Insuring an "imported" car

Lougher

I am trying to understand what constitutes an "imported" car for insurance purposes.

In 2006 I bought a second-hand VW Golf. I bought the car from the guy who had owned it from new since 2003. He had said that the car was manufactured and PDCd (pre delivery checked) in Germany, but imported as new into UK in June 2003. The car is the same as the UK model except for a different stereo and alloy wheels.
The car registration certificate states that the "date of first registration" and the "date of first registration in the UK" are the same date - June 2003.

Although I have insured the car successfully for the last three years, my insurer has for the first time specifically asked me to confirm if the car was ever imported.

Although I believe the car to be imported, I have no hard evidence that backs this up. The car registration suggests that the car was not imported at any stage. I do not want to open an unnecessary can or worms. Equally I do not want my insurance to fall foul of some unavoidable small print.

Does anybody know if I need to declare my car as imported?
Does it even matter, because the Car was manufactured in the EU? i.e. it is not an Asian or an American import with differtent saftey specifications etc?

cogito

I suspect that the insurers are wanting to satisfy themselves that your car is not a 'grey market' import. Typically, such cars are brought in from Japan and although they may bear the same name as a car on sale in the UK, they are built to a different specification to UK models with different body panels etc. This means that any repairs will be more expensive as parts have to be sourced in Japan and consequently repairs take much longer to complete. Few insurers are willing to insure such cars for these reasons.

I doubt that they will have any problem with your car. After all, loads of vehicles with UK specs were imported from dealers in the EU at a time when the cost of imported cars bought from franchise dealers was much higher than they are now.

Treadway1

Just to satisfy your own mind, Id phone the DVLA. After all, they are the ones it would have been registered with, so they should know where its come from, and its import status.

At worst I think you would just have to put your car in for Single Vehicle Approval test which tests imported vehicles to UK standards (Its just like an MOT but a bit more vigorous). Having said that though, Ive just looked at the Dept. for Transport website and its saying that the SVA is only for vehciles that "have not been type approved for British or EUROPEAN standards."
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/vehicles/vssafety/importsapproval/thesinglevehicleapprovalscheme?page=1#a1000
By that measure, I'd say your cars probably ok, but as I said earlier, probably best to call DVLA to check for sure.

Best of luck.

flutterbyuk25

Treadway1 wrote: »

Just to satisfy your own mind, Id phone the DVLA. After all, they are the ones it would have been registered with, so they should know where its come from, and its import status.
.

If the Date of 1st Registration and Date of 1st Registration In the UK are the same on the logbook then DVLA cannot tell you over phone as to all intents and purposes it is not registered as an import.

If it was made outside UK and brought to UK unregistered i.e. brand new, then it would not be registered as an Import because it has not been registered elsewhere.

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