When Each 2001 Evo 7 CT9A Becomes US-Import Eligible
The Mitsubishi CT9A Evo 7 25 year rule for 2026 eligible manufacture month decisions turns on the date of manufacture of the individual car. It does not turn on model year alone.
この記事の要点
- As of October 5, 2026, a CT9A manufactured on or before October 5, 2001 meets the NHTSA age threshold for permanent import.
- Use the month table only when the individual car’s manufacture date has been established; do not infer that date from a model-year label.
- If the original manufacturer’s permanent label does not show a manufacture date, a sufficiently old first-sale invoice or registration document may prove age without establishing the exact manufacture date.
- Passing the NHTSA age test does not remove the separate EPA test for a vehicle over 21 years old, especially when its engine has been replaced.
A CT9A built on or before October 5, 2001 is at least 25 years old by October 5, 2026
As of October 5, 2026, the NHTSA age exemption for permanent import includes an Evo VII CT9A manufactured on or before October 5, 2001. A later manufacture date has not yet reached its own anniversary.
The Evo 7 CT9A 25-year rule counts from each car’s manufacture date. The relevant clock is therefore not a seller’s model-year description, Mitsubishi’s launch month, or the year shown in an auction listing. The broader 25-year rule manufacture month guide explains why those labels and the individual-car date must be kept separate.
For permanent import, once a vehicle is at least 25 years old from manufacture, the importer uses HS-7 Declaration Box 1 for the FMVSS age exemption. This answers only the NHTSA question.
Compare the proven manufacture date with the planned import date. If the manufacture date is no later than the corresponding date 25 years earlier, the age test is met. Otherwise, use the document route below rather than turning a model-year claim into a day-specific answer.
A proven 2001 manufacture date maps to the same calendar date in 2026
When the exact manufacture date is proven, add 25 years: the month and day remain the same, and the year becomes 2026. This table is a calculation aid, not evidence of when a particular CT9A was built.
| Proven 2001 manufacture date | 2026 eligibility date | Position as of October 5, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| January, same day | January, same day | Threshold reached |
| February, same day | February, same day | Threshold reached |
| March, same day | March, same day | Threshold reached |
| April, same day | April, same day | Threshold reached |
| May, same day | May, same day | Threshold reached |
| June, same day | June, same day | Threshold reached |
| July, same day | July, same day | Threshold reached |
| August, same day | August, same day | Threshold reached |
| September, same day | September, same day | Threshold reached |
| October, same day | October, same day | Reached only for dates on or before October 5 |
| November, same day | November, same day | Not yet reached |
| December, same day | December, same day | Not yet reached |
Do not reverse this table. If the original manufacturer’s permanent label does not show a manufacture date, an invoice or registration document may prove age without revealing the factory date. Use the table only when that date is known.
January build evidence does not make February 2001 Mitsubishi launch records wrong
The January and February records describe different things, so neither date should be promoted into a factory date for an individual car.
Mitsubishi says the Lancer Evolution VII came to market in February 2001. Its Environmental Report also lists February 2001 as the GH-CT9A sales start. Neither record says every CT9A was manufactured in February or later.
The Australian Government’s ROVER entry lists a January 2001–May 2002 build-date range and covers the variants collectively. It supports January-built cars within that range, but does not give each variant’s start month or a build date for an individual car.
Mitsubishi records that the GT-A was added in February 2002. That does not assign a manufacture date to an individual GT-A or place it in the 2001 table.
Avoid this judgment: “The Evo VII launched in February, so every car became eligible from February 2026.”
Do this instead: separate launch records, a registration-wide build range, and the evidence attached to the individual CT9A. Only the last category can support an exact eligibility date for that car.
Accepted age evidence can be enough without proving the exact manufacture date
When the original manufacturer’s permanent label does not show a manufacture date, an accepted alternative document may establish that the CT9A is old enough without proving its exact factory date. Ask for more precise evidence only when the exact day changes the answer.
| Evidence situation | What it can establish | Next action | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer’s permanent label has no manufacture date; first-sale invoice is dated at least 25 years before import | The vehicle’s age for the NHTSA permanent-import exemption | Retain it as alternative age evidence | It does not necessarily establish the factory date |
| Manufacturer’s permanent label has no manufacture date; registration document shows a date at least 25 years before import | The vehicle is at least 25 years old | Retain it as alternative age evidence | The registration date is not automatically the manufacture date |
| Manufacturer’s permanent label has no manufacture date, and the invoice or registration date is not yet 25 years old, but manufacture date may be earlier | Age is not yet proven by that document | Obtain evidence of the exact manufacture date before relying on the calendar | Do not announce a day-specific eligibility date while the date is unknown |
| Manufacturer’s permanent label has no manufacture date, and no first-sale or registration information is available | The normal alternative-document route is incomplete | Seek a statement from a recognized vehicle historical society | The statement concerns age evidence; it should not be replaced with a seller estimate |
- First check the original manufacturer's permanent label for a manufacture date.
- If that label does not show the date, ask whether an old-enough invoice or registration document resolves age.
- If not, obtain the exact manufacture date before relying on the calendar.
- With no sale or registration information, ask about the recognized historical-society route.
- Read Japan-side paperwork only for what each field proves.
See Japanese vehicle documents for export. If records only narrow a production period, use the guide to narrow a JDM car’s build date using Japan’s recall registry.
NHTSA’s 25-year exemption does not replace EPA’s separate 21-year engine test
A CT9A can satisfy the NHTSA age exemption and still require a separate EPA answer. Treat the vehicle-age and engine questions as two independent checks before purchase.
| Check | Threshold or condition | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA / FMVSS permanent import | At least 25 years from the individual vehicle’s manufacture date | Age evidence and HS-7 Box 1 eligibility |
| EPA | Over 21 years old | The engine is the original engine or is identical in model and configuration to the engine originally installed |
For a modified CT9A, ask whether the engine is original. If not, verify that its model and configuration are identical to the originally installed engine. Being over 25 years old does not settle both agencies’ requirements.
This article stops at federal age and engine checks; it does not decide state registration, California emissions certification, or customs procedure.
FAQ
Q1. Is every 2001 Evo VII legal to import in 2026?
No. For permanent import, a 2001 car reaches the NHTSA threshold on the corresponding date in 2026, and other federal requirements remain separate.
Q2. Was the Evo VII built in January or launched in February 2001?
ROVER gives a January 2001–May 2002 range across the registered variants; Mitsubishi records a February 2001 launch and sales start. Neither dates an individual CT9A.
Q3. Does a model year prove the manufacture date?
No. A model-year description cannot replace individual-car evidence when the exact manufacture date determines eligibility.
Q4. What can prove age if the build label is missing?
If the original manufacturer’s permanent label does not show a manufacture date, NHTSA identifies a first-sale invoice, an old-enough registration document, or—if those records are unavailable—a recognized vehicle historical society statement.
Q5. Which HS-7 box applies after 25 years?
For permanent import, use HS-7 Declaration Box 1 after the vehicle is at least 25 years old from its manufacture date.
Q6. Does an engine swap affect EPA eligibility after 21 years?
It can. For the EPA over-21 provision, the engine must be original or identical in model and configuration to the originally installed engine.