Chevrolet built the Camaro from 1967 until production ended after the 2024 model year, and most of them stayed in America. If you want one here, it will very likely come from the US, in left-hand drive and with American lights. That can feel like a lot to take on. The age of the car settles most of it, and the rest is a routine conversion.
- Shipping from the USA
- From £1,450, shipping only
- Time at sea
- Around 2 to 4 weeks
- Import tax
- 10% duty + 20% VAT
- Over 30 years old
- 5% VAT, no duty
Six generations, three sets of rules
The generation tells you which age band the car is in, and the band decides the import tax and the test it takes before registration. These are worked out from today, 12 October 2026, so they move a little every year.
| Feature | Built | UK test | Import tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| First generation | 1967 to 1969 | No MOT needed, if not substantially changed | 5% VAT, no duty |
| Second generation | 1970 to 1981 | No MOT needed, if not substantially changed | 5% VAT, no duty |
| Third generation | 1982 to 1992 | MOT, or none once over 40 | 5% VAT, no duty |
| Fourth generation | 1993 to 2002 | MOT | 5% VAT if built before October 1996, otherwise 10% duty + 20% VAT |
| Fifth generation | 2010 to 2015 | MOT | 10% duty + 20% VAT |
| Sixth generation | 2016 to 2024 | MOT or IVA, check the build date | 10% duty + 20% VAT |
Two generations straddle a line. The fourth generation crosses the 30-year mark, so an early one may qualify for 5% VAT while a later one pays the full rate. The sixth generation crosses the 10-year mark: a car built before October 2016 takes an MOT and a later one takes an IVA test.
First and second generation cars
The early Camaros are the ones most people want to import, and among the most popular American classics we bring over. They are all over 30, so one that qualifies as historic pays 5% import VAT and no duty. They are all over 40 too, so no MOT is needed as long as the car has not been substantially changed.
Restomods are common, and GOV.UK treats replacing the chassis, body, axles or engine in a way that changes how the car works as a substantial change. A heavily modified car can lose the MOT exemption and may not count as historic for the 5% rate. Ask us before you buy if the car has been reworked.
Every first and second generation car was built before 1 January 1986, so it can stop paying vehicle tax once registered, after you apply for the exemption. Our guide to importing a classic American car covers the dating and title questions older cars raise.
Badges worth checking
SS, Z/28 and COPO cars carry a premium, and the badges are easy to fake. My Car Import's advice is to check the cowl tag and trim tag, ideally with a marque specialist, before the car ships. Once it is in a container it is your problem rather than the seller's.
Before you pay a deposit
0 of 8 done
For the general checks on any overseas purchase, see buying a car abroad safely, and if the car is at auction, read buying a car from a US auction first.
Modern Camaros
Chevrolet sold the Camaro officially in the UK from 2011 to 2015, so a UK-supplied fifth generation car is not an import. An American one is, and so is every sixth generation car, which was not sold here.
A US-built Camaro has no European approval and no Certificate of Conformity, so a car under 10 years old goes through Individual Vehicle Approval. An older one takes an MOT after the usual changes. People import modern Camaros for a particular spec, such as a ZL1, or because they already own one and are moving here.
Looking at a 2016 or 2017 car? It sits right on the 10-year line. Send us the VIN before you buy and we will tell you whether it takes an IVA test or an MOT.
Shipping and tax
We collect from anywhere in the USA and truck the car to the port, mainly New York, Savannah, Houston or Oakland. It is inspected and a condition report is produced before it is loaded. Most Camaros travel in a shared container, opened by our own team in Castle Donington.
US Customs wants the title, or a certified copy, at the port with the car at least 72 hours before it sails, plus a lender's letter if there is a loan on it. As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping from the USA starts from £1,450, shipping only, with around 2 weeks at sea from the East Coast and around 4 from the West. See the cost of shipping a car from the USA for what moves the price.
A Camaro under 30 pays 10% import duty and 20% import VAT on the price plus shipping. A qualifying car over 30 pays 5% VAT and no duty, and Transfer of Residence can make it nil if you are moving here and qualify. Try the import tax calculator with your own numbers.
Lights, testing and plates
The DVLA registers left-hand drive cars without the steering being moved. The work is mostly lighting: American cars often flash red at the rear, usually have no rear fog light and have headlights set for driving on the right. A car first used before 1 April 1980 does not need a rear fog light, so a first or second generation car often has less to do. The speedometer already reads in mph.
Each change is covered in converting an American car for UK roads. We run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain, so a newer Camaro is tested on our own lane, and our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register it within 10 working days of passing.
Questions people ask
Was the Camaro sold in the UK?
Officially, from 2011 to 2015. Those UK-supplied cars are not imports. Every other Camaro here, including all the classics and the sixth generation, came in from abroad, usually the USA.
Does an imported Camaro need an IVA test?
Only if it is under 10 years old, which today means a sixth generation car built after October 2016. Older Camaros take an MOT, and cars over 40 that have not been substantially changed need no MOT.
How much tax will I pay on a classic Camaro?
A car over 30 that qualifies as historic pays 5% import VAT and no duty, worked out on the price plus shipping. That covers the first three generations and early fourth generation cars.
Does a restomod Camaro still count as a classic?
Not always. Replacing the chassis, body, axles or engine in a way that changes how the car works is a substantial change, which can affect the MOT exemption and the 5% rate. Ask us before you buy.
Can I keep a US Camaro left-hand drive?
Yes. The DVLA registers left-hand drive cars without converting the steering. The lights need changing for UK roads first.
Found your Camaro? Send us the details on the quote form and we will price the whole journey, from the US address to UK plates.
