Consider some of the goodies an American visitor to Europe can bring home: rare cognac and (certain) cheese from France, fresh cream truffles from Switzerland, a hard-to-find Irish whiskey from Dublin, a one-off Yves Saint Laurent gown from Paris.

But what about that super-sleek Peugeot or super-cool SEAT you glimpsed on the Côte d’Azur?

Uh-uh.

Just like the prosciutto and tomatoes you savored in Rome, those cars, and many more like them, are forbidden fruit (as is most fruit) when it comes to importing European delights into the United States.

The reasons are complicated, and most have to do with a tangle of federal, state and local laws and regulations. Almost all newer cars available for sale in Europe not built for export to America do not comply with a long list of safety and emission standards. Some have different bumpers, different lighting and even different brakes and brake lines that don’t meet American specifications. And those are just a few examples of noncompliance.