importing a Cerbera to the USA - Sept/Oct 2022
Discussion
Marcq said:
Indeed, please keep the thread updated. I will be moving to Texas (Austin) from the UK at the end of the year, and was tempted to buy a Cerbera to bring with me! As you note, shipping prices have gone a little wild, so I may hold off for a little while and try some 'domestic' cars for a while.
Hopefully prices might come down by then or maybe RORO will be back. It can RORO into Port of Galveston.If you import one permanently, I think you could get that shipping cost back when you eventually sell it as they will be worth more over here since there are so few and since the ones here have to be imported at that cost no matter who brings them over. Plus there might be a premium due to the people who want TVRs but don't want to go through all the hassle of importation. So, the cars in the American market will have that shipping cost built in plus a premium for time saved, basically. At least, that's my opinion and how I justified it to myself.
Hope the move goes well. Keep in touch!
The container ship with my TVR has made the trip “across the pond” and looks like it’s now in the holding pattern outside the Port of Houston! My long wait is almost over! I still have to wait for it to dock and for the warehouse to unload it. Not exactly sure, with any certainty, what day I will be able to go pick it up, but I think it will be within the next couple of weeks!
Granturadriver said:
Congratulations! A long long one year journey which came to an end.
Did you drive the car from the harbor to you r home or did it use a trailer?
I decided to have it trucked to my place because they kept changing/delaying the schedule, so it was hard to plan a trip to the port. hahaDid you drive the car from the harbor to you r home or did it use a trailer?
I took the Cerbera to a car meet in Texas. This was my first long drive in the car and the first time most Texans laid eyes on a TVR! There were at least two people who recognized the car from playing Gran Turismo on the PlayStation (that's where I found out about TVR as well). The car got a pretty good reception. The organizer made this video, and he wants to do a full review some time soon...
https://youtu.be/i7qie96-0go
https://youtu.be/i7qie96-0go
Well, it took over a month of jumping through some hoops; three trips to the TaxAssessorCollector/DMV and two separate inspections, but we can add Texas to the list of states that you are able to import and title/register a TVR! Say hello to the first TVR Cerbera to be titled and registered in Texas under the 25 year rule!
Below is the steps to be aware of and some advice that deals with importing a car specifically from a foreign country into Texas…
Here’s a summary of what I had to do:
1. Add third brake light and license plate light, in order to pass TX state vehicle annual inspection. Yes, the third brake light is required on any post-1986 vehicle. This annual inspection is standard requirement for any vehicle.
2. Pass the above mentioned TX state vehicle annual inspection at a local mechanic’s shop.
3. Obtain temporary 30 day permit in order to drive to the next inspection.
4. Pass the 68-A inspection. This is where the county sheriff looks at the car and VIN and looks it up in law enforcement databases to confirm that the car has not been stolen. This is a requirement for any car that was just imported. Be aware there was a 5 week wait time for this appointment, but it’s different in other counties.
5. Go back to the TaxAssessorCollector/DMV with all the above forms, application for new title, and the old title to apply for your new title/registration/plates.
A word for the wise – make sure your old title (V5C) has the dealership’s name, if you bought it from a dealership, and not simply the name of a prior owner. Dealership’s don’t normally put their name on the title (standard business practice), but the Texas DMV needs to see a trail of ownership directly from the dealership to the new owner and the names must match. If they see some random person’s name it will cause problems. Also, schedule all these things to happen as close together as possible because the inspection expires after 30 days.
I hope this helps!
Trevor
Below is the steps to be aware of and some advice that deals with importing a car specifically from a foreign country into Texas…
Here’s a summary of what I had to do:
1. Add third brake light and license plate light, in order to pass TX state vehicle annual inspection. Yes, the third brake light is required on any post-1986 vehicle. This annual inspection is standard requirement for any vehicle.
2. Pass the above mentioned TX state vehicle annual inspection at a local mechanic’s shop.
3. Obtain temporary 30 day permit in order to drive to the next inspection.
4. Pass the 68-A inspection. This is where the county sheriff looks at the car and VIN and looks it up in law enforcement databases to confirm that the car has not been stolen. This is a requirement for any car that was just imported. Be aware there was a 5 week wait time for this appointment, but it’s different in other counties.
