Buying & running a car in Germany

[skattrd]

At present it looks like I could be spending a good portion of the next few months in Germany. I've said to myself that if I'm over there for more than a month then I'm allowed to buy myself a shiter to use whilst I'm there, knowing me it would probably be a 90's Lancia that wasn't available in the UK.

I know nothing about buying & registering a car in Germany (or anywhere else for that matter) so any advice/tips appreciated. How difficult would it be for me to buy and run a car in Germany for a few months?

I have a feeling it could be a world of pain registering a car over there without a permanent German address.

 

I'm thinking it might be a lot less hassle to buy random lhd car in UK and take that over .... Possibly even a Merc and sell it for ££££, but that's another idea
 

[nigel bickle]

U hav PM

[beko1987]

I'd love to need to ponder this!

 

Surely some cheap unwanted LHD barge from here and drive it over? Then buy something nice from there and drive it back?

[Junkman]

It is impossible to register a car in Germany without a permanent address, pretty much in line with any other EU member state.

You will also need a German bank account, since paying the tax by standing order is the only possible method of payment there.

Tax is charged strictly by emissions and old beaters pay a hefty premium.

 

However, in Germany the concept of 'Export Plates' exists. They are valid a selected period of time, IIRC a maximum of 3 Months, but imply the car being taken out of the county within that period and never return. They come as a package including insurance and tax for the period and can be bought online. The downside is that the car still needs a valid TÃœV for the entire period.

[skattrd]

Cheer Nigel & Junkman.

It sounds like buying a car and registering it to use in the fatherland is out of the question (unless slightly dubious methods are involved, which I'm not against).

Export plates sounds like a possibility then, I don't suppose you have a link or possibly any more information on them? Is there a penalty for not exporting the car at the end of the period of the plates or could it be re-sold (to another Englishman who puts it on export plates).

 

 

[skattrd]

Aha!

Useful information has been found by googlatron:

http://www.germanexportplates.com/#!start-here

[pshome]

Dont buy insurance at the places that make the plates (Autoschilder) unless you are in an absolute hurry, they will charge you twice than what you pay normally. Go directlly to any insurance broker, type "Versicherungsmakler" into google maps and you will find plenty. Call around a bit, rates vary between companies.

[pshome]

If you just want to export the car, you can get a "Kurzzeitkennzeichen", its valid for up to 5 days and costs you about 70€ including the plates and insurance.

You don't need residence or a bank account for this. No need to have TÃœV on the car either, you only sign a declaration that the car is roadworthy. No obligation to export the car with these, but you cannot extend or renew. So its really only useful to export a car or to drive it legally from A to B without TÃœV. 

These are easy to get, you need to get insurance first, then you have to show up an the registration office in person and usually walk away with the plates within an hour.

[Junkman]

But Kurzzeitkennzeichen - contary to Export Plates - aren't recognised as proper immatriculation in many counties neighboring Germany. If for example the Belgian rozzers see you in the Royaume with Kurzzeitkennzeichen, your trip is over. I also would not want to argue with a Flic in the French police and surveillance state.

[Eric]

That's right...

 

If you drive a car on export plates from Germany threw The Netherlands, you can have a problem (not always, O.K.)

[pshome]

That's right...

 

If you drive a car on export plates from Germany threw The Netherlands, you can have a problem (not always, O.K.)

Yes, you are right, unfortunately, nobody seems to really know where these plates are Ok and where not... According to ADAC there are agreements with Italy and Austria that allow the use of these numbers. Other countries seem to tolerate them except Belgium and Luxemburg. So its a bit of a Bingo game to use these.

[Guest Breadvan72]

Hier ist das Auto für sie

 

http://www.car4you.at/Gebrauchtwagen/Lancia_Delta_HPE_1/Detail/4494402

 

Aber was ist falsch mit der Motorhaube?

[Guest Breadvan72]

Rote Autos fahren schneller. Sie schneller rosten auch....

 

 

http://kleinanzeigen.ebay.de/anzeigen/s-anzeige/lancia-delta-1-6l-hpe/184988482-216-131?ref=search

 

 

 

[pshome]

Kauf lieber das hier:

 

Tagora for sale in Germany, first owner

 

wir haben es schon angesehen, guter Zustand, aber der Preis ist zu hoch.

 

 

[Guest Breadvan72]

Heilige scheiße!  Diese fotos sind noch schlimmer als meine!

[skattrd]

Driving a car out of Germany on export plates that aren't recognised by neighbouring  countries is a bit of a pain. It's either the end of the idea, or a suck it and see job as I would likely be heading for Rotterdam, or Zeebrugge for the ferry, both places are in countries that don't officially recognise export plates.

 

Does anyone know if any of the neighbouring countries do similar sort of thing to German export plates? I'm specifically thinking about Belgium of Holland. I should be staying near the Dutch/Belgian border for a while, so could visit one of those countries to buy a car.

 

I am starting to think that to do this legit taking a car from UK would be a billionty times simpler ..... Damnit, I knew I should have bought that left hooker Dedra wagon.

 

Thx for the suggestions of cars guys, but .. as I said, I won't be thinking about buying something in Germany until I've been over there at least a month (and I'm still at home).

Whilst I like Tagoras, I have never spent anywhere near 4 bags on a car, and don't intend to start now ... Breadvan72, closer to the mark, a cheap 90's Delta/HPE is pretty much top of my list (along with a Dedra integrale, despite what Pete-M says about them) but it has to be either very cheap or turbo'd.

[FredTransit]

if you are genuinly taking a car home through other countries, why not take some UK plates with you for when you get out of Germany? Then put the German export plates back on very near the port. The other countries cops cant investigate the UK plates and in the UK the export plates will be genuine. Not that I am telling you to do this!

[Taff]

i would be inclined to head for the nearest British army camp, bound to be something ropey and dodgy there which some hard-up Tom needs to get rid of in a hurry

[Guest Breadvan72]

Hard up Tommy, surely?  Hard up Toms are the girls who work near the army camps and become hard up when Tommy has blinged his cash on some POS car that skattrd will ponce off him for half a bag.  Remember, troops, "blobby knob prevents demob". 

[Guest Breadvan72]

Talbot-Matra Murena could be very you, skattrd.    Cheaper to buy in UK than in Europe, but they are sought after over there so a profit could be turned at the end of the mission. 

 

My ace mechanic Roy Gillard has bought and is fixing up my old Murena with a view to selling it. He is coming over to do some work for me on the sheds next week and I will ask him how he is getting on with the car.  

[pshome]

Whilst I like Tagoras, I have never spent anywhere near 4 bags on a car, and don't intend to start now ...

Nobody does, thats why that Tagora been sitting there for sale since ever

[Guest Breadvan72]

BTW, that Murena I had was originally a German spec car, imported into the UK in the 1990s.    They lerve Murenas in Germany and Holland, and even quite like them in France.   Great car until I fooked it up through being a knob, but Roy will fix it if anyone can.