Technical Importing an EU spec Fiat 500 into the UK

[ahmett]

Hi Guys,


Chances are I am moving to the UK from GR and I want to bring my Fiat 500 with me, so that means import it and make it UK plates!

From what I see, I need to do a few things, which include

1. Getting a Certificate of Conformity from Fiat
2. Changing the Speedo to show MPH
3. Changing the headlights directions
4. Changing the rear foglight.

Does anyone have experience in dealing with this? Thanks, much appreciated!

 

[jrkitching]

2. Changing the Speedo to show MPH

Not required if the speedo is dual marked as standard, which I believe all 500's with analog speedo displays are. More modern digital displays can presumably be changed in software.

Read this for more information.

 

[ahmett]

Not required if the speedo is dual marked as standard, which I believe all 500's with analog speedo displays are. More modern digital displays can presumably be changed in software.

Read this for more information.

I wish it were the case = ) Will have to order a speedometer dial from that website for like 50 GBP and get it changed.

And also the headlamps and rear fog lights don't seem to be a huge issue, so if I decide to bring the car over to the UK shouldn't take too long to get everything done!

I spoke with Fiat UK, and they will provide a Certificate of Conformity after giving them 120 GBP!

 

[p6baseunit]

Hi Guys,


Chances are I am moving to the UK from GR and I want to bring my Fiat 500 with me, so that means import it and make it UK plates!

From what I see, I need to do a few things, which include

1. Getting a Certificate of Conformity from Fiat
2. Changing the Speedo to show MPH
3. Changing the headlights directions
4. Changing the rear foglight.

Does anyone have experience in dealing with this? Thanks, much appreciated!

We moved from the UK to Spain and imported both of the 500s that we had.
The headlights need changing with EU versions and so did both rear lights.
The speedo was a dual MPH/KPH version, so nothing was needed here.

Since you have owned the car for some time, there should be no duty or VAT to pay as you are coming from the EU. The UK does not charge EU citizens duty currently if you have owned the car for 6 months - unlike Spain, although the duty on small engine cars are almost nil.

You will have your own reasons for wanting to do this but I doubt it is really worth the bother on a high mileage 500!

We came here to retire early (45), buy properties and set up a part time business. I wasn't really in the frame of mind at the time to waste €40-50K buying two new cars here when we had 3 cars in the UK all of them less than 3 years old and low mileage.
Second hand cars in the UK are much cheaper than the rest of Europe. We picked up an end of lease 2 1/2year old 1.2 Sport 500c with 8500miles on the clock from a dealer for £7400 last year, the car looked and drove like new.
When we sold up and left the UK in May, I was offered £5800 each for our 3 year old twinair and the above 500c by WeBuyAnyCar.com
Buying identical 500s here in Spain (similar age/engine/gearbox/option levels) was going to cost around €12-13K
So we sold our SUV and kept the 500s. Importing these cars cost €1400 each - I fitted new Fiat parts and we employed an agent (Gestor) to deal with the complicated process.

In my opinion it would not be worth the hassle of importing a 1.2 500 which is 7 years old and has a 100000miles on the clock. You could fit secondhand light units to save money, but the car still needs to pass an MOT in the UK and the costs of getting your car through this are completely unknown. I don't know about Greece, but the UKs MOT is more rigorous than the Spanish ITV. Once imported (at unknown cost) you will then find it impossible to sell for much at a later date as there is little demain for high mileage LHD 500s.

A quick look on car.gr suggests that a 2010 500 1.4 with 140000-150000kms might be advertised or sold for something in the region of €7000 - 8000. You can purchase a much newer low mileage 500 for this in the UK! Similar aged lower mileage 1.4 500s on Autotrader.co.uk are advertised for £3500-4000!

 

[ahmett]

We moved from the UK to Spain and imported both of the 500s that we had.
The headlights need changing with EU versions and so did both rear lights.
The speedo was a dual MPH/KPH version, so nothing was needed here.

Since you have owned the car for some time, there should be no duty or VAT to pay as you are coming from the EU. The UK does not charge EU citizens duty currently if you have owned the car for 6 months - unlike Spain, although the duty on small engine cars are almost nil.

You will have your own reasons for wanting to do this but I doubt it is really worth the bother on a high mileage 500!

