I'm thinking of buying a C7

[colinsmith`8]

I'm considering buying a C7. This would be my third Corvette - and probably my last! - having previously owned an 86 and a 73. It seems as though I have 3 options.

1. buy one already in the UK - but there don't seem to be very many and they hardly come up for sale
2. import one from Europe - I've been looking at various sites but feel it's a little like looking for a needle in a haystack
3. import one from the US - but I hate the idea of paying all that VAT and import duty although I did import my 86 back in the 1990s.

If you were in my shoes what would you do? Spec is not that important except it must NOT be red!

 

[Roscobbc]

Up and to a few years ago it seemed that the UK was loosing quite a few late model Vettes to European buyers - presumably this was due to the relatively good exchange rates that European buyers could achieve for their Euro's in the UK. Could be wrong but don't seem to be seeing this now.......however the prices being charged for C6's and C7's in Europe seem to be amazingly high - and for really high mileage cars. Cars from the USA? seems that you'll get badly 'hit' on shipping costs and car tax/vat once landed over here. I'll be inclinded to contact some of the known Corvette dealers here in the UK and make it known you are 'in the market' for a car on this forum too.

 

[Nassau65]

I'm considering buying a C7. This would be my third Corvette - and probably my last! - having previously owned an 86 and a 73. It seems as though I have 3 options.

1. buy one already in the UK - but there don't seem to be very many and they hardly come up for sale
2. import one from Europe - I've been looking at various sites but feel it's a little like looking for a needle in a haystack
3. import one from the US - but I hate the idea of paying all that VAT and import duty although I did import my 86 back in the 1990s.

If you were in my shoes what would you do? Spec is not that important except it must NOT be red!

You will still have to pay all the import duty and VAT if you import from the EU same as elsewhere as we are no longer in the EU

 

[Nassau65]

As mr Roscobbc stated Quite a few American cars were “lost to Europe over the past 5 years or so. The UK Being in the EU they could import into their country free of tax. They also had a very favourable exchange rate. Now we are out of the EU, they have to pay import tax etc. I sold quite a few mustangs to France, even sold 2 to Malta. All stopped now, import tax has killed it.

 

[Chevrolet]

If you were in my shoes what would you do? Spec is not that important except it must NOT be red!

Chris:
1) Are you looking for a C7 Stingray, or are you considering also the wider body C7 Grand Sport or Z06? If you have a single width garage and want to get it in there, and out of the car (!), you can probably forget the GS or Z06.
2) What year(s) C7 would you consider? 3) Manual or Auto?

 

[colinsmith`8]

Thanks @Roscobbc Your explanation about losing cars to Europe makes absolute sense especially given the prices I can see for C7s in Europe which make little sense when compared to the UK £50k grey C7 I saw advertised a month or so which looked to have been well cared for. As for known dealers who would you suggest? Living in Kent all my previous dealings have been with Dart and Claremont which are now no longer options.

@Nassau65 thanks for pointing this out - naively I thought import duty would be all I would pay!

 

[colinsmith`8]

Chris:
1) Are you looking for a C7 Stingray, or are you considering also the wider body C7 Grand Sport or Z06? If you have a single width garage and want to get it in there, and out of the car (!), you can probably forget the GS or Z06.
2) What year(s) C7 would you consider? 3) Manual or Auto?

Just a regular C7 Stingray - I hadn't taken in that the Grand Sport was wider. I'm not that fussed about year although price is a consideration obviously when it comes to considering later years. I'm only after an auto.

 

[Nassau65]

Obviously the largest source for cars is the US. Importation is easy nowadays, the shipper will handle everything from collection from vendor to delivery to your door. You can work out pretty much what it will cost with the exemption of the IVA work, but I’m sure a price could be obtained beforehand so you will know near enough what the car will cost “on the road” so to speak.

 

[Nassau65]

As a rough idea cost are
Cost of vehicle done on US bill of sale, wink, wink. But don’t be silly.
Cost of shipping both to port and sea freight
Total of both, giving you nett landed price. Then 10% added, then 20% VAT.
This figure will be the same for the import vehicle from anywhere outside the UK

 

[Chevrolet]

Just a regular C7 Stingray - I hadn't taken in that the Grand Sport was wider. I'm not that fussed about year although price is a consideration obviously when it comes to considering later years. I'm only after an auto.

Colin, Think you can forget about buying a Euro mainland spec one in Europe at the mo. If you look on the mobile.de German website, Euro C7s are rare as hens teeth at mo and expensive, even before UK import duty and VAT. May not have to pay the German VAT (BtW) on the car tho? Also, not sure what checks DVLA does/requires for registration now, but a Euro car CoC will say it is certified for right hand rule of road, and has Euro mainland specific headlights, which may or may not be a problem? The fog and reversing light may be on the wrong side for the UK too?
Will buying a US car over there be cheaper than buying an equivalent car already in the UK? Suspect not? See something you like on the US websites and put it into the ShipMyCar online quotation system to see how much it will cost you all in here?

 

[Nassau65]

Just had a look on a few German websites, quite a few for sale, and, hardly any red ones. Seems the Germans are not that keen on the “little Red Corvette” . as usual , most are being sold by dealers’ not surprised as probably traded in against something else somewhere down the line. Few private ones and all different prices. Not being up on C7 prices, I’m not sure what is cheap/reasonable/expensive.

 

[colinsmith`8]

Colin, Think you can forget about buying a Euro mainland spec one in Europe at the mo.

I agree @Chevrolet The prices seem higher than is reasonable compared to the US located cars even taking into account shipping, taxes etc for the US ones. I am surprised though how few C7s I am finding in the US - maybe I'm not looking in the right places.

That video was helpful - thanks for the link. The prices discussed do put me off slightly so maybe I should be looking at the C6 as a way of bringing things more in line with my budget which is probably £50 to £55k..

 

[colinsmith`8]

I’m not sure what is cheap/reasonable/expensive.

Most of what I've seen @Nassau65 I would consider expensive even compared to the total cost of shipping in from the US.

 

[Chevrolet]

The prices discussed do put me off slightly so maybe I should be looking at the C6 as a way of bringing things more in line with my budget which is probably £50 to £55k..

With that budget you should be able to buy a very nice low mileage UK spec/Ian Allan supplied C7 Automatic. The first UK spec autos are from 2016 with the 8 speed auto. I'd talk to Sales at Ian Allan just in case they have a C7 trade in on a C8 etc. Not many about though. Nothing the matter with a nice US import already here of course?

 

[Nassau65]

Have you looked at the prices in Dubai? Seem to be a lot out there.

 

[Chevrolet]

Just had a look on a few German websites, quite a few for sale, and, hardly any red ones.

Suspect many of those are US spec imports? Euro/German spec cars have headlight washers (as do UAE spec ones).