Importing a car from the US.

Importing a car from the US.

Author
Discussion

Matt Harper

6,658 posts

203 months

Tuesday 31st July 2007
quotequote all
Could it be argued that buying from an individual in the USA (rather than a dealer), who might be a little more 'co-operative' with the documentation, would be a strategy to avoid some of the piss-taking with VAT etc...?
Just a thought. My brother has a 2006 C6 coupe, red/black, Z-51 with 6k miles. It is 'as new', unmarked, no-smoking, clear title. The car is in Indiana and my bro is looking in a Z06-like direction.
It would be cheaper than the numbers mentioned at the head of this thread, as he's motivated.
Is this an option, or am I on crack?

LuS1fer

41,192 posts

247 months

Tuesday 31st July 2007
quotequote all
What your brother wants to sell his car to you for is his business but C&E do have the power to determine their own value if they consider it's a gross undervalue. They can also ask you for proof of what you paid etc. For example, if your brother's car is wortn $35000 and he wants to sell it to you for $30000, I'm sure that would be reasonable but if he sold it to you for $10000, I'm sure C&E would determine the value themselves until you proved otherwise.

UK_WS6

3,336 posts

206 months

Tuesday 31st July 2007
quotequote all
$25000 would go right through the net though.
Just don't go to MAD !

Matt Harper

6,658 posts

203 months

Wednesday 1st August 2007
quotequote all
I clearly didn't ask that right!
I live in the US - and wondered if the car my brother is off-loading might be a bargain to a UK buyer.
I did a little investigating and it looks like you can get a UK sourced C6 for around GBP32-36k. By the time this one was bought shipped and all the taxes/duties paid, it's going to be around GBP28.5k
It does have polished wheels, Z51 and MN6, but (I guess) no warranty. Is a potential GBP5-7k saving worth the hassle?

LuS1fer

41,192 posts

247 months

Wednesday 1st August 2007
quotequote all
Ah. Those sort of savings have always been available by importing yourself. Because we have to pay shipping, marine insurance, 10% import duty and 17.5% VAT on top of everything and then convert the car to UK lighting specs, the price difference is less. The only advantage to what you're suggesting is if the seller would do all the legwork and put it on the boat.

However, the British market being what it is, depending on availability, we suffer far harsher depreciation than the US market and certainly Corvette prices tend to be negotiable anyway since the C6 isn't a particularly popular car.