Most of the cars Americans want to import under the 25-year rule are pretty predictable—kei cars, Skylines, RX-7s, and other JDM classics. There's nothing wrong with any of those cars. But an easy way to spice things up is to look for a strange—bad, even—vehicle from Europe instead. It will be a lot cheaper and people will look at you funnier as you drive one.
I've wanted to import these three cars specifically to the United States for a while now, but alas, I cannot justify erasing the requisite funds on imported oddities from the UK and Germany. If I could, though, I would've done it already.
Maybe I'll ask Santa.
Audi A2
This is probably the most mainstream "weird" car I'd want to import. The A2 is just a neat little machine with unconventional styling, and the original version weighed just under 2,000 pounds, which is pretty amazing given its stature. Unfortunately, it was never very popular because of its price of around $30,000 USD adjusted for inflation. Now they can be had for around $4,000, though.
It was expensive because an innovative space frame underpinned the A2, made almost entirely from aluminum. Thanks to this chassis and its unconventional rounded roofline, it had a ton of interior space. This rounded roofline was a staple of other VW Group products around this time period.
The engines were really nothing to speak of (that'll be a trend in this list), but it would be a cool base for a project if nothing else. Audi just made its own electric A2 recently. Plus, it would look good in my driveway next to a first-gen Audi TT, which is also on my list.
Ford Ka (First Generation)
This is probably a pretty miserable little car to own and drive, but I can't help but love it anyway. The first-gen Ford Ka has big plastic wheel arches and angular light fixtures that make it stand out from other similarly-sized hatchbacks. Weighing under 2,000 pounds (just like the A2), none of its engines ever produced triple-digit horsepower.
The Ka was only ever available as a two-door, which also boosts its cool factor. And it only came with a five-speed manual transmission—the only transmission you need. A nice used Ka can be had all day long for $3,000.
Unfortunately, it'll still be a few years before the sportier trims, like the SportKa and StreetKa, will be available to import. But I think the base model is just fine. It would be a great car to abuse and modify, and they can be had for extremely cheap.
Opel/Vauxhall Tigra (First Generation)
I'll come right out and say it: This is my favorite car on the list. The name Tigra is great. "Tiger" would've been too aggressive, but Tigra is just the sort of flamboyant silliness that works for a car like this. It's fitting.
The first-gen Tigra looks unusual, inside and out. Like the Ka, it was only ever available as a two-door, but the Tigra was a slightly more upscale machine. Unlike today's vehicles, much of the exterior flair is provided courtesy of unusually shaped glass. The driver and passenger's windows have nothing close to straight edges anywhere, and the front quarter glass ahead of these windows is positively massive.
The lower edge of the windshield also sits considerably higher than the vehicle's beltline, which would be considered strange today. This treatment of the greenhouse gives the car a streamlined look, sort of like a running shoe. It also kinda looks like one of those monkeys with a big nose; the Proboscis monkey.
The pièce de résistance is the rear window. It wraps cleanly around the B-pillar like a C6 Corvette. It's just cool and refractive, and pointy at the edges in a way you just don't see anymore.
The exterior surfacing, especially around the rear of the car, is excellent. The taillights come smoked from the factory—very cool, especially in 1994—and they whip out at the top along with the trunk lid like a dollop of resting cream to form a sharp rounded spoiler. The side profile is dominated by a single downward-pointing line, sort of like a dollar-store Alfa Romeo GTV, that defines the vehicle's stance. It's a wonderfully styled car, except for the headlights, which make the entire front fascia look sad.
The interior of the Tigra is just as flamboyant as the exterior, in a European economy car sort of way. The dashboard is nothing to write home about—its rounded air vents are sort of interesting—but the upholstery is extremely vibrant. The rear seats also make me laugh; They're basically just two fabric pads in a sea of plastic. Telling a passenger to get in the back translates into "Fuck You," and I like that. Unfortunately, there are no great pictures of the rear seats online, besides one very dark image on Wikipedia.
The Tigra is basically a fashion statement disguised as an automobile. Not enough cars do that these days.
Sure, the Tigra has been eligible to import for several years. But the final model year won't be available to ship over until 2025, which is coming up fast. A cursory look at European car sales websites indicates they can be had all day long for under $4,000. If you want something weird and European, that's a small price to pay.
