Buying car in Italy to drive home...

[petermcpete]

Has anybody here done this, who can advise?

 

From what I can see, you have to be a resident to buy an Italian car

 

This has the potential to scupper my bulletproof* plan to buy a Fiat 127 or Panda and drive it home 1300 miles.

 

I'll upload a picture of said car when my computer behaves...

 

 

[Aston Martin]

I believe it’s a ball ache/impossible.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I would have thought that if it's cheap (500 quid) just drive it back to the UK. I did it with a German plated E30. Just showed the reg papers/copy at Dover and registered it the UK on an age related plate with a letter from BMW saying when it was manufactured.

[DodgeRover]

It's a ball ache unless you can convince them to leave the plates on and you post them back.

Take a set of UK trade plates?

[castros_bro]

I've done an Alfa33 sport ( and a  Panda 4x4 and a Dacia) but always got the previous owner to leave the plates on for the journey with a signed letter that you own the car then send the plates back.  The NOVA and re reg is just follow the Gov rules.  Have a look at the vehicle over 10 year rule which says you don't need to change headlights etc to register it here.

[sierraman]

If an Italian Border Official can't be bribed I'll eat my hat.

[Eddie Honda]

Has anybody here done this, who can advise?

 

 

You need fat-boy Mike Brewer. I don't watch Wheeler Dealers, but I did see an episode where he was buying a 500 in Italy... to drive back to Blighty. Sure enough it broke down shortly after leaving meaning the budget* was shot to pieces before even getting the car home.

 

Mibbie someone can link it from YouTube if they find it.

[Aston Martin]

Nobody has ever needed that fat useless cockney cunt.

[Eddie Honda]

teeeeendi la manoooooo

 

 

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5byk9g

 

(Sorry about the mirror image. YouTube had an even poorer picture-in-picture version)

[Schaefft]

Wouldn't the biggest problem be insuring the car for the drive back home? Unless the owner just keeps the car registered/insured on their name (which I'd never do if the buyer plans to take it on a long trip back), I cannot imagine you'll be able to get cover from a UK insurer. You get around that issue in Germany by just getting temp plates for it wherever you bought it as long as its got a valid TUV (MOT), before 2 years ago even that wasnt mandatory.

[Schaefft]

I've done an Alfa33 sport ( and a  Panda 4x4 and a Dacia) but always got the previous owner to leave the plates on for the journey with a signed letter that you own the car then send the plates back.  The NOVA and re reg is just follow the Gov rules.  Have a look at the vehicle over 10 year rule which says you don't need to change headlights etc to register it here.

 

Do you not have to install UK market headlight if the car is older than 10 years? That would save me some hassle when I register my BMW here.

[sierraman]

Would trailering it home not be a safer plan?

[Eddie Honda]

The amount of problems folk talk about rather than solutions in these threads is unbelievably negative.

 

(I can hear the Junkman bashing his head off his keyboard from over here in France)

 

Start here https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/cars/buying-a-car-abroad/italy/indexamp_en.htm then grab a coffee and twenty smokes for breakfast and just do it!

[sierraman]

Not sure trailering its being negative, just realistic. 50 year old Fiats aren't known for their prowess on long journeys.

[Eddie Honda]

He's only wanting a 127 or Panda.

[nigel bickle]

I've imported plenty, from all over the world.

Never Italy - but it can hardly be difficult, can it - unless you want to make it so.

 

I've lost count of the number of threads on " how to import" , that never seem to go anywhere, even when walked right through the process.

 

But I do like those 'others' here, ( you know who you are!) that just get on & do it. Minimum fuss, maximum fun.

 

That's where the respect, lies.

[sierraman]

Put it in the suitcase then if they won't let you take it as hand luggage.

[artdjones]

My brother drove from Wales to Prague in an early Panda (Y reg). Next year he drove it to Budapest.He got back both times.He said that one of the best moments was being passed by a Trabant full of people elated at overtaking a Western car.This was a year after the Berlin wall came down.

[castros_bro]

I've imported plenty, from all over the world.

Never Italy - but it can hardly be difficult, can it - unless you want to make it so.

 

I've lost count of the number of threads on " how to import" , that never seem to go anywhere, even when walked right through the process.

 

But I do like those 'others' here, ( you know who you are!) that just get on & do it. Minimum fuss, maximum fun.

 

That's where the respect, lies.

 

 

^^^  Wot he/she says ^^ 

 

It is only as difficult as you make it so you have to put in the effort yourself or pay for someone to do it for you,

 

[petermcpete]

The amount of problems folk talk about rather than solutions in these threads is unbelievably negative.

