Bill Gates spent a small fortune on a fine that eventually allowed him to drive his Porsche 959.
More importantly, Gates’ persistence led to a major legal change in the United States.
The new law ended up making a significant difference to a lot of people.
But there’s something important worth noting.
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How Bill Gates ended up paying around $130,000 in fines
In the late 1980s, Bill Gates imported a Porsche 959 from Europe, but the car was immediately impounded upon arrival in the United States.
According to U.S. customs, this was because it failed to meet federal safety and emission rules, which is why they seized the supercar and left it in a storage united in Seattle for 13 years.
But Gates didn’t give up and paid $28 daily annually for 4,745 days, plus a $500 annual bond, to keep the car alive and well, and on U.S. soil.
About 13 years and $133,000 later, Congress listened to Bill Gates and decided to create the ‘Show and Display’ clause.
The clause allows collectors to import basically any car they want and make it street-legal as long it is deemed ‘historically and technologically significant’, which the 959 definitely was.
Not to be confused with the 25-year import rule
The Show and Display rule mustn’t be confused with a similar rule known as the 25-year import rule.
The Show and Display has a mileage limit – only 2,500 miles per year, per vehicle – and it only applies to vehicles, old or new, that are deemed historically and technologically significant.
Obviously, the definition is a bit loose and subjective definition but, generally speaking, it’s easy to see how a Porsche 959 could be considered historically significant.
The 25-year import rule is different, because it allows you import basically any car you want – from iconic classics like the Lotus Exige to unusual Japanese minivans – and you can drive it as much as you want, with no mileage limit.
