Importing London Black Cab from Switzerland (Carbodies taxi, 1997)

Richards1983

Hi all,

I've had a good look around the forum and couldn't quite find the answers to my particular questions. Hugely grateful if you could assist on how I can bring a Black Cab from Switzerland to Ireland.

Overview

I have a Black Cab (Carbodies; first reg'd in May 1997), has UK plates, and currently parked up in Switzerland. A few mates and I bought it and used it for roadtrips but it has been parked up for a couple of years. We were not using it much so we took it off the insurance, and got a certificate of export (to me in Switzerland) from the UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. However, I never did any of the administration required to get it on the road here in Switzerland as I was reliably informed it would cost a fortune.
I would like to bring it back to Ireland as I am moving home. Therefore I would like to get it insured for that trip. When home, I will do the next-steps regarding NCT and so on. First, I just wanted to pick your brains as to how I can get it insured. Last MOT was in London on 10 July 2013, which expired in July 2014.
I have got a mechanic working on it at the moment to get it up to standard for the drive to Ireland.

Questions

Insurance: Any insight on where I might be able to get insurance to drive it home?
Motor tax: Given that your car has to be 30 years old to qualify as classic, I suppose I will have to tax it as a normal car -- any ballpark figure what that might cost?
NCT: It was MOTed in the UK in 2013. I would then get an NCT once it is in Ireland. Seems straightforward, but please let me know if there is something I need to know there.
VRT: As it is 20 years old, I suppose I will pay at least EUR 720. Open market selling price is probably around 1000 EUR. Would the VAT be 36% of that? What might be the max I would be asked for (appreciating you would be guessing a bit)? I have emissions test results from 2013.
VAT and Import Duty: Any idea what the VAT and Import Duty I would incur by bringing it in from Switzerland?


Many thanks for any/all insight.


Conor

colm_mcm

If you can tax it privately then it's €379 per quarter or €1345 a year.

Isambard

seems to me the biggest problem you face is the car isn't registered anywhere.

Richards1983

Thanks both -- much appreciated.

On the registration, excuse my total ignorance Isambard, but do you think it'd be possible to get insurance to get it home and then register it in Ireland? Or, any idea which authority I should contact about that? 

Thanks again lads!

Isambard

I've heard of cars imported into Ireland being insured on their chassis number pending re-registration, but who knows what the Law in Switzerland will be. I'm guessing you'll need to ask your insurance company.

Tow

Maybe easier to ship/trailer it back to Ireland (or UK) and forget it was ever in Switzerland.

Richards1983

I know what you mean, Tow! I'd do it, but the faithful old black cab is a bit shabby at this stage so I want to get it home without spending more than she's worth. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Richards1983

Thanks Isambard -- I'll make a few calls and see how I fare.

Any idea as to which insurance companies might be willing?

Isambard

Tow wrote: »

Maybe easier to ship/trailer it back to Ireland (or UK) and forget it was ever in Switzerland.

I don't know if that can be done with an export cert to Switzerland the only documentation. Is the destination country stated on the cert?

Richards1983

Thanks Isambard.

Just had a look at the export form and it says nothing about Switzerland so I assume that I can technically just bring it to Ireland on the back of that. 

It also says that this form "should be used to re-register the vehicle with the new licencing authority."

What do you reckon?

Isambard

I'd chance it, but I'd be inclined to trailer it.

Richards1983

Thanks -- I'll make some calls about it tomorrow and see if I can get some good clarity on it.

mickdw

you cannot drive it without valid test.
Id say either register it in switzerland and get it on the road to take home or trailer it to ireland and register it here.

Richards1983

Thanks mickdw,  much appreciated. 

I kind of expected that to be the situation. Any ballpark idea how much the trailer option might cost? (... 500 or 5000?)

Isambard

join the AA and break down? :-)

Richards1983

Haha, I'd need post-facto coverage :-)

kadman

Why bother, there is one for sale on donedeal, here in Ireland.

Cheaper i,d say as well.

Testacalda

If you can find an insurance company to cover it, you could insure it in Ireland on its current English registration and drive it home. The insurer has a duty to inform the revenue that you have an English registered car, but that's no big deal if you plan on VRTing it when you get home anyway.

However it might be difficult to get an insurance company to cover it being a 1997, it would be possible to get 'classic' insurance on it from say AXA or one of the others as its 20 years old and has subjective 'classic' status. Nearly all classic policies cover driving in Europe.

Other issue is that the car isn't tested, so there could be an insurance stumbling block there, you would have to ask the insurer if its ok to drive without a valid MOT while you are going through the Irish VRT process? Maybe not.

Would probably be best to have it transported back to Ireland, either on a truck with a transport company or a person going to do the entire journey with just your car. Some people on Donedeal advertising individual Europe wide car transport.

Driving that distance with a car that has been lying up for so long is asking for trouble unless you give it a serious going over and test run.

Also keep your ferry receipts or proof of transport to Ireland, you'll need this for VRT purposes, even if you have to explain why the ferry came from France and not the UK :rolleyes:

Isambard

Testacalda wrote: »

If you can find an insurance company to cover it, you could insure it in Ireland on its current English registration and drive it home. The insurer has a duty to inform the revenue that you have an English registered car, but that's no big deal if you plan on VRTing it when you get home anyway.

However it might be difficult to get an insurance company to cover it being a 1997, it would be possible to get 'classic' insurance on it from say AXA or one of the others as its 20 years old and has subjective 'classic' status. Nearly all classic policies cover driving in Europe.

Other issue is that the car isn't tested, so there could be an insurance stumbling block there, you would have to ask the insurer if its ok to drive without a valid MOT while you are going through the Irish VRT process? Maybe not.

Would probably be best to have it transported back to Ireland, either on a truck with a transport company or a person going to do the entire journey with just your car. Some people on Donedeal advertising individual Europe wide car transport.

Driving that distance with a car that has been lying up for so long is asking for trouble unless you give it a serious going over and test run.

Also keep your ferry receipts or proof of transport to Ireland, you'll need this for VRT purposes, even if you have to explain why the ferry came from France and not the UK :rolleyes:

the issue is that it isn't English registered any more.

Richards1983

Thanks for the excellent reply, Testacalda! I'll call AXA at lunch and see what they say. I'll also get a quote for trailoring it home.

Technically, the car isn't registered in Switzerland yet so I assume that means it's registered in the UK, but has been exported to me here in Switzerland.

Isambard

don't assume, ask them, it's up to you to declare anything that might affect your cover.

Richards1983

will do, boss.