5. Go back to the TaxAssessorCollector/DMV with all the above forms, application for new title, and the old title to apply for your new title/registration/plates.
A word for the wise – make sure your old title (V5C) has the dealership’s name, if you bought it from a dealership, and not simply the name of a prior owner. Dealership’s don’t normally put their name on the title (standard business practice), but the Texas DMV needs to see a trail of ownership directly from the dealership to the new owner and the names must match. If they see some random person’s name it will cause problems. Also, schedule all these things to happen as close together as possible because the inspection expires after 30 days.
I hope this helps!
Trevor
Granturadriver said:
Interesting. Is there any emissions testing requirement under the 25 year rule?
Isn‘t Texas a state where you can decide what‘s written on you licence plate?
And where did you install the third brake like? On top of the trunk deck (boot lid) or could you integrate that in its rear edge?
No emissions test in Texas due to the car's age.Isn‘t Texas a state where you can decide what‘s written on you licence plate?
And where did you install the third brake like? On top of the trunk deck (boot lid) or could you integrate that in its rear edge?
Yes, you can get a custom plate if you want to. I thought about one that says "97 TVR", but I'm okay with the standard assigned number plate for now. I never really cared for vanity plates. I'm budget minded and I have a hard time spending extra for something that is otherwise not really necessary.
For the third brake light, I used a strip of LED lights and stuck it in the valley between the rear window and the trunk. You can't see the light strip unless you open the trunk. But the lights reflect up under the trunk lid and then onto the window, so it looks like the light is in the window. Here's a photo of the light strip and the YouTube link is a video of how it works. It actually came out looking really good!
https://youtu.be/BhOGP3df4Jc
Well, I have some news…I am going to be auctioning my Cerbera for sale very soon. I recently imported the car and have put only about 300 miles on it. I bought the car and went through all the trouble of importing it because it has been my long-time dream car since I was a kid. Unfortunately, changes in some personal circumstances are forcing a reluctant sale.
I’m posting this because the entire TVR community knows that I just got this car over here in Texas and also I want to give a heads-up notice.
I am very confident in the overall condition of the car, because the car had a body-off chassis restoration, an engine rebuild and transmission rebuild in the past, and then both the dealership and Powers Performance did a lot of work to this car to prepare it prior to leaving for the USA, including some engine-out maintenance. I am also confident that I am going to present the car very well in the auction. The car overall is in great condition but does have some small issues, mostly typical TVR stuff, and everything will be disclosed in the advert.
Just putting this out there as a heads-up notice in case anyone is seriously looking for a Cerbera and would like one that is already here in the USA. The car will be available soon via Bring A Trailer auction, and I will be listing it at No Reserve! If anyone would like to come see the car and test drive it prior to the auction, it is ready to go at any moment. I believe the auction will go live within the next week or so. Just to be clear, the car will be sold through the auction, not through PMs, so this is just advance notice that the auction is coming soon.
I’m posting this because the entire TVR community knows that I just got this car over here in Texas and also I want to give a heads-up notice.
I am very confident in the overall condition of the car, because the car had a body-off chassis restoration, an engine rebuild and transmission rebuild in the past, and then both the dealership and Powers Performance did a lot of work to this car to prepare it prior to leaving for the USA, including some engine-out maintenance. I am also confident that I am going to present the car very well in the auction. The car overall is in great condition but does have some small issues, mostly typical TVR stuff, and everything will be disclosed in the advert.
Just putting this out there as a heads-up notice in case anyone is seriously looking for a Cerbera and would like one that is already here in the USA. The car will be available soon via Bring A Trailer auction, and I will be listing it at No Reserve! If anyone would like to come see the car and test drive it prior to the auction, it is ready to go at any moment. I believe the auction will go live within the next week or so. Just to be clear, the car will be sold through the auction, not through PMs, so this is just advance notice that the auction is coming soon.
LucyP said:
All that hassle, cost, excitement and 300 miles later and such a specialist, rare and difficult to maintain car in the USA is for sale, (and at no no reserve!) with next to no explanation as to why, which doesn't inspire confidence.
And maybe you should read the posts on here:
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/bring-a...
I think "Tony of Schaumburg" dated 12 April 23 sums up the no reserve issue, and "Bob of Columbus" dated 1 November 22 sums up the potential problems.
And any buyers shouldn't forget the 5% commission.
