Mercedes-Benz never exported G-Wagen officially to the United States because it was considered more of utilitian vehicle and didn't fit the American perception of what Mercedes-Benz was. During the 1980s, the grey import specialists brought W460 to the United States and modified them to meet the US regulations. In 1988, the new federal law, Motor Vehicle Safety Compliance Act, closed the loopholes and tightened up the regulations for grey imports, making it more difficult and more expensive for the registered importers to federalise W460 in a very small number.