VEHICLE SHIPPING

WE CONSULT THE PROFESSIONALS FOR THE RIGHT ADVICE

It wasn’t all that long ago that purchasing a car from overseas required an enormous amount of trust in the vendor, or an expensive trip abroad to ensure your purchase was legitimate. But the effects of globalization and the internet have changed the game in terms of breaking down borders for car importers, professional and private alike. If you now find yourself in the market for a piece of American muscle, for example, your first port of call will likely be a Google search of American cars for sale. The same goes for searching in the UK or Australia, or any other nation trading with ours. The world of cars is now ours for the taking. The hunt itself is a barrel of fun, and hours can be lost poring over details and researching specific cars, years, engine types, and provenance. Most likely, you’ll find yourself in a wormhole of listings, you’ll get an idea of values, and your research will indicate the pitfalls of the particular vehicle you’re looking to buy. Eventually, you’ll find ‘the one’ and you’ll pull the trigger. At this point, you’ll be tempted to transfer funds to an overseas bank account, and there will be a case of the butterflies and a hint of buyer’s remorse until you get word that the vendor has received the money. Then, suddenly, you’ll own the car. But the car will still be overseas. And you’ll need to get it here. That is why we recommend doing things the other way around when possible - sorting out the logistics first, before buying. Whichever way you do it, you’ll need to find a good logistics/shipping company to get the car back to New Zealand safely. Luckily, there are players in the New Zealand market with an abundance of experience at bringing in precious metal from all around the world. You’ll want to pick a company with the necessary contacts in the country you’re importing from. Often these companies will have relationships with brokers and agents with which they can liaise and organize to get the vehicle inspected. Often, specialist logistics companies have a network of brokers and trusted vehicle inspectors they work with to give you the peace of mind you’ll want when purchasing and importing a classic or specialist vehicle sight unseen. Once the car is in New Zealand, a lot of freight and logistics businesses can help you get the car complied and road legal, but it will certainly pay to ensure that the vehicle is able to be registered for New Zealand roads (if that is its purpose) prior to purchasing it. Of course, many of the vehicles featured in this very magazine have been brought in from around the world. In fact, the cover feature car in next month’s issue was hand-picked in the US and brought back to New Zealand by its owner.

FAMOUS PACIFIC SHIPPING

Famous Pacific Shipping (FPS) takes pride in the vehicle importing side of its business. It certainly helps that the owner of the business is himself a car nut and appreciates what it takes to get a car to New Zealand while ensuring that the vehicle is of the quality expected. Its staff have worked with a number of collectors and purchasers over the years, bringing in all types of wild and wonderful automobiles. It currently has a ’56 Packard convertible and a Ford Mustang both tightly packed into the same container and bound for New Zealand. The experienced team at FPS has an excellent track record in vehicle safety; it has never had an incident while shipping a vehicle, and the company treats each of its customers’ cars, motorcycles, motorhomes, and boats with the utmost respect and care. FPS offers a full-service import process, meaning it can arrange getting your purchase from its current location, anywhere in the world, to New Zealand, through customs and Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) cleared. FPS has a base at Auckland Airport and access to facilities right across New Zealand. It can even help you get your vehicle complied and on the road once it hits our shores. For more information on the services FPS can offer, visit famous.co.nz.