Ten Cars You Can't Buy in the U.S.
The U.S. has restrictions when it comes to cars that can be purchased here, but it wasn't always that way.
She may be the land of plenty, but when it comes to purchasing certain cars, the U.S. falls short.
Wheels from French automakers Peugeot, Citroen and Renault aren't sold in the States. American buyers can't have Italian brands other than those of high-end makers Ferrari and Maserati. They also can't register many of Germany's new, diesel-powered passenger cars in five states, including New York and California, because of tough emissions rules.
It wasn't always that way.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, American buyers had a wide choice of French and Italian cars. They might not have been very reliable, but their styling, comfort, ride and handling added spice to the automotive melting pot.
Today that pot is rather bland. Peugeot, the last remaining French brand in the U.S. market, abruptly pulled the plug on its underperforming U.S. subsidiary in 1991, done in by high prices and poor quality, which made them unsuited for the market, especially in light of the new competition from Lexus and Infiniti from Japan.
Neither it nor other French brands has come back, even though by all accounts, their products are much improved. And Alfa Romeo and Fiat are long gone from the U.S. market.
When they left, the French and Italian brands were fat and lazy, with huge domestic market shares that were practically guaranteed by their home governments, which maintained high tariffs between European countries.
After 1992, the European Community ushered in a new era of freer competition that created a more even playing field for imported cars. Fiat, for instance, nearly went broke as its Italian market share fell, but in the long run the French and Italians hung on and have come back in Europe stronger than before. Today, they can afford to invest in a U.S. distribution channel, and their products are much more suitable for U.S. buyers, especially in terms of quality.
Take the Peugeot 4007 SUV. You would think at least some American buyers would like to buy it. Even though $3 gasoline has torpedoed U.S. demand for big domestic SUVs, import luxury-brand SUVs like Land Rover, the Porsche Cayenne and the Mercedes GL-Class have prospered.
Yet nobody expects Peugeot back anytime soon, nor sister company Citroen, which makes a distinct version of the 4007 called the C-Crosser. The closest American buyers can get is a Mitsubishi Outlander, which was developed in a three-way cooperative effort among the brands.
Italian Renaissance
Unlike the French makers, Italian brands Alfa Romeo and Fiat, which belong to parent company Fiat S.p.A., appear ready for a comeback.
Fiat quit selling cars in the U.S. under the Fiat brand in the mid-1980s; it had a poor quality reputation summed up by the acronym, "Fix It Again, Tony." (Fiat also owns the Maserati brand, which it relaunched in the U.S. market in 2002, after a 12-year absence.) Alfa Romeo quit in 1995, after a shaky alliance with then-Chrysler. The No. 1 Alfa dealer in the U.S. sold only 28 cars in 1994, according to Automotive News.
But Fiat Auto CEO Sergio Marchionne has said Alfa would return to the U.S. market, but not before the end of 2008. Alfa Romeo's mainstream models are the Brera Coupe and Spider convertible. The brand also has shown a high-end sports car, the 8C Competizione, at auto shows. And speculation persists on whether the company could export a higher-performance version of the tiny, redesigned Fiat 500 to the U.S. market. It would compete with the Mercedes Smart car and BMW's Mini brand.
Pump Busters
Modern diesels are an especially logical choice for a comeback, now that fuel efficiency is on the radars of U.S. consumers.
Fuel-efficient diesels dominate today's European market, and German automakers are preparing to launch a host of so-called "50-state" diesels sellable in the entire U.S. market, starting next year.
Thanks in part to low-sulfur diesel fuel mandated by the U.S. government since 2006, today's diesel engines are quiet, powerful and not smoky — unlike the diesels in the Peugeot 505 of the mid-1980s. And diesel engines get about 30 percent more miles to the gallon versus the same-size gasoline engine.
What does all this mean for you? If you’re a car enthusiast who likes choice, the list of cars you can’t buy in America might soon get shorter.
Alfa Romeo Spider V6 model
About $46,377
The 1967 movie The Graduate made the Alfa Romeo Spider a pop culture icon, but poor quality and financial problems for parent Fiat S.p.A knocked the brand out of the U.S. market in 1995. Several product generations later, the latest Spider could help launch a U.S. comeback in the next few years. In Europe, engine choices include a 260-hp 3.2-liter V6.
Aston Martin Vanquish S
About $360,000
The Vanquish S, last offered in the U.S. market for the 2006 model year, is Aston Martin's fastest-ever, street-legal car, with a hand-built, 6.0-liter V12 engine that generates 520hp. It is theoretically a four-seater, but European customers can replace the cramped rear seats with a luggage shelf. Ford Motor sold Aston Martin to a group of investors earlier this year.
Audi S3
About $39,700
The S3 is a high-performance version of the A3, which is available in the U.S. The S3 has a 265-hp, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine. However, the S3 has two strikes against it with U.S. buyers: It's a boxy two-door and it's a hatchback, which is not a popular body style. The A3 is a four-door, and looks like a station wagon.