We came here to retire early (45), buy properties and set up a part time business. I wasn't really in the frame of mind at the time to waste €40-50K buying two new cars here when we had 3 cars in the UK all of them less than 3 years old and low mileage.
Second hand cars in the UK are much cheaper than the rest of Europe. We picked up an end of lease 2 1/2year old 1.2 Sport 500c with 8500miles on the clock from a dealer for £7400 last year, the car looked and drove like new.
When we sold up and left the UK in May, I was offered £5800 each for our 3 year old twinair and the above 500c by WeBuyAnyCar.com
Buying identical 500s here in Spain (similar age/engine/gearbox/option levels) was going to cost around €12-13K
So we sold our SUV and kept the 500s. Importing these cars cost €1400 each - I fitted new Fiat parts and we employed an agent (Gestor) to deal with the complicated process.

In my opinion it would not be worth the hassle of importing a 1.2 500 which is 7 years old and has a 100000miles on the clock. You could fit secondhand light units to save money, but the car still needs to pass an MOT in the UK and the costs of getting your car through this are completely unknown. I don't know about Greece, but the UKs MOT is more rigorous than the Spanish ITV. Once imported (at unknown cost) you will then find it impossible to sell for much at a later date as there is little demain for high mileage LHD 500s.

A quick look on car.gr suggests that a 2010 500 1.4 with 140000-150000kms might be advertised or sold for something in the region of €7000 - 8000. You can purchase a much newer low mileage 500 for this in the UK! Similar aged lower mileage 1.4 500s on Autotrader.co.uk are advertised for £3500-4000!

Hi, if i manage to get enough money when i move to UK, I will buy a nice used car for 7,000 GBP! I have a good UK credit rating, but I am worried it would be hard to find finance on a new car if i only just started working for a UK company as until now my income was from foreign sources.

The thing deciding in taking the car's favour is that i can take many cases/things with the car to the UK that otherwise would not be practical when flying to UK, and the fact that I know the car inside out so know its weaknesses. I doubt I would fail the MOT in the UK, at most get some advisories for worn suspension/exhausts, the car has 150,000 kms but is in quite good condition having just changed the clutch and serviced it regularly. If I buy a second hand car in the UK, no way will it be a Fiat of course, at least with this one I know whats wrong with it and have spent a lot of money fixing it!

car.gr may say 7,000 EUR but if you want a quick sale when leaving the country, at best a dealer will give you 5,000 EUR and i really maxxed the car out with options/mods (auto box, leather seats, bilstein suspension, tinted windows). If I leave the car in GR, my parents will use it anyway and when I go back for holiday/visiting them.

Importing the car into UK seems easy, it shouldn't cost more than 500-600 GBP total (headlights are only like 70 GBP each from shop4parts new and the rear lights should be cheaper. speedo 50 GBP, and that's all you need to change. Then VCA certificate 100 GBP and registration/plates another 70. ) I will import it myself, so would not need to pay any agency fees, and road tax/mot that I would have to pay on any car anyway!

Forget selling my Fiat in the UK, it will be driven till it dies, I estimate 300-400,000 kms!

 

[jrkitching]

Importing the car into UK seems easy, it shouldn't cost more than 500-600 GBP total (headlights are only like 70 GBP each from shop4parts new and the rear lights should be cheaper. speedo 50 GBP, and that's all you need to change. Then VCA certificate 100 GBP and registration/plates another 70. )

Just check that you can get insurance cover in the UK for an imported LHD 500 at a reasonable cost - the difference in premium over a RHD car over 3-4 years could tip the balance against it being financially viable to bring it with you.

 

[ahmett]

Just check that you can get insurance cover in the UK for an imported LHD 500 at a reasonable cost - the difference in premium over a RHD car over 3-4 years could tip the balance against it being financially viable to bring it with you.

Hi JrKitching, got quoted 650 pounds when i did a test check on moneysupermarket.com for a left hand drive EUR import Fiat 500 1.4 Dualogic putting all my details in accurately. Sounds reasonable, UK insurance is so expensive anyway, when I put a new Mini Cooper D for a quote it was about the same price! I may have to check again as I would have to get UK insurance before putting number plates on the car using the VIN number as to get UK registration in the first place you need valid UK insurance (they don't accept EU insurance to give UK plates), but I read in many cases that it is not an issue insuring a car just on it's VIN number.

