - AutoWeek, 20 Sep. 1999

Display of Speed - AutoWeek, 8 Jan. 2001

Amazing Greys - Motive

Porsche 959 - Wikipedia

How to Import a Motor Vehicle for Show or Display - NHTSA

Vehicles Determined Eligible (and Not Eligible) for Importation for Show or Display (pdf) - NHTSA