How to buy

Hi all, sorry for my ignorance, as I have no idea how this work. Would really appreciate if someone could shed some light on it.
On road, you see, different and unique models of cars, other then the popular models everyone own. My question is how people get these unique models?
Do they import directly? Or someone do it for them?
Is it worth it?
Thanks

Have you any examples of these “unique models”?

If by ‘unique’, you mean a model that is not available on the French retail market but is available in the EU retail market, then yes, imported either by the owner driver, dealer or an agent. Not expensive in the huge scheme of things beyond administration and, if used, agency fees - assuming EU conformity.

If however, the unique model is from outside the EU without European conformity papers, or is a single build or uniquely modified, then a little more expensive for conformity tests.

TVA charges apply if the car is brought in from outside the EU or TVA has not been paid on it at point of sale within the EU.

Difficult to pin an idea of cost without knowing the car you have in mind.

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Like limited edition, you won’t see much of them.

I see that’s helpful, thank you for your reply. :+1:

Limited editions tend to be market specific, as do models and standard equipment. They are tailored by the marketing departments to local tastes.

Take the new Golf for example, in Germany there are five variations, Golf, Life, Style, R-Line and Edition-50, in France there are six variations, Golf, Life Plus, VW Edition, Style, R-Line and Edition-50. The UK only has four, Life, Match, Style and R-Line. Equally it’s not a given that each variation, despite having the same name, has the same equipment in each country. So a UK Golf Style may have a different spec to a French Golf Style. The prices are different too of course.

The important thing is they are all Golfs all with EU certificates of conformity (CoCs) so there is nothing to stop you buying any of these country specific specification cars in the country they are offered. You can order for export tax free, and then pay the TVA (and import duties if from the UK) here in France. Once you have done that, registration is straightforward and quick.

One downside, which I have experienced myself, is that when you come to sell the vehicle the spec may not fit the local list. So, in 2013 I ordered an export LHD full spec Tiguan in the UK which had a different “name” to the same Tiguan in France. When I came to trade the car in, the fact that it wasn’t a Tiguan “XXXX” confused the garage, despite the level of equipment and options. I probably lost a few K due to that.

Importing from elsewhere in the Wold is more complicated. For a classic car it could be worth the effort but for a current model I doubt it, and indeed it could be impossible. For example, a Golf sold in the US or Australia will not have a EU CoC and may well have emissions that are outside the accepted range. So one could go to a lot of expense importing the car, getting it tested and then being told you cannot register it.

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Wow, that was really intresting and informative insight. I really appreciate it thank you for taking the time to made me understand, really cool examples made clear everything. :+1::+1::+1: