We have a bit of an El Camino fetish here. Anytime someone mentions the prospect of it coming back to America, we get all hot and bothered and have dirty dreams for weeks. Alas, GM never makes it happen and we have to lust after our Holden driving friends in Australia.
So how the hell is there a Holden Ute in New York with New York plates?
As we see it, there are a few possibilities how this Ute got into the country under the radar.
- It was imported under the national "Show and Display" regulations. Passed in 1999, Show and Display allows for limited private importation of significant cars that can't otherwise be in America. They have to be approved by the NHTSA and the cars can only drive 2,500 miles per year.
- The cunning owner imported it, caught the DMV while it was sleeping, and got it registered as a Pontiac G8. I've heard of this sort of thing happening in the past, not too sure about it happening these days.
- The cunning owner imported it, never registered it, and just has some license plates on it.
- This is a G8 that has been converted to a Ute by the greatest Pontiac owner ever. Sir, we need to meet you.
Manufacturers do frequently bring over cars that aren't available in America, like Audi recently did with a brand new RS4 Avant. But these cars typically have manufacturer's plates, which this Ute doesn't have.
One thing is for certain, if we saw this on the road in America, we'd go crazy and probably have a massive crisis.
(A big ole tip of chapeau to Jimmy!!)