Importing Car From California?
Discussion
Anybody done this?
Just asking out of curiosity really, did a search but nothing specific came up.
Just wondering about the transportation costs from the West coast, shipping etc. I know the Duty would be 5% on something old, but just wondering about costs for the rest.
Also any tales/tips/pitfalls etc.
Cheers.
Just asking out of curiosity really, did a search but nothing specific came up.
Just wondering about the transportation costs from the West coast, shipping etc. I know the Duty would be 5% on something old, but just wondering about costs for the rest.
Also any tales/tips/pitfalls etc.
Cheers.
I did it last year with a frogeye Sprite. Very straightforward. I used Kingston shipping. They handled the whole thing once the car was at San Francisco docks. I collected from Southampton some weeks later ( having followed the container ship on line ) From memory, the total bill was about £1400. That included the VAT and the all important letter from the vatman- I forget the name for that one right now. The UK registration process is fairly straightforward to do also. Mostly a form which suits all car imports ( so there lots of redundant boxes) and the US registration doc. You pretty well must have that document before you can export from the US as far as I am aware
I've used Hill Shipping twice to import a 66 Mustang fastback and a Pantera, just give them
an address and contact number for youself and the vehicle seller and they sort everything.
All you have to do is WAIT, and eventually it will arrive in Southampton ready to be picked up.
Approx. £1500.00 shipping. Much easier than I thought.
an address and contact number for youself and the vehicle seller and they sort everything.
All you have to do is WAIT, and eventually it will arrive in Southampton ready to be picked up.
Approx. £1500.00 shipping. Much easier than I thought.
Edited by samuri on Wednesday 26th February 20:28
I think it largely depends where the car is. I bought my 240Z from Amarillo. TX and it shipped from Houston. Always factor in the costs of getting it TO the port. Generally it's about $1.10 or so per mile. A Mustang I brought in years ago from CA somewhere shipped from Long Beach. Just try not to buy something from Kentucky or Wisconsin - ie somewhere MILES from a port. If it's 800 miles to a port that is a big expense!
Rough prices I've had recently are £1350 from the East Coast RoRo - not inc insurance or getting it to the port.
Ship My Car (in Milton Keynes) - their website will give you a quote online - just tell them where it is (zip code etc) - what car it is and that's about it - and you can see their figures.
Old classics are 5% VAT and no duty as we know and more modern stuff is 10% / 20%. I'd like to bring in another truck - and if you get a regular cab - ie loooong bed and two seats - the duty i 22%. Stick another row of seats in there and it turns from a commercial vehicle into a car and it's 10%!
Rough prices I've had recently are £1350 from the East Coast RoRo - not inc insurance or getting it to the port.
Ship My Car (in Milton Keynes) - their website will give you a quote online - just tell them where it is (zip code etc) - what car it is and that's about it - and you can see their figures.
Old classics are 5% VAT and no duty as we know and more modern stuff is 10% / 20%. I'd like to bring in another truck - and if you get a regular cab - ie loooong bed and two seats - the duty i 22%. Stick another row of seats in there and it turns from a commercial vehicle into a car and it's 10%!
Another shout out to Kingston shipping, they did a 67 camaro for me.
I bought it from a guy on Craigslist in Sacramento, a mate drove it to the port in LA.
I saw it a few weeks later and it was zero hassle.
Container shipping so it is protected. Around 1500 quid.
You do have to pick it super fast from the port this side or be hit with high storage charges!
I bought it from a guy on Craigslist in Sacramento, a mate drove it to the port in LA.
I saw it a few weeks later and it was zero hassle.
Container shipping so it is protected. Around 1500 quid.
You do have to pick it super fast from the port this side or be hit with high storage charges!
classicaholic said:
I have used Kingston and they were very good.
I would recommend shipping in a container unless you take everything movable out of the car before sending by RoRo, the dockers and ferry workers nick everything not bolted on and even unbolt license plates!
That is true. That Mustang arrived minus the front plate. It was on the car when I saw a pic of it on the transporter when it left the dealer. Robbin’ gits. I would recommend shipping in a container unless you take everything movable out of the car before sending by RoRo, the dockers and ferry workers nick everything not bolted on and even unbolt license plates!
I then drove it New Year’s Eve, so frozen stiff, back from Bristol, insured on the VIN, with one US plate on the back. Car came from CA so no heater, which had been plugged. Not really recommended and wouldn’t do it now, but this was 2004.
classicaholic said:
I have used Kingston and they were very good.
I would recommend shipping in a container unless you take everything movable out of the car before sending by RoRo, the dockers and ferry workers nick everything not bolted on and even unbolt license plates!
Kingston or Kingstown?I would recommend shipping in a container unless you take everything movable out of the car before sending by RoRo, the dockers and ferry workers nick everything not bolted on and even unbolt license plates!
uk66fastback said:
classicaholic said:
I have used Kingston and they were very good.
I would recommend shipping in a container unless you take everything movable out of the car before sending by RoRo, the dockers and ferry workers nick everything not bolted on and even unbolt license plates!
Kingston or Kingstown?I would recommend shipping in a container unless you take everything movable out of the car before sending by RoRo, the dockers and ferry workers nick everything not bolted on and even unbolt license plates!
https://www.kingstown-shipping.co.uk/car-shipping-...
I used Schumacher (www.schumachercargo.com) to transport my personal car from LA (Long Beach) to London when I moved in 2010. It cost $1800 (including insurance) at the time. Interestingly, it would have been $1500 from Philadelphia, so distance isn't a major consideration.
The whole process was pretty painless.
The whole process was pretty painless.
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