I even put 0 no claims bonus (even though technically i can get my greek insurance to say i have over 3 years of no claims but hesitated to do so in case it becomes a hassle transfering it to UK insurance )

Worst case I will keep the car in the UK for 6 months on Greek plates and Greek insurance (they can give unlimited EU cover including road assistance) and just drive it back if I manage to get another car, but I really doubt it would get to that stage and I don't want a hassle with the Police as they tend not to like EU cars driving on UK roads, even though legally if you can prove you were in the country less than 6 months, have foreign residence ( i have a Greek resident permit) and you are insured, they can annoy you but there is not that much more they can do.

My Greek friend kept a Porsche Cayenne on Greek plates in London for like 2 years without leaving the country but he was a student so they would let him off until at least when he finished his course. Mind you, I think he got away with it with some outstanding parking tickets by the time he drove back to Greece = )

 

[g8rpi]

The Law changed on driving non UK registered cars in the UK. If you are moving to the UK to live or work there is NO grace period where you can drive on non UK plates. In theory you can't even drive from the ferry to your home. see https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk
and
https://expatriates.stackexchange.c...ong-can-i-drive-a-eu-registered-car-in-the-uk

Have you also considered the practical difficulties of driving a LHD car in the UK. If you use pay and display carparks with barrriers or toll roads/bridges you have to reach across the car or get out each time to get the ticket or put it in the machine. Additionally it can be hard to see properly at many junctions from the wrong side of the car. Overall unless you have special attachment to the car it would be better to sell it and buy a RHD one over here. Maybe just an older, cheaper car initally while you look for something more permanent. I've owned and driven a LHD car (rare model) in the UK and it's a pain.

Robert G8RPI.

 

[ahmett]

The Law changed on driving non UK registered cars in the UK. If you are moving to the UK to live or work there is NO grace period where you can drive on non UK plates. In theory you can't even drive from the ferry to your home. see https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk
and
https://expatriates.stackexchange.c...ong-can-i-drive-a-eu-registered-car-in-the-uk

Have you also considered the practical difficulties of driving a LHD car in the UK. If you use pay and display carparks with barrriers or toll roads/bridges you have to reach across the car or get out each time to get the ticket or put it in the machine. Additionally it can be hard to see properly at many junctions from the wrong side of the car. Overall unless you have special attachment to the car it would be better to sell it and buy a RHD one over here. Maybe just an older, cheaper car initally while you look for something more permanent. I've owned and driven a LHD car (rare model) in the UK and it's a pain.

Robert G8RPI.

I've driven my UK car to GR and it really was no issue, so I do not mind. Again if I have like 7,000 GBP to spend on a used car I will do it, but if I don't I will have to bring my car, i will lose too much money selling it and it is in much better condition than other Fiats of similar age.

By the way that no grace period thing is not true, you have 14 days to register the car with HMRC imports and start the import process. If you are late, you have to pay fines. It has Greek plates and EU insurance, the UK govt bureaucracy sometimes really does not make sense, loophole after loophole. I have read many forums about this and its basically a matter of the government and the police trying to manipulate you into changing plates as soon as possible as obviously they want you on UK plates so you pay tax and pay all the speeding/parking fines they cannot trace if you have foreign plates. If it wasn't for the HMRC 14 day rule, I would keep it 6 months then start the process! The police cannot seize a car that is less than 6 months in the country (you obviously have to prove that with ferry tickets and is insured, especially an EU one (yes UK is still in the EU). Again, I have Greek residence so if the police stop me I will say I am still a Greek resident (I will keep resident papers in the car to prove it), and also have UK residence. Once I start the process to register the car within the 14 days, I will just keep it parked or in a garage until I physically get the UK registration as you have to hand in the original registration documents and i don't want to drive around without those (i spoke to a Fiat specialist garage whom i know personally in the UK and he said don't worry about it, he has imported many classic Italian cars from Italy into the UK and he will help me if i have any difficulties he is also an MOT center so I will probably get the work done there), as obviously then the police will know that I have registered with HMRC database if they check and I don't want unecessary hassle.

Doesn't take more than a week apparently once I start the process, so I can live without driving it for a week, probably rent a car over the weekends when I go out late at night and there is no public transport if i really need to and then once I have the UK plates just drive around normally!

 

[p6baseunit]

https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk This government site is useful if you are permanently bringing your car from Greece!
and
https://expatriates.stackexchange.c...ong-can-i-drive-a-eu-registered-car-in-the-uk This is just pure rubbish!

