The GBP closed about 8 1/2% higher tonight against the Euro, compared to the same time last year.

Time for a price cut?

Or will UK folks start thinking about buying RHD cars in the EU & bringing them home - those with long memories will remember this was quite common about fifteen years ago.

That was the game I was in for several years.
Importing from UK or Japan into Malta was easy - profits were good and as all three countries were rhd with similar regulations, getting Maltese registration presented few problems. We made the odd damage claim against our shipping agents, and they also lost a Yaris, which was later traced to a dockside in Italy and recovered without damage.
We learnt to never leave anything inside a vehicle - even removing the spare wheel, tools, handbook, etc - because such items 'walked' if not removed.
Importing from Europe into the UK, while fairly straightforward at first, became more and more of a pain in the butt as regulations were tightened up and aimed at lighting (even swapping left and right reverse and HI brake lights, dashboard info, and more). Dealers didn't like grey imports and some were deliberately unhelpful where anything other than routine servicing was required.
So we gave up importing into the UK even though margins were good, because our other markets were hassle-free.
Personal imports might save a few bob, but beware of the pitfalls before you try it.

I notice the 500L has got £2000 off on the latest Fiat offer.

It's common for Fiat to give big discounts on cack cars like the 500, you'll get more than 2k off a lardy easily.

306maxi said:

It's common for Fiat to give big discounts on cack cars like the 500, you'll get more than 2k off a lardy easily.

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I take it by cack you mean the 500L and not what you drive?

I recently needed to hire a car for a week as my fleet didn't have enough passenger space and ended up with a 500L . . . . diesel. It does look like it fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down, climbed up and did it all again for good measure. However, it really is a capable and well equipped family car that makes absolute sense from the inside looking out. Diesel engine was also surprisingly eager.

gazz_bee said:

I take it by cack you mean the 500L and not what you drive?

I recently needed to hire a car for a week as my fleet didn't have enough passenger space and ended up with a 500L . . . . diesel. It does look like it fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down, climbed up and did it all again for good measure. However, it really is a capable and well equipped family car that makes absolute sense from the inside looking out. Diesel engine was also surprisingly eager.

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Yep, got to agree. We had one as a holiday rental in Italy last year and it was a brilliant family car both on the autostrada and tiny mountain roads. It was also pretty frugal (1.3mj) considering the workload.

Yeh I quite like them too for what they are, certainly airy and spacious and ideal if you have kids I would have thought. I don't think I could own one though as the steering wheel obstructs the clocks no matter how I vary the wheel or seat position, I'm not that tall at 6.2

stu0710 said:

Yep, got to agree. We had one as a holiday rental in Italy last year and it was a brilliant family car both on the autostrada and tiny mountain roads. It was also pretty frugal (1.3mj) considering the workload.

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its too slow! its too heavy for the engines they offer.

jrkitching said:

The GBP closed about 8 1/2% higher tonight against the Euro, compared to the same time last year.

Time for a price cut?

Or will UK folks start thinking about buying RHD cars in the EU & bringing them home - those with long memories will remember this was quite common about fifteen years ago.

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I did it in 1999 with my Ford Focus Ghia. I paid in euros to full UK spec with certificate of conformity and went and picked it up from the dealers in Belgium. Drove back to Calais and jumped on the ferry home. Saved £4.5K

typecastboy said:

I did it in 1999 with my Ford Focus Ghia. I paid in euros to full UK spec with certificate of conformity and went and picked it up from the dealers in Belgium. Drove back to Calais and jumped on the ferry home. Saved £4.5K

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Nice one. Fifteen years ago that was a lot of money.
Those were the days when import agents advertised personal import schemes galore.
The question is - could you do it as smoothly today and save an equivalent amount?

Sweetsixteen said:

Nice one. Fifteen years ago that was a lot of money.
Those were the days when import agents advertised personal import schemes galore.
The question is - could you do it as smoothly today and save an equivalent amount?

