Importing a car for parts or restoration

A rusty shell in a Californian barn, or a rare model that only survives abroad, can be the start of a great restoration. The worry is what happens years later, when the work is done and you want it on the road. Will the DVLA accept a car that arrived in pieces?

Usually, yes, if you keep the paperwork from day one. The car's identity is the thing to protect. Lose that, and a beautiful restoration can end up on a Q plate.

Check it can be registered before you buy

GOV.UK's import guidance says to check whether a damaged or salvaged vehicle can be registered in the UK before you import it. It is the most important step on this page.

One rule is absolute. A vehicle issued with a Certificate of Destruction must never reappear as a complete vehicle. Some parts can be reused, but the original registration and VIN cannot. If a car abroad has been scrapped officially and then sold on, ask hard questions before any money changes hands.

Shipping a shell or a non-runner

A car that does not run usually goes in a container. It is loaded with the right equipment, strapped down and sealed, and our own team unloads it at our site in Castle Donington.

The key question for collection is whether it rolls. Our enclosed transporters have winches, and we can collect a non-runner as long as it is a rolling chassis: something we can roll, steer and stop. Seized wheels, no brakes or a car on axle stands are all solvable, but they change the equipment and the price. Our guide to shipping a non-running car goes into the detail.

Boxes of parts

Restoration projects rarely come as one piece. If the engine, trim or glass are in boxes, tell us before anything is packed. Some loose parts can travel with the car, but they must be agreed and declared. A full list with photos is worth having anyway.

The tax on a project car

Import tax is worked out on the price paid plus the cost of getting the car here. From outside the EU it is 10% duty and 20% VAT; from the EU it is 20% VAT. Cars over 30 years old can pay 5% VAT and no duty.

That 5% rate is for vehicles of historical interest in their original state. A tired but original car is often a good fit. Whether a bare shell or a pile of parts counts as a vehicle at all is a classification question, and HMRC's Tariff Classification Service can advise before you buy.

For the notification to HMRC, the purchase invoice is used if you bought the car in the last 6 months. Older than that, a valuation is needed instead. Keep the invoice and photos showing the car's condition when you bought it, because a project car's value is easy to argue about. The import tax calculator gives you the figures.

Protect the car's identity

When the restoration is finished, the DVLA needs to know two things: what the car is, and when it was made. The paperwork you collect at the start is what proves both.

The most valuable document is the original foreign registration or title. The DVLA asks for it with the registration, keeps it, and uses it to date the car. If you do not have one, GOV.UK says other proof of the manufacture date may be accepted, such as a letter from the manufacturer or an enthusiasts' club.

The chassis number matters just as much. Photograph it before any work starts, and keep the original identity plates with the car.

How the DVLA sees a rebuilt import

Which route your car takes depends on how much of the original survives. These are the three you are most likely to meet.

Restored on its own body or chassis

GOV.UK says ordinary repairs and restorations do not need reporting to the DVLA. A car restored on its original shell or chassis, with its documents, registers like any other import of its age. Replacing the chassis or monocoque with one to the manufacturer's original specification has its own DVLA process.

A reconstructed classic

A car built from genuine period parts from more than one vehicle, all over 40 years old, can be registered as a reconstructed classic. The owners' club for the make must inspect it and confirm in writing that it is a true reflection of the model, with dates for the major components.

The application uses form V627/1 with receipts for the parts. If it is accepted, the DVLA gives an age-related number based on the youngest component. A new replacement body is allowed only on a separate-chassis car where no original is available.

When identity is in doubt

If the DVLA cannot be sure of the car's age or identity, it issues a registration starting with Q. Any original number becomes invalid, and the car has to pass a type approval test first. A structurally modified car, with a changed chassis, roof or frame, goes in with form V627/3.

From purchase to the road

1. 1

   Before buying

   Check it can be registered

   No Certificate of Destruction, a title or registration document, and a chassis number that matches.

2. 2

   Collection

   The right truck

   Planned around a car that may not roll, with parts listed and declared.

3. 3

   Arrival

   Customs and NOVA

   We clear it, work out the tax and tell HMRC it has arrived, within 14 days.

4. 4

   Restoration

   Keep the paperwork

   Invoices, photos and the original documents, all in one place.

5. 5

   When it is finished

   Test and register

   An MOT or approval test depending on age, then the DVLA application.

Until it is registered, an import may only go on a public road to a pre-booked test, and it must be insured. When your project is ready, we can test it on our site and handle the DVLA application. The classic car guide covers the older-car rules, and form V55/5 explains the registration itself.

Questions people ask

Found a project worth saving? Describe it on the quote form and we will plan the right way to get it here.