Is this car an import?

[autocrazy]

Hi

I am a lurker and have been impressed by the collective automotive brains on this forum. So decided to post this query here

I am currently looking to buy an Insignia petrol for under £1500 (I like giving myself a challenge). Up to 80k miles and upto 2009 MY

I have come across an Opel Insignia SC. The car has good service history, and seems legit in every way except I think it has to be an import as UK is strictly Vauxhall country

The seller insists it's not an import and has V5 that shows first registration in 2009 and service history to back up it's been serviced all its life in UK including some at Vauxhall dealerships

Can someone throw more light on why this example is Opel badged? I am most concerned as if it turns out to be an import Direct Line my insurer won't insure the car

I can share the reg in PM if someone has the capability to confirm if it's an import or not

Thanks in advance for all the help

[threespires]

autocrazy said:

Hi

I am a lurker and have been impressed by the collective automotive brains on this forum. So decided to post this query here

I am currently looking to buy an Insignia petrol for under £1500 (I like giving myself a challenge). Up to 80k miles and upto 2009 MY

I have come across an Opel Insignia SC. The car has good service history, and seems legit in every way except I think it has to be an import as UK is strictly Vauxhall country

The seller insists it's not an import and has V5 that shows first registration in 2009 and service history to back up it's been serviced all its life in UK including some at Vauxhall dealerships

Can someone throw more light on why this example is Opel badged? I am most concerned as if it turns out to be an import Direct Line my insurer won't insure the car

I can share the reg in PM if someone has the capability to confirm if it's import it not

Thanks in advance for all the help

Could it be an Irish car?

[autocrazy]

threespires said:

Could it be an Irish car?

Exactly my thoughts by the seller insists it's not and being a 59 car it's been first registered int the UK in September 2009.

[Nickp82]

If it’s an Opel, it’s an import. It may have been first registered in this country but it’s not a UK spec car.

[AlexRS2782]

Not just a case of a previous owner decided to rebadge it? Used to be, possibly still is, a popular mod back in the day. Remove the Vauxhall badge & replace it with the Opel one.

[drdino]

If it's the one from AT, it's from Ireland. Badges aren't swapped (unless they swapped the airbag too) and if you check a VIN decoder it comes up as Ireland whereas a Vauxhall Insignia of the same MY comes up as UK.

[autocrazy]

It's from FB Marketplace

You are right it's not a rebadging exercise as every badge is Opel including on the steering wheel and wheel hub caps

[MissChief]

There was a time when people would order RHD cars from deals in Europe due to much cheaper pricing and EU rules stating if it was available from a car dealer in one country you should be able to order it in any other country so some deals started placing orders for RHD versions of cars available in the UK and the Continent. It could possibly be this situation, although this really was around 2000 rather than 2009. As said it could be an Irish car registered in NI?

[Jimmy Recard]

Are the speedometer and odometer in mph or km/h?

[PH_77]

Straw clutching.....

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=17...

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=15...

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=16...

[The Rotrex Kid]

Send me the reg and I’ll look.

[autocrazy]

The Rotrex Kid said:

Send me the reg and I’ll look.

Thanks PM sent

[autocrazy]

PH_77 said:

Straw clutching.....

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=17...

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=15...

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=16...

The V5C reads Opel Insignia SC. Tried Direct Line and it does not pick the reg no.

[drdino]

autocrazy said:

It's from FB Marketplace

You are right it's not a rebadging exercise as every badge is Opel including on the steering wheel and wheel hub caps

DX59 or a different one?

[autocrazy]

drdino said:

DX59 or a different one?

DX59 one

[autocrazy]

Just to close this topic off. The car got sold (not to me). Having read a few Insignia threads, I understand 1.6 Opel badged Insignia's were imported for a rental car company, which then filtered through the used market.