One of the more interesting and unique projects we’re working on is the importation of classic motor vehicles and high value near-new cars from the United Kingdom to New Zealand.  When buying any used vehicle, the motto of ‘caveat emptor’, a Latin term meaning ‘let the buyer beware’, still resonates strongly.  This adage is even more relevant when purchasing classic cars that have undergone any restoration or rebuild.  The quality of the workmanship and the accuracy of the restoration can significantly devalue any investment.

The United Kingdom is globally respected for its superior craftsmanship and restoration of classic cars. However, having someone on the ground to visually inspect the vehicle and the paperwork is vital prior to committing to purchase.  It’s essential that you have all your compliance and documentation completed before the vehicle leaves the UK.

What you need to know when Importing a car from the UK

The New Zealand Transport Authority (NZTA) has very clear guidelines when importing vehicles from Europe and the UK. If you’re importing a used vehicle from these territories you must provide evidence that the car meets a range of approved standards before it can be registered for use on the road.

Europe has two vehicle standards regimes that are recognised by the NZTA. The Regulations of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) and the Directives of the Commission of the European Communities (EC, or formerly EEC). Evidence that your vehicle complies with either of these standards will be acceptable for New Zealand requirements.  Further to this you must provide evidence of the following:

1. Proof of ownership – registration, de-registration or change of ownership papers, plus an invoice, bill of sale or receipt,
2. Emissions standards – a suitable European Community (EC) whole vehicle approval plate/sticker, a suitable UN/ECE approval plate/sticker, a certificate of conformity or statement of compliance that includes an approved emission standard.
3. Frontal impact standards – a suitable European Community (EC) whole vehicle approval plate/sticker, a suitable UN/ECE approval plate/sticker or statement of compliance
4. Fuel consumption certificate
5. Light-vehicle brakes standards for electronic stability control (ESC)
6. Heavy vehicle brakes standards
7. Overall standards – a suitable EC whole vehicle approval plate/sticker, a suitable UN/ECE Approval plate/sticker or statement of compliance.

Full documentation can be found on the NZTA website.

Surprisingly, the transportation costs to ship a vehicle back to New Zealand are nominal.  New Zealand is a ‘net exporter’ of shipping containers, meaning inbound containers are often empty.  Cars from a UK depot to an Auckland depot can cost as little as NZD $2750.00 per vehicle on ocean freight.  You should expect the following to be inclusive of any charges:

1. NZ port charges
2. NZ import document fees
3. IVS inspection
4. MPI inspection

Other considerations when costing your shipping include delivery to the compliance centre in Auckland; typically allow up to $100.00.  Insurance is based on the landed value of the vehicle, known as metro marine insurance; its typically .8% of landed value.  If the marine insurance cover is over NZD $50000.00 you then pay .7% of the additional value.

Finally, you will need to obtain an HPI Gold (NZD$55.00) vehicle history check https://hpicheck.com and pay customs clearance of NZD$100.00 per vehicle.  The rest is looked after by the experts.

For those of you who wish to purchase your next car, London has some of the finest luxury car yards in the world.