Thinking about buying and importing a 40 year old car (LHD) from the UK. Any advice and suggestions about how to do it (temp. Insurance, etc) and how to reregister it, and the cost, would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Here's the answer as posted on another forum that is so complete that I post it here for others to see.
You can get temporary insurance cover on the UK registration details from your French insurance broker. When you get the car here go to the Centre des Impots for a Quittas Fiscal using the UK V5c registration document.
You then need to contact www.ffve.org who will be able to supply an Attestation de conformitie. The cost is 50€ and takes a few weeks to arrive. When you have the attestation you need a CT. Don't forget to change the headlights if they are RHD ones fitted to the car.
When you have all this you go to the prefecture as normal with passport, proof of address here in France and all the car's documentation.
Make sure when you buy the car that you get a comprehensive receipt showing registration and chassis numbers. Don't send off the V5c to DVLA to declare export as this will be done by the prefecture when you register.
For a Fiat 500, for instance, the registration cost should be about 50€. As it will be registered as a 'Collectors car' it will only need a CT every five years.
Thanks Tracy.
Have a look at the useful links page on SFN most of the info is there. The main thing to point out is that it may be difficult to get a certificate of conformity for a car of that age. On the positive side once the car is over 10 years old there is a reduction in the registration tax.