Thank you for the info, LucyP. And maybe you should read the posts on here:
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/bring-a...
I think "Tony of Schaumburg" dated 12 April 23 sums up the no reserve issue, and "Bob of Columbus" dated 1 November 22 sums up the potential problems.
And any buyers shouldn't forget the 5% commission.
I read through the first page of consumer complaints on that link. I get the impression that a lot of those people giving BaT bad reviews either don't have the correct type of car or think their car is more than what it will sell for or simply don't understand how BaT works. That's why their cars are getting rejected or BaT is asking them to lower their reserve. It's supposed to be for special, collector, or exotic cars. If people try to post a normal car there and are asking premium prices for it then BaT is going to reject it or stop trying to convince people of the price that it will sell at on the market. They can only handle so many cars at one time.
I have already sold one of my cars through BaT and had a great experience, and my experience working with them so far with the TVR has been great as well.
Some of the complaints about the buyer/seller communicating are valid but those are the same issues that might happen with any person to person sale. BaT connects a seller with a buyer but it's on them to complete the transaction. The advantage of using BaT is the nation-wide reach.
Yes, buyers pay a 5% fee to BaT and they know that. But this is still a private person to person sale which means I have the potential to get more money than I would if I were to trade it in or sell to a dealership or something and only get wholesale or trade-in value, even if the buyer may have to subtract the 5% fee out of what they can afford to bid.
unrepentant said:
I don’t understand why anyone would list a vehicle without reserve in an online auction. It is fraught with danger. And with a car like a Cerbera that is relatively unknown over here and is likely to have a minuscule potential market I would have thought it was suicidal.
I’m in the new and used luxury / sports car business in the US and our pre owned manager spends half his life buying cars at auction online. These are trade auctions and there is always a reserve. We are regularly the top bidder but don’t get the car because it fails to hit reserve.
I would have thought it would be better to place the car on consignment with someone like https://www.wirewheel.com/ who actually sell cars like this.
I'm listing it with no reserve because I fully believe it will go well, meaning I think the bidding will go at least as high as the reserve that I would have set, so therefore why even set one? With no reserve, everyone knows if they bid they can win it. This attracts more bidders. BaT No Reserve listings do attract more views than the other listings. I’m in the new and used luxury / sports car business in the US and our pre owned manager spends half his life buying cars at auction online. These are trade auctions and there is always a reserve. We are regularly the top bidder but don’t get the car because it fails to hit reserve.
I would have thought it would be better to place the car on consignment with someone like https://www.wirewheel.com/ who actually sell cars like this.
I did originally think about a reserve, but I was thinking what would the car actually sell for, not what price would I really want, and the number that the car would actually sell for I think the bidding would go that high whether there is a reserve or not. So, what's the point of setting a reserve? Lots of cars listed have no reserves because the seller knows the car is going to sell for at least what they want.
Plus, I think that putting a reserve scares some people away because they will not bid because they are guessing what the reserve is and they don't think they can afford it.
Putting no reserve takes all the guessing and doubting out. The highest bidder wins.
I understand what you're saying, about how the market for a Cerbera is tiny over here, and I know that the very person who is looking for one might not be out there right now or may not have the funds or may not be ready, etc. But, I also think that there are at least a few people out there who do want one and who are looking for one, and I only need one of them. Plus, even if the number of potential buyers is small, the people who do want a Cerbera are actively looking for one. I know when I was looking I was checking every website regularly. To whoever is actively looking for one, the fact that my car is already here and already registered could cause my car to be "the one".
So yes, I agree with you that the market is small. But I think it is worth the risk. And there is no reward without risk.
I'm not interested in putting it on consignment because then I would have ship it somewhere, like to Florida for that British car dealer that you suggested, and then wait for who knows how long for them to sell it while being worried about the car while it is not in my possession. I really don't want some random dealership to have their hands on my personal car while it still belongs to me.
I could possibly sell it to a dealership, but I also have no interest in doing that over here because they're going to give me trade-in value. I even thought about selling it to a dealership in the UK, since the market there is larger, but then I would have the same problem with trade-in value plus the cost of shipping.
I think selling it privately on BaT would probably at least get me what a dealership would offer and probably a whole lot more. So, for me it just makes sense to sell it at auction on BaT. That's pretty much how I arrived at my decision.
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