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dont you just dvla it? should be no problem if its a eu spec car. European Union after all = )

ahmett said:

dont you just dvla it? should be no problem if its a eu spec car. European Union after all = )

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How easy is it to get a Certificate of Conformity for a rhd drive new car imported privately from the Eu? How helpful are the manufacturers in providing both the car and the Certificate? I don't know the current climate, because I've been out of this area for years. There was a time when manufacturers were deliberately obstructive. My main interest here was wondering if it is financially worth the effort.
If you import a used car, or a lhd car, the rules are different of course.

If the car is less than 6 months old you have to pay VAT on it within 6 months of importing it and you cannot get road tax or a reg number until you have paid the VAT. I did all that at a local DVLA office, my £4.5K saving was after I'de paid the VAT, so it was a massive saving.

I did hear about people having problems getting cars from Ireland and how it was the dealers being obstructive, not the manufacturers.

There were several dealers in Belgium willing to help, but the one I used offered me a great deal on optional extras too, so I spec'd it up to the max.

All of the dealers were very helpful when it came to the Certificate of Conformity, it's a formality that the manufacturer supplies to the dealer when the car is being sold for export as it has to be proved that the car conforms to that countries laws and you need that certificate at the DVLA centre.

It was a good experience, and now that the Euro is low again, it might be the right time to do it again.

I know someone who regularly buys Porsche's and BMWs and goes to Germany to collect them from the factory. He saves a fortune too. He was the one who inspired me to do it in the first place back in 1999. It was all done by email and telephone.

I kept the car for six years and then passed it onto my brother-in-law. Both my nephews learned to drive in it, and it was sadly traded in last year and they got £250 for it when buying a new Fiesta as it needed too much work to get it through the MoT

typecastboy said:

If the car is less than 6 months old you have to pay VAT on it within 6 months of importing it and you cannot get road tax or a reg number until you have paid the VAT. I did all that at a local DVLA office, my £4.5K saving was after I'de paid the VAT, so it was a massive saving.

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It won't be VAT if VAT has been paid on the purchase within the EU.

zanes said:

It won't be VAT if VAT has been paid on the purchase within the EU.

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You don't pay VAT on the car in the country you purchase it in, as it's for export. You have to pay the UK VAT.

typecastboy said:

You don't pay VAT on the car in the country you purchase it in, as it's for export. You have to pay the UK VAT.

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Doh. Of course.

Thinking about it though, why is that different to buying (say) a stereo over the internet from europe- in that example you pay VAT to the seller in their country and there's no VAT to pay here? Guessing it's a country of registration thing?

zanes said:

Doh. Of course.

Thinking about it though, why is that different to buying (say) a stereo over the internet from europe- in that example you pay VAT to the seller in their country and there's no VAT to pay here?

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Good point, probably something to do with taxation on vehicles as opposed to normal consumer goods. There are no import charges to pay though as it's from inside the EU.

I used to know a company who side-lined in importing cars from Japan. Right hand drive, no rust (in the days when cars used to rust). The would ship containers of them over and make a killing on the second hand market. They had to pay import duty but they were a bit crooked, so probably never did.

Vat rates vary from one EU country to another. Some have several vat rates, depending on the goods and the uses to which they are put. This can have an effect mainly when purchasing secondhand vehicles, as opposed to new. (Vat charged in the country of origin has a bearing on second-hand prices).
There have been threatening noises to charge import duty on every package coming into the UK, but so far the sheer volume of international trade in small items, such as things bought for personal use on eBay, has defeated this intention. One day soon, the loophole is bound to be plugged. What a nightmare that will be!

I'm on a nightshift tonight and then I'm off for four days, so I might spend some time doing a bit of research on the feasibiity now of doing this.

A quick google shows that the Irish fiat franchise are selling Popular models from €13,300 which is £10,111. UK price is £10,440, so once you've picked it up it would end up costing you more. That would of course be with a VAT rate of 23% which you wouldn't have to pay in Ireland, but that's not a massive saving.

You probably have to go to proper Euroland, I wonder if Poland is a good shout considering that's where they're built.

Hmm, interesting, in Poland a 1.2 Popular is only £6,654