The Reason The U.S. Banned One Of Alfa Romeo’s Coolest Cars

No, the U.S. government did not ban the Alfa Romeo 8C because it has too much power. Alfa Romeo left the United States in 1995 for poor quality, but the 8C Competizione and 8C Spider marked a new beginning for the brand in North America. 

However, specific model years (2008 to 2010) of the Alfa Romeo 8C Spider “were not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS),” according to the U.S. Federal Register. In addition, Motor Biscuit claims the 8C Spider did not adhere to U.S. safety regulations. In response, Alfa made a North American variant in 2014 with extra bracing and chassis strengthening to comply with existing safety standards.

Furthermore, the U.S. Federal Register announced the 2016 decision by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). It said (transcript edited for simplicity): “Model year 2008 to 2010 Alfa Romeo 8C Spider passenger cars (PCs) are eligible for importation in the United States because 2008 and 2009 model year vehicles are substantially similar to those originally manufactured for importation into and sale in the United States.”

In addition, 2010 model year (the final production year of the 8C Spider) vehicles are also legal to enter U.S. shores “because those vehicles have safety features that comply with, or are capable of being altered to comply with all applicable FMVSS.” The NHTSA report from the U.S. Federal Reserve also notes that “any RI (or registered importer) who imports or modifies one of these vehicles (Alfa 8C Spider) must include in the statement of conformity and associated documents it submits to NHTSA under 49 CFR 592.6(d) additional proof to confirm that the vehicle was manufactured to conform to, FMVSS No. 138 Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems and FMVSS No. 208 Occupant Protection.”

Remember to consider all of these if you plan on importing or adding an Alfa Romeo 8C Spider to your collection.