Why is there only one legal Volkswagen Scirocco in America?

Have you seen a cool car that’s not yet in the showrooms here? With a little effort, in many cases you can import it yourself and put it on the license plate. For example a Dodge Challenger. It is not allowed in the US. A car can only be imported and registered in the US if it is more than 25 years old. So, it is unlikely that anyone will drive the third generation Scirocco there.

The third-generation Volkswagen Scirocco has been around since 2008, so no examples are 25 years old or older. And yet this hatchback will be perfectly legal in the US. Although there are those who question that. Tuner HPA planned to make ten copies for the US market, but it was with this one Scirocco.

The car came to America in ‘parts’

The first American owner bought the car in Europe in 2009 and started taking it apart there. The powertrain is missing and parts of the interior. Eventually, the Scirocco was counted as ‘parts’ and no longer a complete car. So customs allowed the car to enter the country without impounding it.

The 2008 Volkswagen Golf R32 is waiting in the US. The R32’s entire powertrain carried over into the Scirocco. So it’s a unique Scirocco because it’s legal in the U.S. It’s a Scirocco with a V6 engine and four-wheel drive. All Sciroccos are offered with front-wheel drive. Then it has over 565 hp.

Legally, it’s a Volkswagen Golf R32 with a Scirocco body. This car is also registered as R32 in the registration certificate. The car has been in the US for more than ten years without being impounded, but the odometer shows less than 6,000 kilometers. So there is not much chance of getting caught.

Buy at your own risk

The car is now stopped Cars & Auctions For sale. A lot of people in the comments are wondering how legit the Scirocco really is. Because putting a different engine in the bodywork doesn’t make you a legal car, many argue. If the government there decides the car is illegal, it ends up in the crusher.

I dare not say what the legal situation is there. And it’s not so relevant to Dutch readers. It’s great for us to see how someone found the only third-generation Volkswagen Scirocco in the U.S. and took advantage of a small loophole.

The maximum bid is currently $55,000. In the Netherlands you already have a fun Scirocco R for 15,000 euros, but that’s one with four cylinders and front-wheel drive. If the car is legal to import, the only question is how much the Scirocco will be worth in ten years – this four-wheel-drive model with the V6 is still unique.