BMW 1 Series
Estimated U.S. Starting Price: Around $30,000
Germany's BMW AG introduced the four-door hatchback 1 Series in the fall of 2004, but not for the U.S. market. America will get an all-new 1 Series coupe along with the rest of the world, starting in early 2008. The U.S. gets two six-cylinder variants, the 230-hp 128i and the 300-hp 135i. The European hatchback model has smaller engine options and diesel available.
Citroen C6
About $54,000
The Citroen C6 flagship sedan has a 3.0-liter, 215-hp V6 gasoline engine, or a choice of two diesels. Cool features include a head-up display for the driver. Also, to meet European safety standards for low-speed pedestrian impacts, the hood automatically raises slightly in case of an impact, to create a small "crumple zone" between the hood and hard points under the hood.
Fiat 500
About $14,000
Fiat launched the latest generation of the 500 minicar on July 4. In Europe, engine choices range from only 69 hp to 100 hp. But with the Mercedes smart brand set for a U.S. launch next year, and BMW's Mini brand doing well, the U.S. could be ready for a higher-performance version of the 500, if Fiat adds one in the next few years.
Smart (Mercedes) fortwo
Starting U.S. Price Under $12,000
Mercedes-Benz launched smart (small "s") in Europe in 1998. U.S. customers can finally buy one in early 2008. The base fourtwo has a three-cylinder engine and a five-speed automatic transmission that can be shifted manually--and not much else. Air conditioning, power windows and even a radio are optional. In an unusual setup, Penske Automotive Group, the nation's second-largest dealer chain, will distribute smart for Mercedes-Benz.
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
Estimated U.S. Price: Around $35,000
The high-performance "Evo" was last offered in the U.S. for the 2006 model year. Mitsubishi will revive it in early 2008. Features include all-wheel drive and a lightweight, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine, with an aluminum cylinder block.
Nissan Skyline
About $25,000
Since you can’t buy a new one in the U.S., some "drifters" in Southern California have bought used Japanese-market Skylines and paid to have them converted to meet U.S. regulations. Drifting is driving sideways, in a controlled skid. The closely related Infiniti G35 is the next best thing for U.S. buyers, but it is being replaced this fall by the all-new G37.
Peugeot 4007
Pricing Not Available
Peugeot, which bailed out of the U.S. market in 1991, says on its official Web site that it has "no plans" to return. If it ever did, maybe some U.S. buyers would like an attractively styled SUV like the 4007--especially if there were a more powerful alternative to the standard, four-cylinder diesel engine. The 4007 was expected to debut this month in Europe.
(C)Forbes
She may be the land of plenty, but when it comes to purchasing certain cars, the U.S. falls short.
Wheels from French automakers Peugeot, Citroen and Renault aren't sold in the States. American buyers can't have Italian brands other than those of high-end makers Ferrari and Maserati. They also can't register many of Germany's new, diesel-powered passenger cars in five states, including New York and California, because of tough emissions rules.
It wasn't always that way.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, American buyers had a wide choice of French and Italian cars. They might not have been very reliable, but their styling, comfort, ride and handling added spice to the automotive melting pot.
Today that pot is rather bland. Peugeot, the last remaining French brand in the U.S. market, abruptly pulled the plug on its underperforming U.S. subsidiary in 1991, done in by high prices and poor quality, which made them unsuited for the market, especially in light of the new competition from Lexus and Infiniti from Japan.
Neither it nor other French brands has come back, even though by all accounts, their products are much improved. And Alfa Romeo and Fiat are long gone from the U.S. market.
When they left, the French and Italian brands were fat and lazy, with huge domestic market shares that were practically guaranteed by their home governments, which maintained high tariffs between European countries.
After 1992, the European Community ushered in a new era of freer competition that created a more even playing field for imported cars. Fiat, for instance, nearly went broke as its Italian market share fell, but in the long run the French and Italians hung on and have come back in Europe stronger than before. Today, they can afford to invest in a U.S. distribution channel, and their products are much more suitable for U.S. buyers, especially in terms of quality.
Take the Peugeot 4007 SUV. You would think at least some American buyers would like to buy it. Even though $3 gasoline has torpedoed U.S. demand for big domestic SUVs, import luxury-brand SUVs like Land Rover, the Porsche Cayenne and the Mercedes GL-Class have prospered.
Yet nobody expects Peugeot back anytime soon, nor sister company Citroen, which makes a distinct version of the 4007 called the C-Crosser. The closest American buyers can get is a Mitsubishi Outlander, which was developed in a three-way cooperative effort among the brands.
Italian Renaissance
Unlike the French makers, Italian brands Alfa Romeo and Fiat, which belong to parent company Fiat S.p.A., appear ready for a comeback.
Fiat quit selling cars in the U.S. under the Fiat brand in the mid-1980s; it had a poor quality reputation summed up by the acronym, "Fix It Again, Tony." (Fiat also owns the Maserati brand, which it relaunched in the U.S. market in 2002, after a 12-year absence.) Alfa Romeo quit in 1995, after a shaky alliance with then-Chrysler. The No. 1 Alfa dealer in the U.S. sold only 28 cars in 1994, according to Automotive News.
