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Importing a vehicle

Parallel import v's Grey import

Which do I choose - Well there are two import types and it is important to know which is which :
 
There are many cool cars on films like the District 13, Fast and Furious & Taxi and its not the easiest finding a car that fits all your looking for in the UK e.g. Limited edition RX7 with Veilside kit, 18 inch Enkei splits & a stand alone fuel injection with integrated NOS.
 
 
Parallel - Car available in the UK as well as overseas. Importing a vehicle saves searching and its not that hard, the first thing we recommend is to look at the different markets.
 
Grey car imports (Gray) - Car available only outside the UK e.g. Mazda Efini.]
 
The Japanese car market does tend to offer slightly different cars to the US import market, or even the Dutch or German cars, who really like there Euro style cars such as the Golf, or you could even import a brand new car from Europe.
 
Grey car Imports (Non-EU)
 
By far the most popular place for import cars is Japan, therefore many dealers offer a specialist import service or at the least can import via another method. 
 
What are the benefits of buying a Jap Grey import? Well there are usually alot of reasons including:
 
Jap specs are often higher than a UK equivalent similar to back in the late 80's if you had a German Ford it was more refined than its UK equivalent e.g. brown tints, better build quality etc
Getting hold of a rarer car never manufactured in the UK
on a UK waiting list UK
cheaper than a UK equivalent (usually the case)
Parallel car imports (UK Available)
 
The main reason to import a parallel import is to save money however cars from other countries offer different refinements such as coloured tinted glass or wheels.

A few tips when importing a car

Not all Jap imports are true Grey imports many masquerade as something they're not, and arn't always the easiest to spot, if in doubt DON'T BUY or get the alledged Jap import checked.
Always check all hidden extra costs you'll incur e.g. VAT, shipping & transit plates. This gives you an idea whether it's still worth importing a car.
It is illegal to have a imported car on a UK road until the vehicle is fully licensed and registered.
Always make sure the cost of importing saves you a fair chunk of money, in relation to buying in the UK.
 
 
 
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Northern Group of Motoring Writers NGMW

Northern Group Of Motoring Writers

Annabelle Quirk Vice Chairwoman
Ben D T Quirk Member