Nothing is perfect and it is only fair that awareness is made of some of the negative aspects of buying your car via this route.

Delivery
Most continental supplying garages stock cars in left hand drive (LHD) form for their own markets. There are certain exceptions (to be advised). Thus, unless you wish to have a LHD car which we can assist with, they need to be ordered specially as right hand drive (RHD) for the UK market. This can take longer than ordering one from a local dealer. However, on the positive side, you can be more certain of obtaining a freshly built car to your specification, rather than receiving one that has been in stock and possibly kept in store for some time.

Specification
Specifications for cars, even for RHD cars, vary from country to country (Australia, Cyprus, Ireland, South Africa etc.). It is important to match the specification of the car to the same as the one offered in the UK market.

Warranty
Most cars from continental supplying garages come with a full two year European-wide warranty. Any faults developing under the warranty period can be rectified according to the manufacturer's standard terms & conditions at any of their authorised dealers. Generally, there is no problem or stigma in presenting a continentally supplied car to any garage for rectification as they are generally paid for their services by their manufacturer or importer they represent. You are also a potential customer for your future car servicing requirements. Extended warranties may also be purchased from UK dealers for the third year, to bring them up to in some cases the same level as a UK supplied car. Usually, as a pre-condition, the car will need to be regularly serviced at an authorised garage.

Registration Certificate V5C - endorsements?
New cars EU sourced from within the European Union have nothing placed in the V5C GB Registration Document showing this providing the vehicle is collected from the continental supplier and brought home for registration straight away and is supplied with the all important "EU Certificate of Conformity" (CoC). However, one needs to be aware that the service book is usually stamped in the pre-delivery inspection by the supplying garage at the outset and that most authorised dealers are able to locate the origins of the car through the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) / Chassis number.

 I would like to know more on ordering a brand new car

DVLA - GB Registration Marks - What do they mean?

Since 1st September 2001, the DVLA started using a new seven digit number plate system for the first registration of vehicles registered in England, Scotland and Wales.
The first letter relates to the region where the vehicle was first registered e.g. AA = Anglia, CA = Cymru (Wales), FA = Forest & Fens (Notts & Lincs), GA = Garden (of England = Kent), LA = London, SA = Scotland, YA = Yorkshire plus more.
The second letter identifies the DVLA office within a region e.g. AA~AN = Peterborough in (East) Anglia, SK~SO = Edinburgh in Scotland, YA~YK = Leeds in Yorkshire.
The next set are two numbers which are half yearly related.
Those starting with 0 are issued from March to August each year until 2010 when it changes to 1 i.e. 02 = 01.03.2002 ~ 31.08.2002, 07 = 01.03.2007~31.08.2007, 17 = 01.03.2017~31.08.2017.
Those starting with a 5 are issued from September to February each year until 2010 when it changes to 6 i.e. 52 = 01.09.2002 ~ 28.02.2003, 56 = 01.09.2006 ~ 28.02.2007, 66 = 01.09.2016 ~ 28.02.2017.
The last set of three letters are issued at random barring I & Q.
See
for more detailed information.

Currency fluctuations
Most Continental European supplying garages will provide you a price for a new car in Euros. One need to be aware that the final Sterling price you pay depends upon the rate of exchange at the time of transfer. This can go up or down. However, once you know the amount you have to pay and roughly when you are able to expect delivery of the car when the balance is due, most banks will be able to fix the rate of exchange using a forward contract so that you know broadly how much in sterling you need to pay.

Private individuals & companies
European Direct is able to arrange the supply of cars from a continental supplying garage to principally individuals and companies for their own use. Certain cars may be supplied VAT free to VAT registered companies. This excludes the supply to authorised and independent dealers including those intending to resell their vehicle within usually six month's of purchase in order to profit out of the situation. Such actions are usually traceable and could cause problems for all parties concerned including prevention of anyone trying to repeat the process.
Further questions - Please ask
There will no doubt be questions not covered in this site. Please do not hesitate to contact us (see CONTACTS).

 Why LHD & RHD? A history of left hand & right hand traffic