But Fiat Auto CEO Sergio Marchionne has said Alfa would return to the U.S. market, but not before the end of 2008. Alfa Romeo's mainstream models are the Brera Coupe and Spider convertible. The brand also has shown a high-end sports car, the 8C Competizione, at auto shows. And speculation persists on whether the company could export a higher-performance version of the tiny, redesigned Fiat 500 to the U.S. market. It would compete with the Mercedes Smart car and BMW's Mini brand.
Pump Busters
Modern diesels are an especially logical choice for a comeback, now that fuel efficiency is on the radars of U.S. consumers.
Fuel-efficient diesels dominate today's European market, and German automakers are preparing to launch a host of so-called "50-state" diesels sellable in the entire U.S. market, starting next year.
Thanks in part to low-sulfur diesel fuel mandated by the U.S. government since 2006, today's diesel engines are quiet, powerful and not smoky — unlike the diesels in the Peugeot 505 of the mid-1980s. And diesel engines get about 30 percent more miles to the gallon versus the same-size gasoline engine.
What does all this mean for you? If you’re a car enthusiast who likes choice, the list of cars you can’t buy in America might soon get shorter.
Alfa Romeo Spider V6 model
About $46,377The 1967 movie The Graduate made the Alfa Romeo Spider a pop culture icon, but poor quality and financial problems for parent Fiat S.p.A knocked the brand out of the U.S. market in 1995. Several product generations later, the latest Spider could help launch a U.S. comeback in the next few years. In Europe, engine choices include a 260-hp 3.2-liter V6.
Aston Martin Vanquish S
About $360,000 The Vanquish S, last offered in the U.S. market for the 2006 model year, is Aston Martin's fastest-ever, street-legal car, with a hand-built, 6.0-liter V12 engine that generates 520hp. It is theoretically a four-seater, but European customers can replace the cramped rear seats with a luggage shelf. Ford Motor sold Aston Martin to a group of investors earlier this year.
Audi S3
About $39,700The S3 is a high-performance version of the A3, which is available in the U.S. The S3 has a 265-hp, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine. However, the S3 has two strikes against it with U.S. buyers: It's a boxy two-door and it's a hatchback, which is not a popular body style. The A3 is a four-door, and looks like a station wagon.
BMW 1 Series
Estimated U.S. Starting Price: Around $30,000Germany's BMW AG introduced the four-door hatchback 1 Series in the fall of 2004, but not for the U.S. market. America will get an all-new 1 Series coupe along with the rest of the world, starting in early 2008. The U.S. gets two six-cylinder variants, the 230-hp 128i and the 300-hp 135i. The European hatchback model has smaller engine options and diesel available.
Citroen C6
About $54,000The Citroen C6 flagship sedan has a 3.0-liter, 215-hp V6 gasoline engine, or a choice of two diesels. Cool features include a head-up display for the driver. Also, to meet European safety standards for low-speed pedestrian impacts, the hood automatically raises slightly in case of an impact, to create a small "crumple zone" between the hood and hard points under the hood.
Fiat 500
About $14,000Fiat launched the latest generation of the 500 minicar on July 4. In Europe, engine choices range from only 69 hp to 100 hp. But with the Mercedes smart brand set for a U.S. launch next year, and BMW's Mini brand doing well, the U.S. could be ready for a higher-performance version of the 500, if Fiat adds one in the next few years.
Smart (Mercedes) fortwo
Starting U.S. Price Under $12,000Mercedes-Benz launched smart (small "s") in Europe in 1998. U.S. customers can finally buy one in early 2008. The base fourtwo has a three-cylinder engine and a five-speed automatic transmission that can be shifted manually--and not much else. Air conditioning, power windows and even a radio are optional. In an unusual setup, Penske Automotive Group, the nation's second-largest dealer chain, will distribute smart for Mercedes-Benz.
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
Estimated U.S. Price: Around $35,000The high-performance "Evo" was last offered in the U.S. for the 2006 model year. Mitsubishi will revive it in early 2008. Features include all-wheel drive and a lightweight, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine, with an aluminum cylinder block.
Nissan Skyline
About $25,000Since you can’t buy a new one in the U.S., some "drifters" in Southern California have bought used Japanese-market Skylines and paid to have them converted to meet U.S. regulations. Drifting is driving sideways, in a controlled skid. The closely related Infiniti G35 is the next best thing for U.S. buyers, but it is being replaced this fall by the all-new G37.
Peugeot 4007
Pricing Not AvailablePeugeot, which bailed out of the U.S. market in 1991, says on its official Web site that it has "no plans" to return. If it ever did, maybe some U.S. buyers would like an attractively styled SUV like the 4007--especially if there were a more powerful alternative to the standard, four-cylinder diesel engine. The 4007 was expected to debut this month in Europe.
(C)Forbes
