The Import of Used cars from Europe to North America will cause several problems:

Cars made for the European market generally do not conform with U.S. / Canadian safety, bumper and emission standards. Therefor the cars must be converted when imported to these countries. The conversion work can not be done in Europe, and there are only a few importers and workshops in the U.S. that are specialized in and, most important, certified for the conversion of imported cars. However, the conversion work is different for every make and model.

http://www.carclassic.com/us_info.asp

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/FMVSS/index.html

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/hs799short.pdf

http://www.fiatbarchetta.com/usa/car.htm

US Government agencies use a lot of acronyms. Here is a list of some of the most common acronyms:

Canada:

Used vehicles acquired in foreign countries other than the U.S.are not designed, built, tested and certified to meet the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. However, it is possible to import cars that are older than 15 years to Canada without any conversion! Please use this link if you would like more information:

http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/safevehicles/importation/index.htm

15 y.o. cars: Canadians seem to love older Volkswagen T3 or T4 Doublecab (DOKA), older Toyota Landcruiser (BJ; FJ ), VW LT, Mercedes G-Model (Gelandewagen), Westfalia campervan and Unimog. All must be Diesel.

...some abbreviations:

DOT: The Department of Transportation, but could also be the Department of the Treasury, the agency responsible for the US Customs Service.

FMVSS: Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. The imported vehicle must meet all the US safety standards.