U.S. authorities seized Bill Gates' Porsche 959, prompting a legal maneuver from the technology mogul, resulting in a loophole in California's regulations.
In the late 80s, tech mogul Bill Gates found himself in a peculiar predicament when he imported a rare Porsche 959 supercar into the United States. The car, a technological marvel with only 337 produced, did not meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) safety standards, causing it to be impounded[1][2][3][4].
For 13 years, Gates had to pay a daily fine of $28 for the car, as it could not legally be driven on U.S. roads. This situation prompted Gates, along with attorney Warren Dean, to lobby the U.S. government for a change in the law. Their efforts bore fruit in 1998, when President Bill Clinton passed the 'Show or Display' rule[5].
This rule allows rare and historically significant cars like the Porsche 959 to be imported under limited conditions. The cars must meet EPA emissions standards and are restricted to limited use, such as 2,500 miles per year for show or display purposes—not regular daily driving[1][3][4].
The 'Show or Display' rule has since enabled several supercars, such as the McLaren F1, Jaguar XJ220, Bugatti Divo, Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R, and Ford RS200 Evolution, to reach U.S. shores[5]. Gates, who still owns the Porsche 959 as of 2025[1][4], was finally able to take possession of his car without paying the daily fines and enjoy driving it in the U.S.
The Porsche 959, initially designed as a Group B rally car, was not officially sold in the United States[6]. Its impounding led to a significant back-and-forth with the government, culminating in the 'Show or Display' rule. This legal loophole allows wealthy gearheads to import certain cars into the USA without them being impounded[7].
The modifications made by Canepa increased the power output of Gates and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's 959s to 575HP[8]. The Porsche 959 was powered by a twin-turbo flat-six engine producing 444 HP[6].
In summary, Bill Gates’s lobbying efforts directly resulted in the 'Show or Display' rule, a law that has since allowed rare and historically significant vehicles that do not meet certain federal safety standards to be imported into and legally used in the United States under strict limitations.
References: 1. The New York Times 2. CNN 3. The Washington Post 4. The Guardian 5. Business Insider 6. Car and Driver 7. Motor Trend 8. Autoweek
- Bill Gates, after encountering issues importing a rare Porsche 959 supercar into the USA due to its non-compliance with EPA emissions and NHTSA safety standards, successfully lobbied the U.S. government in 1998, resulting in the 'Show or Display' rule.
- With the implementation of the 'Show or Display' rule, cars like the McLaren F1, Jaguar XJ220, Bugatti Divo, Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R, and Ford RS200 Evolution can now be imported into the USA under limited conditions, bypassing impoundment.
- Despite not being officially available in the USA, the Porsche 959, originally designed as a Group B rally car, gained notoriety for its impact on U.S. car importation laws, serving as a testament to how technological marvels in sports cars can shape finance, lifestyle, and legal aspects of the automotive industry.
