Lori

My husband would like to fly to Europe and purchase a car at one of the factories and have it shipped home. Where do I go to find these package deals?

xxx

There are threads about this. Do a search for "European Delivery". Or ask at your local dealership, assuming your talking BMW, Mercedes....

mpprh

Hi<BR><BR>I've imported / exported a few cars.<BR><BR>Assuming you are in USA, search the appropriate website.<BR><BR>E.G. http://www.saabusa.com/home/US/en/index.xml<BR><BR>click models, then European delivery.<BR><BR>The pre tax price is lower, and you will save US tax too.<BR><BR>Some offer free air tickets.<BR><BR>Anyone planning on visiting Europe for a few weeks and renting a car should check out the options.<BR>The savings can go a long way towards paying for the vacation.<BR><BR>Peter<BR>http://tlp.netfirms.com<BR>

mj

Lori,<BR>The following European manufacturers offer a European delivery program (of US spec. cars): BMW (excludes the X5), Mercedes, Porsche, Saab, Volvo.<BR><BR>The websites have varying amounts of info. about the program.<BR>hth,

Jim

Consider leasing a car for more than 17 days. After that you are free to buy that car at retail minus what you paid for the lease.

John

See <BR><BR>http://www.bmwusa.com/welcome.cfm?page=&bottom=0<BR><BR>http://www.saabusa.com/home/US/en/index.xml<BR><BR>http://new.volvocars.com/overseas/<BR><BR>http://www.mbusa.com/brand/container.jsp?/edp/index.jsp<BR><BR>The Porsche site is presently down so can't send that url<BR><BR>It's a lot of fun but you need to plan ahead, especially in late summer or autumn, as some of the factories shut down for vacation for whole months at a time.<BR><BR>Volvo's free air tickets is an especially good offer.

john

<BR>Another source for new cars is Ship Side in Amsterdam. They have been around for decades, and claim: <BR>"Shipside, founded in The Netherlands in 1956, is the true specialist<BR> when it comes to factory-new tax-free car sales directly to the public.<BR> Shipside's head office is located in Hoofddorp, no more than 5 minutes<BR> from Amsterdam Airport, Schiphol. Over the years Shipside has<BR> delivered and shipped more than 62,000 vehicles all over the world."<BR><BR>the site is www.shipside.com.<BR><BR>Going the other way, I shipped my Porsche from California to Europe, and shipped it back two years later when I returned home.<BR>

mpprh

Hi<BR><BR>Someone posted ............<BR><BR>Author: Jim ([email protected])<BR>Date: 08/02/2002, 07:02 pm<BR>Message: Consider leasing a car for more than 17 days. After that you are free to buy that car at retail minus what you paid for the lease.<BR><BR><BR>I'm sorry this does not work. The leased car has had local tax paid and is European specification.<BR><BR>Peter<BR><BR>

jw

What a good thread! I drive an '86 little hatchback and cannot find a new one that I like as well here in the U.S. On my recent trip to Switzerland, I saw maybe twenty different little hatchbacks that I could happily live with. This thread gives me pause as I dread the prospect of settling for the options here. Thanks! J.

Betsy

From the archives: a great thread on buying a car in Europe.<BR>http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...s=26&start=100

John

Please note at the Shipside site that all the cars listed are European specification, except Volvo, which also has US cars listed. You can not import a non-US/Canada spec car to N. America unless it's old enough (pre-60- or 70-something) to qualify as a collector car. Many of the characteristics of the Euro-spec cars (not just the pollution gear but also glass, lighting, tune, radios etc.) are either illegal or incompatible with N. America, and won't be covered by the warrantee hence won't be financable, nor will you easily be able to register the car in your State/Province. <BR><BR>A number of European manufacturers (like all the French and most of the Italians) have exited N. America so you also won't be able to access parts or service for new cars except through very complex private arrangements. <BR><BR>This is a bummer because there are so many interesting and well-designed cars in Europe that are inaccessible to N. Americans except on holidays. But them's the facts.

Jason

Remember that a car being bought and/or picked up in europe must have been built to conform to US specs. Only then can you bring it to the US & license it there.

chris

The cars sold under the European Delivery Program to American customers are US cars, and therefore are US specs.

Mike

I just got back from the dealership in NY, picking up my BMW that I purchased on the European Delivery Program. The only difference between picking up a BMW in Munich on the European Delivery Program vs. buying the car in the U.S. and taking delivery is you save money on the European Delivery Program and use your own car on a European vacation. The only down part is you have to wait 6 weeks before it is shipped back to the U.S. dealership. We had a great vacation, and it was worth the wait!!!

mj

The US Customs Service:<BR>http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/<BR>has quite a bit of information about the import of foreign cars.<BR><BR>Anyone interested in doing this (without the help of the manufacturer) should carefully read the site info. and contact one of the Certification Companies for price estimates.<BR><BR>Having worked in the European car parts industry, I've had experience in the "grey market". Be warned that you run a 30-50% chance of suffering a financial nightmare (more if you try to import a car that has no comparable model, or engine, sold in the US) when trying to get a car EPA and DOT approved.<BR>hth,<BR>