Ahmet, you will have no issues using this car in the UK, with Greek plates on it for 6 months. The car of course needs to be legal in Greece, you need a Greek driving license and you need to hold onto the ferry or EuroTunnel ticket to prove the date of entry.
As an EU citizen you are untitled to come to the UK with your Greek registered car for up to 6 months of the year. The UK has no residency cards or registration of residency for EU citizens.
Technically you are supposed to import this car if you are coming to the UK to live... but in practice no one will bother you, so long as you abide by the law.
As a Greek resident and EU citizen you are able to for the moment (as the UK leaves in 16 months and perhaps some of the rules change for EU citizens)... own property in the UK, a bank account and visit from Greece driving your car for months at a time and still be a non resident.

That would probably be your best bet... move, bring the car for a short while... return and sell it for as much as you can later.
I don't know how old you are... but insurance for me on a 1.2 or twinair has been £280 a year fully comp!
If you have a UK bank account and thus a credit rating in the UK... Car finance is not difficult to get at all on either new or second hand!

 

[p6baseunit]

Have you also considered the practical difficulties of driving a LHD car in the UK. If you use pay and display carparks with barrriers or toll roads/bridges you have to reach across the car or get out each time to get the ticket or put it in the machine. Additionally it can be hard to see properly at many junctions from the wrong side of the car. Overall unless you have special attachment to the car it would be better to sell it and buy a RHD one over here. Maybe just an older, cheaper car initally while you look for something more permanent. I've owned and driven a LHD car (rare model) in the UK and it's a pain.

Robert G8RPI.

This is really good advice. Although I don't have an issue driving the RHD 500s here in Spain.. their small cars anyhow... There are hardly any barriers to collect tickets from here....
In the UK they charge you for everything and there are barriers all over the place. It's an alien concept here... You don't get charged to park when you go shopping.... but in the UK this is a different matter

 

[ahmett]

https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk This government site is useful if you are permanently bringing your car from Greece!
and
https://expatriates.stackexchange.c...ong-can-i-drive-a-eu-registered-car-in-the-uk This is just pure rubbish!

Ahmet, you will have no issues using this car in the UK, with Greek plates on it for 6 months. The car of course needs to be legal in Greece, you need a Greek driving license and you need to hold onto the ferry or EuroTunnel ticket to prove the date of entry.
As an EU citizen you are untitled to come to the UK with your Greek registered car for up to 6 months of the year. The UK has no residency cards or registration of residency for EU citizens.
Technically you are supposed to import this car if you are coming to the UK to live... but in practice no one will bother you, so long as you abide by the law.
As a Greek resident and EU citizen you are able to for the moment (as the UK leaves in 16 months and perhaps some of the rules change for EU citizens)... own property in the UK, a bank account and visit from Greece driving your car for months at a time and still be a non resident.

That would probably be your best bet... move, bring the car for a short while... return and sell it for as much as you can later.
I don't know how old you are... but insurance for me on a 1.2 or twinair has been £280 a year fully comp!
If you have a UK bank account and thus a credit rating in the UK... Car finance is not difficult to get at all on either new or second hand!

yeah the problem with me driving a GR registered car in the UK for 6 months is I have a UK driving licence and a UK passport, so they may be curious as to why I am driving the Greek car, but I think if I show my GR residence it shouldn't be a problem!

The other issue is the you have 14 days to inform the HMRC if you are importing the car permanently and I do not want to drive to France and back to 'reset the clock'.

Anyway if I go through the trouble of bringing it i might as well change the plates!
Funnily enough yearly road tax in GR is 255 EUR, double what I would pay in UK! And if I bring my Fiat with me I would not have to file a Greek tax return as I have no assets in GR, so less bureaucracy in GR ( a car is an asset so you have to file in GR with any GR assets)

I am 29 years old so insurance is fairly expensive for me!

I have an excellent UK credit rating and Bank accounts and credit cards for quite a few years, but to buy a new car on finance in the UK i would need UK income and I have not secured a job yet in the UK (this may change in the near future).

If I do not have a job when i move and i don't have the Fiat and I have decent cash, I may buy like a used 2012 BMW 1 series for 7k cash GBP or thereabouts.
If I secure a job when I move permanently to the UK i'll try and buy a Mini Cooper brand new or pre-reg on finance.

