This is why the 'greatest car ever' is banned in all 50 US states
Published on Jul 04, 2025 at 10:31 PM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson
Last updated on Jul 07, 2025 at 5:54 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
The 2010 Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SV has been called the greatest car ever, so how could it be illegal?
It’s a one-of-one, gated manual masterpiece – a unicorn in the supercar world.
But despite its pedigree, price tag, and power, this Lamborghini is banned in all 50 US states.
The reason? The perfect storm of import laws, paperwork loopholes, and even… paint color.
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Why this Lambo is banned across the US
This isn’t just any Lamborghini Murciélago.
It’s a 2010 LP670 SV with a factory manual gearbox, brown paint, cream interior, and gold wheels.
It’s so rare that collectors have offered six-figure bounties just to locate one, and this is the only one like it in the world.
But even though it might be the best version of the best Lamborghini ever, it can’t be legally registered anywhere in the United States.
It’s not the only exotic car that comes with legal strings attached – just ask Ferrari owners, who face strict rules you have to follow in order to own one.
The Murciélago is a European-spec car. And US law only allows foreign cars in under strict exemptions – which this one doesn’t meet.
The most famous loophole, the ‘Show or Display’ rule – that allows rare, historically significant cars to be imported for limited use, if no version of the car was sold in the US – doesn’t apply here, because Lamborghini did sell SVs in 2010.
A manufacturer letter of compliance would help, but Lamborghini refuses to issue them.
The only other route is federalization – modifying the car for US regulations, which can cost up to $250,000 and still isn’t guaranteed.
Some cars make it through. Others get stuck in customs.
For now, the car is in the US on a one-year temporary import visa – essentially, it’s on vacation.
Once it turns 15 in 2025, it could be legally imported into Canada.
A Canadian company could then cycle it in and out of the US each year – quite the inconvenient workaround.
Oh, and one more thing: it’s painted brown.
According to a rumour only traceable to a 22-year-old unnamed forum post, brown paint on sports cars was allegedly banned in the US in 1982.
The post named a 2002 Supreme Court case, California v. Datsun 280ZX owners, as having upheld this law – even claiming Justice Ginsburg called the color ‘visually offensive to any reasonable person’.
There’s no official record of such a ruling, but in the world of rare supercars, even urban legends can add to a car’s mystique.
Why collectors still call it the greatest car ever made
Despite the red tape, the Lamborghini Murciélago is a dream.
It’s one of just five known manual LP670 SVs, and the only one with this exact spec. It has a gated six-speed, rare comfort seats, and only about 5,000mi on the clock.
VINwiki’s Ed Bolian says it drives like new, and even compared it to a McLaren F1.
It’s valued at over $4 million – more than any modern Lamborghini except the Miura SVJ.
So even if you can’t register it, if you’ve got the cash and a Canadian connection, it might just be the greatest car ever made.
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Molly Davidson is a Junior Content Writer at Supercar Blondie. Based in Melbourne, she holds a double Bachelor’s degree in Arts/Law from Swinburne University and a Master’s of Writing and Publishing from RMIT. Molly has contributed to a range of magazines and journals, developing a strong interest in lifestyle and car news content. When she’s not writing, she’s spending quality time with her rescue English staffy, Boof.
