Including 5% VAT, the first registration fee of £55, £300 road tax and the agent’s fees, Nick paid a total of £1400 to have the car cleared for UK use.
Another enthusiast tempted by the prospect of buying a rare car abroad for a lower price than they would have to pay in the UK is Jeff Ruggles.
He recently bought a 1977 Mk1 Ford Fiesta 1.1 S for £2100, also advertised on leboncoin.fr. To avoid insurance problems, he had a France-based friend buy and insure the car, who then sold it to him.
Because insurance in France is on the car, rather than the driver, Jeff was able to drive the Fiesta to the exit port before, once in the UK, trailering it home.
“The going rate for a UK car is around £5000, so I’m happy,” he says. “Because I already have an [Italian-made] Innocenti Mini, the Fiesta being left-hand drive is no problem to me.”
The DVLA couldn’t tell Autocar how many used cars are imported from Europe and registered in the UK, but one agent, My Car Import, says it imports up to eight per week.
“The low 5% VAT on older cars is no discouragement to enthusiasts seeking a rare vehicle in good condition,” says Will Smith, a director of the company. “Our transporter is out every week collecting cars.”
Reunited with his now UK-registered Twingo, Nick Bailey is looking forward to getting to know the little car.
One thing he won’t be doing is restoring it: “I’m doing a little bit of tidying up. Otherwise, I’m going to leave it dans son jus.”