 

(I can hear the Junkman bashing his head off his keyboard from over here in France)

 

Start here https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/cars/buying-a-car-abroad/italy/indexamp_en.htm then grab a coffee and twenty smokes for breakfast and just do it!

 

Perfect, thank you!

 

I could trailer it home, but where's the fun in that. Old carbureted engines only have so many failure points...

[petermcpete]

I took the 2cv 2000 miles round France a couple of years ago, having previously done a couple of hundred over the previous 15 years...only the three breakdowns, all fixed by the side of the road! 

[Parky]

Take some age related UK plates and a GB sticker. That’ll almost certainly get you home no problem because Italian or French Plod are unlikely to call the Met and ask them to do an ANPR check. They will just think you are some mentalist on a driving holiday to Italy from the UK.

 

Of course this is highly illegal and I have no idea how you would fare at Calais/Dover but again I can’t see anyone noticing.

[Eddie Honda]

Ok, you're qualified, but if you want full golden bollocks stripes you have to bring an absolutely hanging Ritmo back.

[nigel bickle]

Spot on Parky, did that only recently with an early Twingo.

 

Swopped back 100 yds from Eurotunnel customs ( when I judged myself to be just in the Uk!) .

 

Customs bloke laughed his head off, then waved me straight through.

 

Remove anything local,cover it in GB stickers, recent uk newspapers etc etc.

 

You'll have to do something pretty silly to get stopped..

[Zantimisfit]

I am looking to bring a car back to UK when we move back from Sweden in the summer.

 

This is what I have learned (just bear in mind I have not bought it to import it, I've owned it for a while)

 

1. Getting someone to transport it would be (way too!) expensive. At least 2000 quid...more for someone you would probably trust. I had some quotes over 3000! So its a case of drive it or find a mate with a trailer.

 

2. My UK insurer (Direct Line) will insure the car on foreign plates, but only to drive it to its place of storage or for its MOT (not needed in this case as its over 40 years old). They won't insure it for me to drive around in it until I get it on UK plates. They will give me cover for the non UK part of the trip.

 

3. I you cant be arsed there are companies you can pay to take care of duty, registration, vehicle tax etc etc. I was given a quote for about 500 quid all in. Doubt I will take it up!

 

4. Sweden has a system where a car has to be formally exported, with original plates returned, export plates fitted etc. The advice I have from those in the know here is to ignore all that. Take the car 'on holiday', decide to keep it there, get it registered in the UK and tell Swedish Transportstyrelsen afterwards. The authorities here are only interested in people who drive untaxed, uninsured cars etc. They might be a bit pissed off I have not followed the system but will be OK if they get proof of new UK identity,

 

All in all it doesn't sound too hard, other than the 1800 km drive in a 50 year Mini at 80 kms, with added German Autobahn etc. Could be fun in an automotive equivalent of self harming kind of way.

 

Dont know if any of that helps you any....

[Alfamale]

Looked into this a lot, being half Italian and the family having a house in the Deep South where there is loads f interesting old stuff.

 

Buying a car there is like buying a house and normally involves getting a notary to do the legal transfer. However, if you were to leave the plates with the seller then I can’t see there being a problem. Not sure if you could take the registration papers too however so you’d need a build cert from the manufacturer when back to register in the UK.

 

I’m over there in July for a holiday and intend to investigate further.

[Tamworthbay]

I haven’t looked into the actual buying but have looked into getting one back. From Naples you can get a container back to the Uk for around £700, you could fit two Fiat 500s in one, not sure about 127s as I d9nt know their exact length but think you would. There are a couple of container companies at the port in Naples who will (allegedly) let you load your own container at their site. I have a contact in Pompeii and am looking at 500s but it’s on hold after booking a big holiday next year (Russia, so Moskovich?)

[DodgeRover]

Looked into this a lot, being half Italian and the family having a house in the Deep South where there is loads f interesting old stuff.

 

Buying a car there is like buying a house and normally involves getting a notary to do the legal transfer. However, if you were to leave the plates with the seller then I can’t see there being a problem. Not sure if you could take the registration papers too however so you’d need a build cert from the manufacturer when back to register in the UK.

 

I’m over there in July for a holiday and intend to investigate further.

The DVLA were/ are aware you don't normally get the papers for Italian stuff a photocopy will help though.

[Wingz123]

I have someone in Northern Italy....

[Vin]

I have a friend who bought a 1980 Fiat 132 (a 2 litre with fuel injection...) in Italy and drove it back to the UK. There were no 'OMG Bureaucratic Nightmares' as the seller accepted that he would post back the plates. Which he did. And everybody lived happily ever after...except the DVLA gave it a 2000 'W' registration rather than the correct 1980 one. It did look strange for a while though...