Bill Gates imported a banned supercar but after 13 years of it being impounded, the law changed and he finally drove it

Back in the 1980s, Bill Gates bought a banned luxury vehicle, but he ended up spending a fortune on this supercar twice.

First, he clearly spent a pretty penny when he bought it.

But then he had to spend almost the same amount again due to an annoying bureaucratic hurdle.

But he never gave up, and, believe it or not, this led to a major legal change in the US.

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Bill Gates’ stubbornness shaped the law

In the 1980s, Bill Gates imported the then-illegal Porsche 959 from Europe.

The car was not street-legal in the US, which is why it was impounded immediately upon arrival.

According to US customs, it failed to meet federal safety and emission rules, which is why authorities were happy to seize it and park it in a container at the docks.

Gates refused to send his Porsche 959 back, and he started a major legal battle that cost him a small fortune.

Gates ended up paying $28 every day the car remained seized, plus a $500 annual bond.

And he did that for a grand total of 4,747 days, so basically over 13 years.

Over a decade and $133,000 later, Congress relented and brought in a law for such cases.

It’s called the ‘Show and Display‘ rule, which allows collectors to import any car they want as long as the vehicle is ‘historically and technologically significant’, and as long as you keep the car mileage below 2,500 miles per year.

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Not to be confused with another similar rule

The Show and Display rule is often confused with a similar rule that everyone colloquially calls the ’25-year’ import rule.

Both rules serve the same purpose – they allow you to make imported cars street-legal – but they’re different for two reasons.

First, unlike the Show and Display rule, the 25-year import rule imposes no limits on how much you can drive the car.

You don’t have to stick to 2,500 miles per year: you can drive the car as much as you want.

Second, the 25-year import rule allows you to import basically any car you want – from iconic classics like the Lotus Exige or the Nissan Skyline (above) to unusual Japanese minivans.

A 1990s Suzuki Carry van is just as legal as a Ferrari.