Best 90s JDM Cars: 1990s Japanese Icons & Values | 2026
By Dmitriy Shibarshin on September 28, 2026 at 9:40 AM
The US got the Supra Turbo, the RX-7 and the NSX. Japan got those plus the Skyline GT-R, the Lancer Evolution, the Impreza 22B, the Integra Type R and a dozen more that never left home. As of September 2026, every one of them built in the 1990s is past the US 25-year rule and legal to …
The Last Affordable Decade: What 1970s American Cars Are Worth in 2026 and Which Ones Ship Cheapest | 2026 Guide
By Dmitriy Shibarshin on September 25, 2026 at 11:07 AM
Six of the ten 1970s American cars below average under $30,000 on classic.com as of September 2026. A 1973 to 1977 El Camino averages $13,543. A Lincoln Continental Mark V averages $19,539 and gives you 230 inches of car for the money.
EU vs UK Classic Car Import Duty: Why a Porsche Pays 10% and a Jaguar Pays 12.5% (2026)
By Alex Naumov on September 24, 2026 at 10:37 AM
Short answer A passenger car 25 years or older pays a 2.5% base duty. The Section 301 duty that started July 24, 2026 treats that 2.5% differently for the EU and the UK: EU-built: 10% combined. The 2.5% is counted inside the 10%. Total 10%. UK-built: 10% additional. The 10% is added o …
Chain of Custody in US Car Imports: 2026 Document Guide
By Felix Cater, Alex Naumov on September 17, 2026 at 9:20 AM
What "Chain of Custody" Means When Importing a Car to the United States US Customs asks for one transfer document per ownership handoff, no matter how many hands a car has passed through. Chain of custody is that paper trail: every documented ownership transfer a vehicle has been thro …
Leno's Law Is Signed: What California's New Classic Car Smog Exemption Means for Collectors
By Dmitriy Shibarshin on September 16, 2026 at 12:07 PM
Leno's Law is officially on the books. On September 16, 2026, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1392 at Jay Leno's garage in Burbank, giving California collectors the smog check exemption they have been asking for since the original bill was introduced in early 2025. Starting J …
Kei Truck Import Guide 2026: Legal States, 25-Year Rule, Cost & Best Models
By Dmitriy Shibarshin on September 15, 2026 at 1:47 PM
About $7,500 gets a running 2000 Daihatsu Hijet from a Japanese auction to the door of our Richmond, California warehouse, duty paid. That figure surprises most first-time buyers in both directions. The truck itself costs less than they expect. The 25% duty and the state registration …
How Much Does It Cost to Import a Car from Japan to the US in 2026?
By Alex Naumov on September 15, 2026 at 3:29 AM
Updated September 15, 2026 to reflect the Section 301 duties that replaced the 10% surcharge on July 24, 2026, the 15% Section 232 rate on modern Japanese cars, and the 2001 model year entering the 25-year window. A 25-year-old JDM classic clears US customs at 12.5% duty in 2026. A mo …
Monterey Car Week Is Misunderstood: 241 Lots Sold Below Estimate
By Dmitriy Shibarshin on September 3, 2026 at 10:55 PM
At Monterey Car Week 2026, held 13–16 August in Monterey, California, 241 of 467 verifiable lots sold below their low pre-sale estimate across Gooding Christie’s, Broad Arrow, Bonhams and Mecum. 148 of them cost under $150,000.
The 50% Canada Tariff and Your Classic Car: What You Actually Pay | 2026 Guide
By Dmitriy Shibarshin, Alex Naumov on August 24, 2026 at 11:40 AM
A 50% tariff on Canadian goods went live at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on August 22, 2026, covering more than 500 tariff lines. Passenger cars are on none of them. We pulled the actual covered-article list, and the short version is that a collector car coming out of Canada pays the same 2.5% …