Lancia Motor Club

General => General Chat => Topic started by: peterbaker on 18 January, 2016, 08:04:05 PM



Title: Importing From Italy
Post by: peterbaker on 18 January, 2016, 08:04:05 PM
Right. Who has recently imported a classic car from Italy and is there a problem driving it back should one NOT want it shipped, ie make a small holiday. The car would be at least thirty years old. 


Title: Re: Importing From Italy
Post by: RobD on 18 January, 2016, 09:05:30 PM
Peter,
I tried to buy a car in Italy last year and the vendor [a professional dealer] was adamant it had to leave his premises on a trailer. For the life me I couldn't understand the logic but he was immovable. I reckon the M.O. here is to get an Italian contact to buy it, get it away from the dealer and then drive it back to the UK.
Sadly I didn't have the time to arrange this and I had to pass on buying one of the nicest Fulvias I've ever seen. It just wasn't viable to have it shipped from Rome to the UK.


Title: Re: Importing From Italy
Post by: Paul Greenway on 18 January, 2016, 09:29:21 PM

Hi Peter,

Unless you can keep the original plates and keep it taxed and insured on them (I think you would require to have an Italian address for this) my understanding is that you can only keep it on temporary plates for a maximum of four days and that includes getting it to its permanent home address.

If buying from a conscientious  dealer they will insist upon 'demolizione targhe' (original plate removal/provision of temp plates) and passagio (pre- determined route from dealership to home address). There is no allowance for a holiday in this arrangement and I am not aware of any way around it, although others may.

Unfortunately Italy have these strict regulations, other European countries are more relaxed in this respect.

Other than driving straight back home, the other way is to transport (not ship) it which is probably more reasonable than you think.

I have just imported a Fulvia Sport from Germany and had it transported back to my home address (Lancashire) for under £600 door to door which I thought was excellent value.

Cheers,

Paul


Title: Re: Importing From Italy
Post by: peterbaker on 19 January, 2016, 10:01:45 AM
Can I come to an agreement with the current owner, that he leaves the plates on the car and I reuturn then when back in UK. I would leave a deposit.


Title: Re: Importing From Italy
Post by: John B on 19 January, 2016, 11:15:47 AM
Can I come to an agreement with the current owner, that he leaves the plates on the car and I reuturn then when back in UK. I would leave a deposit.
Not sure how/if that would work.
Let's suppose I sold my Italian registered car to you, while it is still in my name and insured by me you could drive it back to UK......that's the easy part.
Now I need to register that the car has been sold but I can't sell it to a non resident and while it is still registered to me I am liable for the annual road tax, although cars of a certain age are exempt from this.
In theory I could notify the relevant authorities that the car had been scrapped and used for spare parts etc and return the number plates and all registration documents to them so then my ownership of the car would cease - I think.
There would be a fee payable (there always is in Italy!) but no idea how much.

Back in the UK you have an Italian car with no number plates,  no official sales document and no proof of ownership......will that be a problem?







Title: Re: Importing From Italy
Post by: peterbaker on 19 January, 2016, 05:18:14 PM
Are you saying it is not possible for someone owning an Italian car forty years old to sell it to me?


Title: Re: Importing From Italy
Post by: lancialulu on 19 January, 2016, 06:32:55 PM
I think you need to find some kind Italian to drive it to Calais. Then you are home and dry!


Title: Re: Importing From Italy
Post by: fay66 on 19 January, 2016, 06:46:29 PM
I'm sure I read somewhere once of the Italian owner allowing the car to be driven to the UK on the Italian Number plates, then the buyer returned them, to so that the Italian seller could hand them in ???
would that work ???

Brian
8227 8)


Title: Re: Importing From Italy
Post by: John B on 19 January, 2016, 07:06:39 PM
I suppose that once the car is in the UK, and the plates have been returned, the Italian seller could tell the authorities
that he had exported the car.
Once he was in possession of the relevant documents these could be forwarded to the new owner.
Sounds easy in theory but no idea if it is possible in practise.


Title: Re: Importing From Italy
Post by: peterbaker on 19 January, 2016, 07:11:54 PM
This really is a crazy situation. Are we, or are we not, part of a trading alliance that should allow free movement of personal goods across the EU?


Title: Re: Importing From Italy
Post by: John B on 19 January, 2016, 07:14:42 PM
This really is a crazy situation. Are we, or are we not, part of a trading alliance that should allow free movement of personal goods across the EU?

Italy totally ignores any EU rules it does not like........shame the UK was not a bit more like that.


Title: Re: Importing From Italy
Post by: frankxhv773t on 19 January, 2016, 10:24:18 PM
In part I believe the problem lies in UK law being developed from Norman law, where the law dictates a standard below which you may not fall, whereas Italian law is derived from Roman law, the law sets a standard to which you should aspire but nobody realistically expects that standard to be met. This was explained to me many years ago in the context of English Catholics struggling with canon law.


Title: Re: Importing From Italy
Post by: fay66 on 19 January, 2016, 10:27:43 PM
This really is a crazy situation. Are we, or are we not, part of a trading alliance that should allow free movement of personal goods across the EU?

Italy totally ignores any EU rules it does not like........shame the UK was not a bit more like that.

Here Here, and France is the same, it's only the relevant muppets in the civil service who seem to demand we stick to letter and beyond.

Brian
8227 8)


Title: Re: Importing From Italy
Post by: Caracad on 22 January, 2016, 08:46:55 PM
I wanted to drive the Fulvia, that I Recently bought in Rome, back home.
In the end I decided shipping was the only way. In Italy you can only sell a car to an Italian resident. If selling to someone outside Italy the car has effectively to be scrapped.
This means no registration or plates once it is sold. Regardless of any of this, I couldn't find insurance for a car without uk registration from any of the main companies.

Don't be put off. The trip to Italy to view and secure the car can be a holiday of sort. Also any old car will have issues, however good it is. My Fulvia was amazing, but once home, I found a few small issues that meant I was glad I hadn't driven it home. I really enjoyed meeting Giorgio the seller and promised to drive it back to Italy to join him on an Italian Lancia rally.


Title: Re: Importing From Italy
Post by: angelorange on 26 January, 2016, 07:59:22 PM
It is possible but complicated. You can get insurance from UK based on chassis number.  You don't need original plates to register car with DVLA but you do need original documents.

Export plates or private seller seems simplest

https://youtu.be/73GDuzOG1iw




Title: Re: Importing From Italy
Post by: RobD on 27 January, 2016, 07:33:05 AM
Peter, 
Here's an article written by someone who has done exactly what you are trying to do , should tell you all you need to know.

http://www.fiat500enthusiasts.co.uk/magazine5.shtml


Title: Re: Importing From Italy
Post by: lancialulu on 27 January, 2016, 08:40:38 AM
Seems cheaper to have an Italian drive it to calais.....