Salanis
Salanis PowerDork
4/20/12 11:35 a.m.

Anyone have experience doing this? My dad wants to get himself a new (or ideally 2-3 year used) car. What he wants is manual transmission, wagon, with good gas mileage (like diesel), able to tow about 3,500lbs. (Miata on a small aluminum trailer). Basically, he wants a euro-wagon. He's thinking I can find him a car while I'm in Germany, drive it around for a month, and then he can import it to the U.S.

So, anyone have experience or knowledge about importing a car from Europe and getting it registered in the U.S.?

Thoughts on things to look for? We're leaning towards something like a BMW 325d or 330d. We started laughing looking at the crazy specs on a 335d (280hp & 425ft*lbs). Basically considering diesel cars by BMW, VW, Audi, or Merc, since they could probably all be maintained at dealers in the U.S.

MG Bryan
MG Bryan SuperDork
4/20/12 11:38 a.m.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/ There's reading to be done.

friedgreencorrado
friedgreencorrado PowerDork
4/20/12 11:48 a.m.

Well, mine was about thirty years ago, don't know how much is still true.

There was a "personal exemption" from EPA back then (originally intended for military personnel) as long as you didn't sell the vehicle within 5yrs. of bringing it home. You still had to bring it up to DOT standards, though. Back then, that was a chore..but it seems the US and Europe aren't as far apart now.

And the dealerships hated them. IIRC, at one point in the 1980s, MB of America ordered their dealerships to avoid any work on Euro market cars under pain of losing your franchise. Don't know what the BMW dealer would have done, the part of Mississippi I lived in at the time didn't have a BMW dealer. And the E21 was so simple I didn't really need one, just worked on it myself.

Finding parts was a problem.

jonnyd330
jonnyd330 Reader
4/20/12 11:54 a.m.

Just curious, how much are the 330d wagons over there? I am looking for a wagon and the 330d would be perfect, too bad that's not going to happen.

Keith
Keith MegaDork
4/20/12 11:58 a.m.

If he's looking at a new car, check into European delivery. BMW will hand over a US-market car at the factory. Your Dad (or you) drives it around Europe, then gives it back to BMW when its ready to leave. They ship it to the US and he picks up his car there. No hassles with importation, and he'll save money on the duties etc because it's a used car.

http://www.bmwusa.com/standard/content/experience/events/europeandelivery/default.aspx

We did this with a VW back in the early 90's. Worked like a charm.

If he wants a non-US model car, it's basically not going to happen unless it's one of the ones on the approved list. And even then it may not be cheap.

yamaha
yamaha Reader
4/20/12 12:26 p.m.

It shouldn't be that hard.....most bmw dealers have to order parts from germany anyways anymore.

stuart in mn
stuart in mn UberDork
4/20/12 12:38 p.m.

25 years or older is not a problem, but as Keith mentioned it's not worth the expense of trying to import a late model euro spec car. The car would have to be converted to meet EPA and DOT requirements, which is very costly.

In the early 1980s it was relatively easy to Federalize imports (I have a 1986 BMW M535i brought in that way) but the laws tightened up around 1987 or so.

naparsei
naparsei New Reader
4/20/12 12:56 p.m.
Keith wrote: If he's looking at a new car, check into European delivery. BMW will hand over a US-market car at the factory. Your Dad (or your dad) drives it around Europe, then gives it back to BMW when its ready to leave. They ship it to the US and he picks up his car there. No hassles with importation, and he'll save money on the duties etc because it's a used car. http://www.bmwusa.com/standard/content/experience/events/europeandelivery/default.aspx We did this with a VW back in the early 90's. Worked like a charm. If he wants a non-US model car, it's basically not going to happen unless it's one of the ones on the approved list. And even then it may not be cheap.

We did this for my wife's 135i Cabrio. 8% off the MRSP in savings, plus discounted airfare to fly over on Luftansa, please insurance for 30 days for most (all) of Europe, with the option of several different ports to ship out of. This was in 2010. We coordinated everything through our local dealer, so they "made the sale" which certainly eases the concerns over service.

dyintorace
dyintorace UltraDork
4/20/12 12:56 p.m.
Salanis wrote: Anyone have experience doing this? My dad wants to get himself a new (or ideally 2-3 year used) car. What he wants is manual transmission, wagon, with good gas mileage (like diesel), able to tow about 3,500lbs. (Miata on a small aluminum trailer). Basically, he wants a euro-wagon. He's thinking I can find him a car while I'm in Germany, drive it around for a month, and then he can import it to the U.S. So, anyone have experience or knowledge about importing a car from Europe and getting it registered in the U.S.? Thoughts on things to look for? We're leaning towards something like a BMW 325d or 330d. We started laughing looking at the crazy specs on a 335d (280hp & 425ft*lbs). Basically considering diesel cars by BMW, VW, Audi, or Merc, since they could probably all be maintained at dealers in the U.S.

A 330d wagon would be awesome here, but it's non-US spec so it would most likely be brutally expensive to import (if even possible).

naparsei
naparsei New Reader
4/20/12 12:57 p.m.
stuart in mn wrote: 25 years or older is not a problem, but as Keith mentioned it's not worth the expense of trying to import a late model euro spec car.

It's really too bad the "We the People" petitioned to bring our 25 year DOT exemption down to 15 years (in line with Canada's policy) failed. I can't believe we could not get the minimum # of car enthusiasts to sign the petition (either 15 or 25K).

Bummer.

Ian F
Ian F UberDork
4/20/12 1:38 p.m.
Salanis wrote: He's thinking I can find him a car while I'm in Germany, drive it around for a month, and then he can import it to the U.S.

Sure. As long as the car you buy and drive around was built in 1987.

That said, there are ways you can fudge the rules depending on where you live (inspection requirements) and if you're willing to work. A few years ago, a guy on TDiclub built a B5 Passat V6 Tdi 6 spd AWD wagon in the US - he started with a US spec car and then had a complete Euro drivetrain and wiring harness shipped over from Germany. Then in a warehouse, he and a crew tore the wagon down to the bare chassis and swapped everything over. But where he lived (western MD, I believe) didn't require the car to get annually inspected, so it was still registered as a gas powered V6 Passat. If he ever had to get the car inspected or emissions tested, he's screwed.

friedgreencorrado
friedgreencorrado PowerDork
4/20/12 5:56 p.m.
stuart in mn wrote: 25 years or older is not a problem, but as Keith mentioned it's not worth the expense of trying to import a late model euro spec car. The car would have to be converted to meet EPA and DOT requirements, which is very costly. In the early 1980s it was relatively easy to Federalize imports (I have a 1986 BMW M535i brought in that way) but the laws tightened up around 1987 or so.

1987 was four or five years after I was fooling around with it. Kept my 323i until 1990 (somebody hit me in the rain), probably would still have it if not for that. Loved that car.

BoxheadTim
BoxheadTim UberDork
4/20/12 6:19 p.m.
Keith wrote: If he wants a non-US model car, it's basically not going to happen unless it's one of the ones on the approved list. And even then it may not be cheap.

This. If it were reasonably easy I would have put my S1 Elise on the boat. There are exhibition and race car exemptions but the restrictions on these are problematic (you can only do up to 2500 miles/year IIRC and have to get permission from either the EPA or NTHSA to sell it on, the restrictions stay on the car etc etc). And a runabout like a bog standard 330d isn't going to qualify.

Over 25 yo is relatively easy and I didn't have a problem registering the bikes in NV. Might be different from CA as I live in a non-smog county.

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