The 156 marked a stunning return to form for Alfa Romeo. It was one of the most handsome saloons on the road when it arrived, and it was good enough to earn the coveted European Car of the Year award in 1998.
Unfortunately, Alfa’s division in America has already closed gone belly up by the time the 156 arrived in European showrooms.
Peugeot 106 Rallye (1996)
With this car, Peugeot placed a 1.3-litre engine in an ultra-compact, lightweight body shell. The 106 Rallye was unlike any enthusiast car sold on the American market at the time, and it was never seriously considered for export there because Peugeot closed its American division in 1991.
Had it been available, we bet it would have enjoyed a small but loyal following among autocross racers.
Honda Civic Type R (1997 – 2017)
For nearly two decades, American Honda fans who wanted to slip behind the wheel of a Civic Type R had to do so in a video game like Gran Turismo, or by flying to a country where the car was sold. The first four generations of Honda’s fast hatchback never made the trip to America for reasons that remain vague.
The good news is Honda finally listened to enthusiasts across the pond, and the fifth-generation Type R was designed with American regulations in mind and it went on sale in 2017.
Subaru Impreza 22B-STI (1998)
Introduced as a limited-edition model, this car benefited from a long list of mechanical modifications including a hand-built, 2.2-litre flat four cylinder engine, a strengthened five-speed manual transmission as well as numerous suspension and braking upgrades.
Subaru’s American dealers didn’t receive the original WRX, so they were deprived of the right-hand drive-only 22B.
Pagani Zonda (1999)
Argentina-born Horacio Pagani was an engineer with Renault and then Lamborghini, before striking out on his own firstly with an Italian consultancy and then, in 1999, he unveiled his first car, the Zonda. The original version, the C12, featured a 6.0-litre Mercedes-Benz V12 that delivered 395bhp or 444bhp, and its looks and performance immediately made the world take notice.