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Importing a car from the USA

Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2020 7:31 pm
by JDB
A purely hypothetical musing but I was wondering if one bought a classic car off American eBay for about $1000 and wanted to import it to the UK, how would it be achieved and at what sort of cost? Has anyone on here had any experience of such?
For arguments sake let's assume such a car was in Arizona and quite big and old and not running.
Not that I'd do anything so ill-advised...
Cheers, JB

Re: Importing a car from the USA

Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2020 8:17 pm
by classiclife
I suggest you look at the UK Gov and HMRC websites for guidance as to what import tax you may need to pay. I believe that classics of a certain age can have a significant import tax reduction - perhaps zero.

You also need to consider exchange rates - fair at the moment.

Shipping of the vehicle; there are specialist companies who can do all the "import duty" work for you at a cost; but doing your own paperwork is easy and straightforward as all forms are online pdf's.

You will also need to register the car with DVLA.

Nothing to it really.

Regards.

Richard.

Re: Importing a car from the USA

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 9:06 am
by JDB
Thanks for the reply. It was merely idle speculation on my part, but I reckoned if the car cost $1000 it would probably cost about five times that getting it to the UK. JB

Re: Importing a car from the USA

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 10:02 am
by classiclife
I imagine many an "idle speculation" has materialised in to something far more tangible - such is the want of human nature !!

Regards.

Richard.

Re: Importing a car from the USA

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 12:04 pm
by Stan Thomas
About five years ago a colleague imported a classic car in a container from mid- America to Surrey without too much red tape for about £1800 as I recall - because at the time, I brought a car from the Isle of Man and they charged me £520!!

Beware if you use the Isle of Man Steam Racket Company, because they charge by the number of revolutions of the propellers.

Re: Importing a car from the USA

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 11:38 pm
by grahamemmett
A pal of mine regularly imports Model T Fords from all over the USA and from what he says it’s relatively good value.
Find the Model T UK club website and you may find his contact details there - his name is Mike Vidler and he’s the chairman.

Re: Importing a car from the USA

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2020 11:56 am
by Chris_R
I think one way shipping across the Atlantic can be had for around $1000. Avoid containerising it. There is a regular 'round robin' shipping service that serves various US East Coast ports, then Northern Europe ports, then to Southampton and then back to the USA but a container can be on a ship for at least a couple of weeks and the container sets up a sort of sweatbox environment, just perfect for encouraging rust to do its work much more quickly than you could possible imagine, even through painted surfaces! If possible use a Ro-Ro service but that may be an issue if the car doesn't drive.
Importing it to the UK, the car classes as historic. You apply to HMRC for a Binding Tariff Information under Chapter 97.05 of the import tariffs and this qualifies the car for zero import duty and only 5% VAT on the landed value which includes purchase price, all shipping and insurances. The fee has to be paid before the car can be released from the docks. After payment you get what is called a NOVA certificate which is your certificate that all import duties have been paid. The DVLA will not register the car without that.
On the subject of the DVLA, you would register it using a V55/5 application which will also need dating evidence of date of manufacture and (if available) date of first registration. This would probably have to be provided by the vehicle owners club and authorised by the club's V765 representative.

Re: Importing a car from the USA

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2020 1:30 pm
by JDB
Some very interesting comments, thanks. Fortunately the car that caused the idle speculation is 6 inches longer than my Majestic Majors and 5 inches wider, so there is absolutely no way it would fit on my drive; also my wife would leave me!
JB

Re: Importing a car from the USA

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2020 3:37 pm
by New Dexter
May we enquire as to what the car was?

Re: Importing a car from the USA

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2020 4:52 pm
by JDB
Yes, certainly; it is a 1961 Plymouth Belvedere. My interest is purely based on aesthetics and seems to be limited to that year.