# Can I bring and drive a 1960ish Fiat Cinquecento in the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 6, 2004, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-bring-and-drive-a-1960ish-fiat-cinquecento-in-the-us/238522 "2004-04-06T11:12:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-bring-and-drive-a-1960ish-fiat-cinquecento-in-the-us/238522/1 "2004-04-06T11:12:16Z")
I am considering bringing one of these back with me as a trophy (the Navy will ship it free) and also as something to fix up. Will I need any special types of license to drive it in the states? What are the antique car laws and how do they protect owners? How about safety regulations? I’m a pretty tall guy, so I’m considering taking out the front seats and just using the back seat. Would that be legal? You can see some pretty good pictures [here](http://www.geocities.com/nikolic_lj_dragan/Classic/Fiat500.htm) , if you’ve never seen the car. (Imagine a 6’2 guy crawling in and out ^\_~) ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-bring-and-drive-a-1960ish-fiat-cinquecento-in-the-us/238522/2 "2004-04-06T11:36:22Z")
You have actually ridden in one of those things, right?! Plus, you’ll be just about at the exhaust level of most American cars…but each to their own 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-bring-and-drive-a-1960ish-fiat-cinquecento-in-the-us/238522/3 "2004-04-06T11:41:21Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > You have actually ridden in one of those things, right?! > Plus, you’ll be just about at the exhaust level of most American cars…but each to their own 🙂 Yeah I ride in a friends all the time its so fun! Good point about the exhaust though. I can imagine sucking the fumes out of an SUV lol. (probably healthier than breathing here though…) Anyway, i don’t plan on using it as a main means of transportation, but I would like to scoot around downtown in it you know? ---
**Author:** ![mske](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@mske](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mske)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-bring-and-drive-a-1960ish-fiat-cinquecento-in-the-us/238522/4 "2004-04-06T11:51:20Z")
You should be good to go for importing it. From [here](http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/ELIG102803.html); > [@](#): > > Under 49 U.S.C. § 30112(b)(9) (formerly section 108(i) of the Act), “any motor vehicle that is at least 25 years old” is not subject to importation restrictions. All vehicles less than 25 years old must be determined eligible for importation by one of the following methods before the vehicle may be imported under contract with a Registered Importer as described in the Vehicle Importation Guidelines. Registering it? Not sure… ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-bring-and-drive-a-1960ish-fiat-cinquecento-in-the-us/238522/5 "2004-04-06T12:03:21Z")
A few links from Google: [http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/graymarket\_RI\_list01132004.html](http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/graymarket_RI_list01132004.html) - basically, arrange for a registered importer to handle the vehicle, and stump up money upfront before the conversion to US standards is done [http://www.importexporthelp.com/importing-cars.htm](http://www.importexporthelp.com/importing-cars.htm) - unfortunately, as the Fiat doesn’t seem to be a ‘conforming’ vehicle, you don’t get the military duty-exemption ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-bring-and-drive-a-1960ish-fiat-cinquecento-in-the-us/238522/6 "2004-04-06T12:54:27Z")
Not sure where you are going to reside, but you might wnt to consider registering it as an antique. If you are going to live in an area that has mandatory vehicle emission inspections, it may help. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-bring-and-drive-a-1960ish-fiat-cinquecento-in-the-us/238522/7 "2004-04-06T13:04:10Z")
Found a link with pics [http://www.californiaclassix.com/archive/62\_Fiat\_500\_c124.html](http://www.californiaclassix.com/archive/62_Fiat_500_c124.html) ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-bring-and-drive-a-1960ish-fiat-cinquecento-in-the-us/238522/8 "2004-04-06T13:13:34Z")
You can have 'most anything “approved”. I’ve seen obviously home-made vehicles on the road. I’d call your state’s DMV and find out how to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-bring-and-drive-a-1960ish-fiat-cinquecento-in-the-us/238522/9 "2004-04-12T13:01:48Z")
Any news on this? ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-bring-and-drive-a-1960ish-fiat-cinquecento-in-the-us/238522/10 "2004-04-12T13:16:42Z")
It looks like I might have found one, not sure yet. I’ll update the thread when I find out for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-bring-and-drive-a-1960ish-fiat-cinquecento-in-the-us/238522/11 "2004-04-12T13:25:43Z")
According to **mske** ’s link: > [@](#): > > “any motor vehicle that is at least 25 years old” is not subject to importation restrictions I guess I missed that last time. So it sounds as if there is nothing that needs to be changed on a 1960-ish car in order to bring it here. FWIW, I’ve been thinking about getting a smaller car. Can you bring back _two_ Giardinieras? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-bring-and-drive-a-1960ish-fiat-cinquecento-in-the-us/238522/12 "2004-04-12T13:27:42Z")
lol wouldn’t that be great! actually as it turns out, i’m using an ‘opportunity lift’ to get my flown over once I find it. i.e. its going to be put on an empty cargo plane !!