 

[g8rpi]

While many people do drive non-UK regitered cars here for 6 months or more when they should not and don't get caught, some do get caught. Some police forces have higher levels of enforcement than others. There is always the chance of getting caught either by police, after a no fault accident or road checkpoint. Don't forget there are lots of number plate reognition cameras in the UK, especially around ports. It may be unlikely that they would go to that much trouble to prove the car was in the UK, but they could. Many years ago I moved back to the UK after about a year in Jersey and brought back two vehicles. One I'd owned for more than 6 months so would no have to pay tax. the other was less so tax would be payable. Back then you did get 6 months grace. I got lots of comments about leaving one in Jersey or going in and out from different ferry ports but I declared both, saying I would probably return the newer one. Three months later I was at work and got called to the front office. Customs and Excise were visting the compny about their imports and exports and had noticed the two "J" plate vehicles in the car park. They seemed quite disapointed when I produced all the correct paperwork.

Robert G8RPI.

 

[p6baseunit]

yeah the problem with me driving a GR registered car in the UK for 6 months is I have a UK driving licence and a UK passport, so they may be curious as to why I am driving the Greek car, but I think if I show my GR residence it shouldn't be a problem!

OK - That isn't going to work! If you are stopped they will want to see a valid EU Driving license or temporary international permit. The fact that you have a UK driving license means that isn't going to work for you and curious isn't a word that I would use.


I have an excellent UK credit rating and Bank accounts and credit cards for quite a few years, but to buy a new car on finance in the UK i would need UK income and I have not secured a job yet in the UK (this may change in the near future).

It's all about the credit rating and consistent addresses for 6 years (relatives?) - the asset is the car and on PCP deals you generally never own the car anyhow!

If I do not have a job when i move and i don't have the Fiat and I have decent cash, I may buy like a used 2012 BMW 1 series for 7k cash GBP or thereabouts.

None of my business but... your not going to get a low mileage example for that money and I think you will find the repair bills on a high mileage BMW will make the Fiat look cheap to run. Also they are high insurance groups and generally way more expensive to run than a Fiat 500!

...

 

[frupi]

I've heard myself that allegedly some Forces make a point of stopping as many foreign registered vehicles as they can because it seems that many of the vehicles are unroadworthy and would never pass a UK MoT test. I've witnessed myself, foreign registered passenger vehicles seized and the occupants left high and dry at motorway service stations. It's interesting too, that when I occasionally visit my local vehicle breakers yard, just how many foreign plated vehicles are sat there waiting to be crushed, some with 'Police Aware' stickers still affixed to windscreens. On the housing estate where I live, I know a couple of Polish registered vehicles were seized because they had been in the UK for at least two years and I think the neighbours had quite literally had enough of the fact that the vehicles were undoubtedly not taxed, insured or roadworthy. One wonders whether BREXIT will eventually weed a lot more of them off the roads.

But going back to the substance of the thread, it does seem like an awful lot of effort just to import a LHD high mileage 500 to the UK all the way from Greece, and not something I would personally go to the effort of doing. Now, if I were emigrating to South Africa, a right hand drive vehicle Country, I would take both of our vehicles with us, crate 'em up and ship 'em out. It's interesting, the amount of UK registered vehicles I've personally seen running around Cape Town and in the Eastern Cape, undoubtedly permanently exported and then the owners just not registering them into SA. If one drives around some of the sea side villages in the Eastern Cape, it doesn't take long to find UK registered cars just parked up on drives. SA isn't somewhere you just decide to drive back and forth to the UK!

 

[jrkitching]

But going back to the substance of the thread, it does seem like an awful lot of effort just to import a LHD high mileage 500 to the UK all the way from Greece, and not something I would personally go to the effort of doing.

:yeahthat:

If you really can get someone in Greece to give you €5000 for it, then I'd sell it now and import the money. There aren't any restrictions on that; at least, not yet .

Once imported and registered in the UK, you'd be lucky to find someone who'd give you £1000 for it here. There really is just about no market for well-used LHD cars which can be bought easily in RHD form. So bringing it here permanently essentially commits you to keeping it until it dies. Fine if that's what you want, and you think it's worth significantly more to you than turning it into cash now would be, but otherwise you'll just be throwing money at a process which is essentially going to wipe out the resale value of the car.

