How do I legally import a Zil into the United States? Are they expensive? Could I get it titled and drive it around? (I understand that some cars, like the Porsche 959, cannot be legally imported because of Nader’s rantings.) Would anything have to be converted? Are they sold anywhere in the US?
Be careful with comments about the Porsche. You’ll get the usual posters tell you how Europe has higher safety and emission standards than the US. 
Ask some place like at Hemmings Motor News. [Also a good place to price check the Zil.] Individuals can and do import cars into the US. Check out every detail first. If you buy a car and get it imported, it is not the importer’s fault if you find you can’t register it and drive it on public roads. People do import cars to go into museums or collections or race tracks. The import company just gets it here. After that, it’s your responsibility.
What you need done will depend on the production year of the Zil you buy. You have to meet the import requirements for the year of production, not the current year. You send it to an approved conversion shop for whatever needs to be done.
I don’t think Zil is for sale, and she’d still only be 13 or 14, so watch yourself.
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Not exactly due to Nader’s rantings. The Government required Porsche to provide four vehicles for crashworthiness testing in order to be licensed for sale in the United States. Since Porsche built only about 30 of the cars to US specifications, they were reluctant to part with 2 million dollars worth of cars. One enthusiast’s page mentions that a total of eight were legally imported to a dealer in Pennsylvania, although all but one were sent back. According to this page, there is only one legally imported 959 in the United States; it is licensed for display purposes only and cannot be driven on the street or track. However, it also mentions that there are a number of cars that have been brought in without all the legal paperwork.
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I snooped around and couldn’t find any links/contacts for new/used Zils. Only found some links to a few “Zil” sites for their trucks and other military vehicles.
Hell, give Mr. Putin a jingle; if he’s bought a Caddy, maybe he can hook you up with a contact for a good, used Zil unit.