Importing a convertible to the UK
Roof up or roof down, the paperwork is the same as any other car. The shipping is where a convertible is different, and that part is worth getting right.
- Container shipping with marine insurance
- IVA and MOT testing on site
- DVLA plates in 10 working days
- 25+ years of imported soft tops
The one decision that matters
RoRo or container is a real question on a soft top
For most cars it hardly matters. A convertible is the exception. RoRo puts the car on an open deck in salt air for the crossing, with a fabric roof as the only thing between the weather and the interior, and a hood that has spent fifteen years in the Californian sun is not what you want tested that way. On a soft top we’ll usually steer you towards a container, and we’ll tell you why rather than just charging you more for it.
Look at the roof before it ships
A hood that leaks on the driveway leaks for six weeks at sea. Our pre-shipping inspection guide covers what to go through, and on a convertible the hood, the seals and the drain channels go to the top of that list.
What it needs before the plates go on
Age decides the route, the same as any other import. We confirm which one your car falls into when we price it, not when it lands.
Under 10 years old
IVA test
A newer convertible has to satisfy UK type approval. Either the manufacturer issues a Certificate of Conformity and we register on that, or it’s an IVA test in our own lane.
Over 10 years old
MOT and modifications
Type approval drops out of it. What remains is an MOT and the work the age of the car calls for, which on an import is the lights and the speedometer before anything else.
Over 40 years old
Neither
No MOT and no approval test. An older convertible can go straight to you while the registration is sorted. A good many of the ones we handle sit in this bracket.
A folding hard top changes nothing about the process. Neither does a targa panel or a removable roof section. As far as the import is concerned it’s the age of the car and where it’s coming from, the same as everything else.
Where the convertibles come from
Origin changes the crossing, the customs and occasionally the condition of what turns up. It doesn’t change the work once the car’s here.
United States
The biggest single source. Dry-state cars from Arizona and California come with bodies worth having and hoods that have taken a beating from the sun. Left-hand drive, so the lights and the speedometer are on the list.
Japan
S2000s, MX-5s, Copens and a run of small roadsters that were never officially sold here. Right-hand drive already, and they’ve generally been kept well.
Germany
Cabriolet 911s, Z4s, SLKs and the rest. Often bought there on specification or price. Since Brexit they carry import VAT.
We ship from 54 countries. Find yours
Tell us about the convertible
What it is, where it is and what condition the roof is in. We’ll come back with a price and a recommendation on how to ship it.
Port to plates
What the import involves
Hand over all of it or only the end of it. Some people arrange their own crossing and come to us once the car is on the dock.
- 1CollectionWe collect from the seller, the auction house or your own drive and get the car to the loading warehouse.
- 2ShippingContainer or RoRo, with marine insurance for the crossing. We book it, we track it, you watch it on the portal.
- 3CustomsWe’re HMRC CDS authorised agents with customs staff in-house, so your entry is filed by the same firm that shipped the car.
- 4UnloadingContainers come to our own facility rather than a port warehouse. That means no port waiting times and nobody rushing a car off a trailer.
- 5ModificationsHeadlights, rear fog light and speedometer, done here, to the standard the test needs.
- 6TestingIVA, MSVA or MOT in our own lanes. We book the date, so your car does not leave the site to be tested.
- 7RegistrationOur dealer-level DVLA account gives an expected turnaround of 10 working days, then the plates go on.
- 8DeliveryCollect it from us, or we’ll bring it to you on an open or enclosed trailer.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
No two of these are the same. If your question is missing, ring the office and ask.
Should I ship a convertible in a container?
Usually, yes, and on an older soft top we’d push for it. A container keeps salt air off the hood and the interior for the whole crossing. RoRo is cheaper and plenty of convertibles cross that way without trouble, but it’s a decision worth making on purpose rather than by default. Compare the two →
Does a folding hard top change anything?
No. Metal roof, fabric roof, targa panel, removable section: the import route is identical. What decides the work is the age of the car.
Mine is coming from the States. Anything I should know?
Dry-state cars tend to have excellent bodies and tired hoods, because the same sun that keeps the rust away is hard on fabric and on the rear screen. It’s worth a proper look at the roof before you commit, and worth budgeting for one after it lands.
Can I import a left-hand-drive convertible?
Yes, and a great many of them are. It registers the same as anything else once the headlights, the rear fog light and the speedometer are sorted. Read the full guide →
What will the shipping cost?
It depends on the route, and on a convertible it also depends on whether you go container. We publish guide prices by region, built from a sample of a year’s worth of real jobs. See the guide prices →
How soon could I be driving it?
From Europe, days. From America or Japan, weeks on the water. Then whatever test the age calls for, then ten working days with the DVLA. We give you a date to work to at the quote stage.