Using it here on Greek plates has been well covered, and the letter of the law is quite strict. In practice, the problems will compound rather quickly if you have an accident and I'd have thought your insurers will investigate quite closely if a claim is submitted from a UK address. In the worst case scenario, should someone lose their life and your insurance company denies liability because you haven't declared a change in residency, then even if it's not your fault, you will most likely be charged with causing death whilst driving uninsured, a serious offence in the UK. Personally that's not a chance I'd take; if you do decide to bring your car here, then do it through the proper channels.

The police here do sometimes do spot checks on private cars leaving business premises at going home time; they're primarily looking for folks driving home from work who haven't insured their car correctly. In that scenario, driving a car with foreign plates would make you stand out like a sore thumb, and you'd get pulled for sure.

Whatever you decide, for sure we're looking forward to welcoming you back to the UK and seeing you at a FF event next year!

 

[ahmett]

Hi guys, no if I bring the car with me I will import it within 14 days and to do that you need UK insurance anyway, so there will be no issue with the law unless they stop me the day I drive the car in, but in that case I show my Greek insurance, my Green card (I will tell them I am going to UK obviously), ferry ticket and Greek residence, so will be fine!

I agree with the seizing of cars that have been here for 2 years as that is really taking the mickey, I personally would never keep the car in the country longer than 6 months, it's asking for trouble on many issues.

Whatever happens I will not sell this car for 5,000 EUR, i've spent too much money on it, looked after it well and it drives really well for a car its age. People are too obsessed with mileage, this car with 60,000 miles and 7 years feels way better than the used car I bought in the UK previously that was 5 years old and 40,000 miles old!
If I leave it in GR, I will leave it to my parents for them to use and for me to use when I visit them!

Yes, If I bring it to the UK, it will have to stay with me till it dies, which isn't that much of an issue really, as I can always give the car to my younger brother who also is moving to the UK and he is a new driver so he can destroy it as much as he likes to so long as I get myself another car by the time I give it to him!

And yes I will attend a Fiat UK event for sure, would be funny if the car is with me as well, so you guys can see for yourselves how a hard driven Fiat 500 looks like = )

 

[p6baseunit]

Whatever happens I will not sell this car for 5,000 EUR, i've spent too much money on it, looked after it well and it drives really well for a car its age. People are too obsessed with mileage, this car with 60,000 miles and 7 years feels way better than the used car I bought in the UK previously that was 5 years old and 40,000 miles old!

Last time you mentioned the gearbox, you said the car had 150000kms, which is 94000miles.. I am sure you have spent money on this machine. In UK terms €5000 is very good money for this car and you would be able to buy something reasonable for this - in Fiat 500 terms it would be newer with less miles and possibly as well looked after.

 

[ahmett]

Last time you mentioned the gearbox, you said the car had 150000kms, which is 94000miles.. I am sure you have spent money on this machine. In UK terms €5000 is very good money for this car and you would be able to buy something reasonable for this - in Fiat 500 terms it would be newer with less miles and possibly as well looked after.

i saw the ad's minimum 6000 GBP for a decent Fiat 500, so 7,000 EUR and i am sure it won't have leather seats, bilstein suspension and the more powerful engine (1.4!).

i promised myself not to buy a Fiat 500 ever again so this is the last one I am owning unfortunately = ) hopefully i keep this one either in GR or UK for many years to come!

Another, even bigger issue is if you sell the car in GR, you would need to be paid in cash as with capital controls you cannot send the money out LOL!
And not everyone has that cash these days, forget it, its not going to be sold here!

 

[frupi]

Sadly, a LHD Fiat 500 with 94k miles on the clock attempting to be sold here in the UK, would, in all likelihood, be worth very little money. I see UK Fiat 500's going through auction houses week in, week out, and you'd be surprised if you've never been to an auction house, (as many members of the public have never actually visited one I might like to add), just how little dealers pay for them.

Personally, I'd just leave the car in GR and buy something cheap here in the UK. For £500, you can buy a cheap banger with a year's MoT and scrap it after 12 months and do the same again. This is exactly what all our local pizza houses do for their delivery cars, go to auction, buy a 12 year old Nissan Micra on its last legs, run it into the ground, scrap and buy again. It's called 'Bangernomics'.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/...bangernomics-how-buy-and-run-used-car-cheaply