When a car is worth more than most houses, handing the keys to a stranger at a port does not feel natural. You picture scuffed splitters, kerbed wheels or worse, and nobody to answer for it. The way to shrink that worry is to cut down how many people handle the car, keep it out of sight, and make sure it is properly insured for every mile.
This guide covers how we ship supercars, rare classics and anything else where the value changes the plan: the transport to the port, the container, insurance, and what happens when it lands.
Getting it to the port
The first risk is the road, not the sea. Enclosed transport keeps the car inside a fully covered carrier on the way to the port, away from weather, road debris and curious eyes. For a valuable car it is what we recommend, and it is available on request when you get your quote.
On European collections, our own enclosed transporters do the job, with condition photos and video taken at collection and a walkaround recorded on arrival. Wherever the car is, ask for enclosed transport to the port, and at this end we can bring it to your door on an enclosed trailer too.
Low cars, wide cars and cars with delicate bodywork need the right equipment at collection. Tell us about ground clearance and anything fragile up front, so the driver turns up prepared.
A container to itself
Most cars share a 40ft container with other customers' cars, packed in using wooden frames to fit several in. It is perfectly safe and it keeps the cost sensible, but it does mean your car sits alongside others.
A dedicated 20ft container is yours alone. Nothing else goes in with the car, it sails when you are ready rather than when a shared box is full, and the doors stay shut until it reaches our site. It costs more, and sole use is the most expensive way to ship, but for a high-value car it is the option we would choose.
| Feature | Shared container | Dedicated container | Air freight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who else is in it | Other customers’ cars | Nobody | Ask us |
| When it goes | When the box is full | When you are ready | Depends on flights |
| Time | Weeks | Weeks | Usually a few days |
| Cost | Lowest | Higher | Highest, quoted per job |
| Unloading and customs | Our team, at our site | Our team, at our site | Arranged by us at the airport |
RoRo is cheaper still, but the car is driven on and off by port staff and travels on an open vehicle deck. For a car in this bracket we recommend a container. The full comparison is in container, RoRo or air.
When air freight makes sense
If the car has to be here by a set date, or you want the shortest possible journey, flying it is the answer. Most routes take days rather than weeks. The route we handle most is the UAE to the UK, and our partners can get a car onto a plane from most places.
It is a substantial cost, so every air job is priced individually. See our air freight page, or our guide to shipping a car from Dubai if that is where the car is.
Insurance for the full value
Your normal car insurance will not cover the car while it is being shipped. Marine insurance does: it covers the car up to its full value against damage in transit and total loss. It is optional, but it is usually a few percent of the car's value, and on a car like this it is an easy decision.
An excess applies to minor damage, and your quote will tell you what it is. If the car is of very high value, say so when you enquire, so we can make sure the right level of cover is in place before it moves.
Photograph everything. Every panel, every wheel, the interior and the odometer, in good light, before collection. If you ever need to claim, those photos are the starting point.
More detail on our marine insurance page, and on cover once the car is here in insuring an imported car.
Before it is collected
High-value car checklist
0 of 7 done
The general preparation is in our guide to preparing your car for shipping.
The tax on an expensive car
Import tax scales with the car. It is worked out on the value of the car plus the cost of getting it here, and from outside the EU that means 10% duty and then 20% VAT on top of the duty. From the EU it is 20% VAT, and a car over 30 years old pays 5% VAT and no duty.
As an example, a £150,000 car shipped from the USA at our £1,450 guide price would pay 10% duty on £151,450, which is £15,145. VAT is then 20% of £166,595, which is £33,319. That makes £48,464 in import tax before anything else. A dedicated container or air freight raises the shipping figure, and the tax with it.
If you have lived abroad for more than 12 months and owned the car for more than 6, look at Transfer of Residence, which can take the tax away entirely. Run your own numbers on the import tax calculator, and see more examples in import tax worked examples.
When it lands
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Arrival
Customs clearance
We clear the car as HMRC CDS authorised agents and work out the tax.
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Unloading
At our site
The container comes to Castle Donington and our own team unloads it, taking as long as it needs.
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Preparation
UK changes
Whatever the car needs for its test, done on site.
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Testing
In our own lane
A newer car from outside Europe usually needs IVA. The DVSA examiner comes to us.
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Within 10 working days
DVLA registration
Through our dealer-level DVLA account, then enclosed delivery to you if you want it.
The point of all this is that the car does not move more than it has to. It is unloaded, worked on, tested and registered in one place, rather than shuttled between a port warehouse, a garage and a test centre.
Questions people ask
What is the safest way to ship a high-value car?
Enclosed transport to the port, a dedicated container, marine insurance for the full value, and unloading at our own site. Air freight is the quickest option if timing matters.
Can my car have a container to itself?
Yes. A dedicated 20ft container carries nothing but your car and sails when you are ready. It costs more than a shared 40ft container.
Is a supercar insured while it is shipped?
Your normal car insurance will not cover it. Marine insurance covers the car up to its full value against damage in transit and total loss, usually for a few percent of its value. Tell us if the car is of very high value.
Should I fly my car instead?
If it has to be here by a set date, or you want the shortest journey, yes. Most routes take days rather than weeks, and every air job is priced individually.
How much import tax will I pay on an expensive car?
From outside the EU, 10% duty and then 20% VAT on the car’s value plus shipping. A £150,000 car shipped from the USA for £1,450 would pay £48,464 in total.
Shipping something special? Tell us about it on the quote form and we will plan the safest route for it.
