PREPARING TO COLLECT
There are a many options for importing a car. Easiest is to get a dedicated company involved who will deal with everything and deliver to your door, but this is also the dearest and least adventure filled!
My ideal would be flying out and driving home, but I have yet to buy a car that’s suitable for this abroad. My Granada’s registration issues were complicated, and the Sierra had run out of an MoT equivalent and also had a fuel leak listed in the sale, so was deemed too much hassle to attempt this.The fully legit way to drive home is to buy a car with a valid MoT equivalent, have the seller complete export paperwork and then to have the car insured on the VIN for your return home. My compromise was heading over with a trailer and towing my new purchase back. Not quite as much fun, but much simpler!
The main things here are to make sure your tow car is fully up to the job as you are without a safety net much of the time as recovery companies can be quite difficult when it comes to vehicles abroad towing. Also make sure your car is legal!The first time I used a Range Rover with a huge towing capacity, but on my second trip I used my Volvo 850 with a quite miserly 1600 kg limit.Thankfully, not an eyelid was batted abroad, but the DVSA pulled me at Carlisle for some strong words and a weigh in. I was painfully close to a prohibition notice being slapped on the load, but thankfully I was travelling alone, and the Sierra was lighter than it looked. Another few killograms and I would have been put off the road!
“THE IDEAL IS FLYING OUT AND DRIVING YOUR NEW CAR HOME”