Car Imports to the UK: A Guide From Buying to Shipping

Despite some challenging conditions in 2022, Brits showed that their love of classic cars from the USA didn't wane. In the second half of the year, there was a resurgence in would-be buyers coming to the USA looking to buy vehicles to take home. Others took advantage of the many online tools available to help find their dream car. 

Helping them bring their cars home to the UK were more reliable shipping schedules than we had seen in the previous 12 months. This meant less wait time and importantly stable pricing. 

Customers were able to ship in a cost effective way from either of our three depots:

• California to Southampton
• New Jersey to Southampton 
• Florida to London Gateway

In almost all cases, West Coast Shipping arranged the inland transport from the seller with either an open or enclosed transporter.

Escrow Service

We understand that when buying a car from abroad it can come with some challenges, and the number one concern being trusting the seller. One way we can assist in taking the stress out of a purchase is to offer our escrow service. For more details on this service please see this link.

Arrival to the UK

As you would expect to get your hands on your vehicle and then register it, there are a number of steps that need to be followed. Fortunately our agent completes a number of these on your behalf so once it is in your possession you can finalise what is needed to get the vehicle registered and on the road.

On arrival into the UK, our trusted agent will be on hand to collect the container with your vehicle from the port, they will bring it back to their depot where they will unpack and arrange the customs clearance. 

The agent will arrange the invoice to pay Duty or VAT to the HMRC. The HMRC will then issue the NOVA certificate. From this point you will be in a position to begin completing the process for registration through the DVLA. Our local agent will be happy to point you in the right direction as to what happens next after the car is released

With the proper steps in place, importing a car from the USA does not have to be a stressful process. West Coast Shipping is here to support you every step of the way.