Classic Cars

Japanese Imports

Dan31st January 2017

Import a Mercedes from Japan

To the classic car collectors in the UK and US, its becoming increasingly hard to find a straight, non corroded and collectible Mercedes. For the collectible classic Mercedes’s that are in good condition, they have increased in value by eye watering amounts. A few cars to mention are the W124 500e, W201 190e Cosworth and the R107 SL, which have double in priced within the last 5 or so years.

Benefits of Importing a Car from Japan to the UK

• No road salt in Japan
• Higher spec cars
• MOT’s are a lot stricter in Japan than the UK
• Lower Mileage
• Cheaper than similar condition and spec cars in the UK

The benefits seem to good to be true for a Mercedes classic car that could potentially have no rust and be of a high spec. Not only that, you will have the peace of mind that the car will be of high standard with the strict MOT’s and documented throughout. The main reason people like to import cars from Japan is due to the low mileage and cheapness that comes with it compared to UK models.

Drawbacks of Importing a Car from Japan to the UK

• Underneath of the car will need protection from UK road Salt
• Radio will need changing
• Speedometer may need changing
• Insurance in the UK
• Documentation/Service history will be in Japanese

Of course, there will be drawbacks from importing from Japan, it can’t all be good! In Japan, there is no road salt, meaning they do not need to worry that much about under seal and general protection underneath. This will mean, when driving in the UK, you will be unprotected from the road salts unless treated. Basic essentials may need changing such as the speedometer, headlights and the radio as the original factory fitted may need a signal booster to pick up UK radio stations.

The two main reasons people are worried about importing cars from Japan is due to insurance and service history. Some UK insurers will raise the premium dramatically but others will not, so its worth receiving quotes before going ahead. I would recommenced Adrian Flux from such Import Car Insurance. A big worry can be the documentation and service history because they will be in Japanese and hard to figure out what has been done to your new purchase.

Is importing a Mercedes from Japan worth it?

When it comes down to Mercedes Benz, importing a Japanese Mercedes could be the best thing you do. For example, compare a W124 1990 wheel arch in the UK to a W124 in Japan, the Japanese car will basically brand new with zero rust. Not only this, if you look at the Japanese models, they are have high specs, additional wood trims and overall are in better condition inside and out. If you are able to protect the underneath of the car before driving it on UK roads and get a good insurance quote, importing from Japan may be a very good investment.