Importing a kit car to France . . . any suggestions?

[Thumper]

This is not specifically for me (although I would be interested in the longer term) but does anyone have experience of importing a completed kit car to France?

I understand the procedures for registering regular or classic vehicles, and how to go about obtaining their "Carte Grise", but I've also heard some horror stories about people attempting to take kit cars into the country. Has anyone succeeded in recent years, and how did they go about it?

[dino ferrana]

Thumper I would probably look at turning some water into wine or set up a business selling rocking horse droppings in bulk.

I believe it is possible, but there isn't a reliable or concrete route to success. A lot of English Caterham owners have kept their cars registered here and then popped back for an MOT.

[Olivero]

I have been told it is very hard, or almost imposible to do.
Your best bet would be to find an official chap who is also into cars who could help out.
I am in Italy with similar problems, I could slip the right person some sheckles, but will most likely end up just keeping the car on UK plates.

Are you thinking of doing this as a business or just a oe off ?

[Thumper]

In my case it's just a one off . . . and probably several years down the road. I have to restore the car first! I was asking on behalf of a friend, who's considering a permanent move to France and has a Fury, and also a trike.

As suggested, most others I know of keep their cars on UK plates, and bring them back once in a while for MOTs etc. I would be interested to know if anyone has ever succeeded, but the more I look into this, the more impossible it seems to be.

[SamuliS]

Ah, I'm (we) not alone, Finland isnt the only "sucker" in these kinda things, I see.
Now a days we can MOT anything older than 1991, thanks to EU. So go and dig those EU law books, it should/could work.

[dino ferrana]

Oh the EU, no France just ignores that and won't let kitcars in unless you know someone! Getting even factory built cars of the correct specification (but RHD and English registered) is very hard. Caterham have homologated some of their cars for France, I think Westfield have but I doubt that many more have gone to the expense?

[SuperT]

I remember a thread a while back where someone had got an Ultima registered in France, & also one about a Westfield which also got registered, but I believe it is a total nightmare - one of these things which can be done but you have to wonder if it's worth it for the end result. Does the issue of keeping the car on british plates & returning for mot's, tax etc cause any insurance problems?

[Thumper]

It is a French legal requirement that any car kept in the country for more than three months (which is not very long!) must then also be registered in France. But then again, when did the French ever do anything by the rules.

[LotusNova]

Here's a link to the Westfield if it's of interest: http://sportscarsconcept.fr/ They're the Westfield agent here, and I believe they only sell it turnkey for around €59k.

SuperT said:

Does the issue of keeping the car on british plates & returning for mot's, tax etc cause any insurance problems?

Yes, if they find out - a car taxed to be driven on UK roads, should be (short-term holidays excepted).

France does have special rules for small volume production. Not as simple or cheap as SVA, but it's possible if you want it bad enough.

PS. I've been told you can buy a CD from the 'Mines' that covers all necessary rules & regs - I'm looking into that myself at the mo.

Edited by LotusNova on Thursday 31st May 19:07

[Abbott]

All of the comments that have gone before are pretty accurate.
However it is possible to import a car into France but as you would expect it there is a lot of paper work to do and a lot of interaction with French officialdom.

Even most of the french agree on the situation that says even if you have all paperwork and tests etc in good order if the guy infront of you has had a bad day there is no way you will get through. On the other hand it is clear that if you know the right people, even with dodgy paperwork, the guy has had a good day then you could get lucky.

If the car does not have a manufacturers certificate of conformity, only french built caterhams imported by the french dealer have these, then you have to follow a process called "Reception Titre Isole" or RTI. This is effectively an homologation on a one off basis and can cost over 1500 Euros. Again there is mo guarantee that you will pass. The other thing to consider is the age of the car if it is older than 25 years old then you can do a very much simplified process.

There is a lot of good information on the french forum Sevener
http://sevener.free.fr/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=...
It is in french but you can use google translate function.

The basic advise there is the easiest way is to find a factory built car as standard spec and that is the best chance you will have.

I have had a dream to own a Cat for years and now I am going to get a french one RH drive. The guy I am buying it from obviously knows some one and is very lucky as he imported the car and got it through an RTI and as far as I can tell it is far from standard. The other thing to be aware of if you want to buy over here is they are ridiculously expensive compared to UK market. The imported ones are less than the LHD french ones but still way over the top. I think this is a good indicator of how difficult it is to get the RTI in place otherwise the market would be flooded with cheap cars and the price would drop.

[odyssey2200]

We import cars from france and SVA them.

What did you wanna know?

[Steve_D]

odyssey2200 said:

We import cars from france and SVA them.

What did you wanna know?

Stay awake at the back there.

They want to import into France not out of France.

Steve

[odyssey2200]

oops!




we also export to Belgium but thats got different rules to France.
So much for European harmonisation.

[Steve_D]

odyssey2200 said:

......we also export to Belgium but thats got different rules to France.
So much for European harmonisation.

What you do for Belgium may still have relevance and may even highlight some loophole that can be applied to France. Or even importing into Belgium first and then into France.

Steve

[odyssey2200]

we have to get the cars SVA'd and registered here before we send them to Belgium.
Then then have an inspection which, from what I have been told, is a walk in the park compared to SVA.

As are cars are Very Low Volume we escape the full enhanced SVA.

[Abbott]

Good theory but still subject tofrench beuracracy

[odyssey2200]

Until I got involved with all this I thought there was some commonality across the EU.

Wrong

We import a french car, which has French National Low Volume Type Approval.

Our VCA say Bollox you have to SVA it here.

[Abbott]

There are lots of regulations but some of them are adhered to more strongly than others, ie car import very strong, but drive through a red traffic light no problem as long as the bill dont see you.