Buying a car abroad often comes with a nagging thought: will it need hacking about to be legal here? For most imports the answer is a couple of tidy changes, usually the speedometer and the headlights. Done properly, you would not know they had been touched.
- mph speedometer
- Required under 10 years old
- Headlights
- Adjusted where possible
- Checked at
- IVA, MSVA and MOT
- Where
- Our own workshop and lane
Why the speedometer matters
Many countries measure speed in kilometres per hour, and a lot of imported cars arrive with a km/h speedometer. If your car is under 10 years old at the point of import, it needs to read in mph. That is a condition of getting it registered, not an optional extra.
On cars over 10 years old it is not a registration requirement, but we still recommend it. It is far easier to stay within UK limits when you are not doing the sums in your head.
Why the headlights matter
A headlight built for driving on the right throws its dipped beam towards the right-hand side of the road. Here, that is straight into the eyes of oncoming drivers. The beam pattern has to be set for driving on the left so it does not glare at oncoming traffic.
Headlamp aim is checked during IVA, MSVA and MOT testing, so this one has to be right before the car can pass. What the work involves depends on three things: the bulb type (halogen, xenon, gas discharge or LED), the beam pattern, and the market the car was built for.
What changes, by where the car comes from
| Feature | EU (left-hand drive) | USA | Canada | Japan and Hong Kong |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speedometer | Usually km/h, so converted to mph | Normally mph already | Usually km/h, so converted to mph | Always km/h from Japan, so converted to mph |
| Headlights | Adjusted or replaced for driving on the left | Adjusted or replaced, as part of a full lighting conversion | Adjusted or replaced, as part of a full lighting conversion | No longer checked for headlight compliance |
| Other lighting | A rear fog light where needed | Amber rear indicators and side markers | Amber rear indicators and side markers | A rear fog light, the most common change |
Cars from the UAE are left-hand drive too, and usually need a speedometer conversion and headlight changes. Right-hand drive cars from places like South Africa, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand generally need less work, though we still check the beam pattern and the rear fog light.
How a speedometer is converted
On an analogue speedometer, the usual method is to replace the dial face with an mph version. It is a delicate job, because the panels can be tricky to put back once removed.
- We source the correct fascia for your exact model
- The dashboard panel comes off
- The speedometer dial in the gauge cluster is replaced
- The unit is rebuilt and checked for calibration
On our Japanese imports, such as the Suzuki Jimny Nomade, we take the speedometer apart, fit an mph fascia, then road test the car to check it reads correctly up to the national speed limit. Done right, the conversion should not affect the odometer. Modern cars may have a digital display instead of needles, and we will tell you what yours needs once we know the car.
How headlights are converted
Most modern bi-xenon, gas discharge and LED headlights can be adjusted, so wherever the units are acceptable for the UK, we adjust them rather than replace them. That keeps the original lamps in the car. If they cannot be adjusted, they are replaced.
American cars are the bigger job. Along with the headlights, the rear indicators usually need converting to amber and the side markers changing. My Car Import puts a full American lighting conversion at 8 to 10 hours of labour, with parts from its own in-house supply. Our guide to converting an American car goes through it piece by piece.
A factory finish
Nobody wants a sticker on the dial or a fog light that looks bolted on as an afterthought. We source the correct fascia for your exact model, and where a rear fog light has to be fitted we aim for an OEM-quality finish, with techniques for awkward bodies such as the three-door Jimny. The goal is a car that looks as if it left the factory that way.
Near the 10-year line? The mph rule is judged on the car's age when it is imported, and the same line decides whether it takes an IVA or an MOT. Check with us before you buy.
What to check before you buy
Questions to answer about the car
0 of 8 done
Send us photos of the dash and the lights with your enquiry and we can tell you what is involved. Our guide to left-hand drive cars in the UK covers the rest of living with one, and the IVA guide explains the test itself.
Questions people ask
Does my imported car need an mph speedometer?
If it is under 10 years old at the point of import, yes. It is a condition of registration. On older cars we recommend it but it is not required to register.
Will converting the speedometer change my mileage?
Done correctly, it should not affect the odometer. If an electronic converter is used, the odometer may change units as well.
Do left-hand drive headlights have to be replaced?
Not always. Most modern bi-xenon, gas discharge and LED units can be adjusted for driving on the left, and that is what we do where they are acceptable for the UK. If they cannot be adjusted, they are replaced.
Do American cars need a speedometer conversion?
Rarely, because American cars normally read in mph already. They usually need lighting changes instead: headlights, amber rear indicators, side markers and a rear fog light.
Do Japanese imports need headlight changes?
Japanese cars are no longer checked for headlight compliance. The usual changes are an mph speedometer on newer cars and a rear fog light.
More detail is on My Car Import's speedometer and headlight pages. When you are ready, get a quote and we will price the changes alongside the shipping.
