# Buying a brand new LHD car in the UK to take to Spain?



## DawnColin (Jul 12, 2018)

Hubby and I thought a good solution for us would be to trade in my RHD car and order a brand new LHD spec car from a dealer in the UK , then simply drive it over and add Spanish plates, register in Spain etc, when we get there.

Are we missing something obvious here? Hubby spoke to Toyota and Ford about the idea and they both flatly refused - almost with a 'OH NO, WE CANT POSSIBLY DO THAT'.


----------



## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

If you have not owned it for 6 months before moving (or becoming resident in Spain), you will not be able to consider it as your belongings for tax purposes, meaning that you will have to pay the equivalent of VAT again upon registering it in Spain.


----------



## Simon22 (May 22, 2015)

DawnColin said:


> Hubby and I thought a good solution for us would be to trade in my RHD car and order a brand new LHD spec car from a dealer in the UK , then simply drive it over and add Spanish plates, register in Spain etc, when we get there.
> 
> Are we missing something obvious here? Hubby spoke to Toyota and Ford about the idea and they both flatly refused - almost with a 'OH NO, WE CANT POSSIBLY DO THAT'.


I bought a German car and eventually got it onto Spanish plates but I would never do it again. I would strongly advise just buying a Spanish car in Spain.


----------



## Dunpleecin (Dec 20, 2012)

Why wouldn’t you just buy the Spanish car in Spain if you’re buying new?


----------



## Nomoss (Nov 25, 2016)

Dunpleecin said:


> Why wouldn’t you just buy the Spanish car in Spain if you’re buying new?


Because every Brit thinks they can outwit the locals with their superior knowledge and abilities?


----------



## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

It will cost at least €1k to matriculate to Spanish plates, get the headlights changed etc. And it's a very complicated process. Quite apart from the VAT issue.

Buy in Spain and you'll get all the warranties etc from a Spanish dealer. No brainer really.

It could be cheaper too. We bought a brand new Opel Meriva here two years ago and the price was less than if we'd bought the same model in the UK.


----------



## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Can I ask the obvious question, why you just would not buy a car when you move to Spain? Would you recommend someone from Spain moving to UK buying a car here taking it over and then going through all the matriculation issues!

I am interested as to what is stopping you buying here?


----------



## Monkey104 (Aug 24, 2014)

I am in the same situation. I initially wanted to bring my car and matriculate, nothing to do with Outwitting the Spanish, just would have been a bit easier getting down there with my dog, cat and the Wife!
I also thought of buying left hand drive and bringing it to Spain.
I have even thought of buying Spanish, driving back to the UK and picking up the good wife and animals but really cannot be bothered with all the driving.
What did others do when they moved to Spain?


----------



## Nomoss (Nov 25, 2016)

Monkey104 said:


> .....................................What did others do when they moved to Spain?


Sailed to Mallorca in our boat, via the French canals, with the family, lived on board until the weather got cold, then rented an apartment for a few months while we decided where we wanted to live, and eventually bought the house we lived in for 20 years.


----------



## Monkey104 (Aug 24, 2014)

Not an option for someone like me who can get seasick on a dry dock!


----------



## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Monkey104 said:


> I am in the same situation. I initially wanted to bring my car and matriculate, nothing to do with Outwitting the Spanish, just would have been a bit easier getting down there with my dog, cat and the Wife!
> I also thought of buying left hand drive and bringing it to Spain.
> I have even thought of buying Spanish, driving back to the UK and picking up the good wife and animals but really cannot be bothered with all the driving.
> What did others do when they moved to Spain?


We came over in our English car, bought here and took it back to the UK where a family member sold it. Sometimes moving abroad means a bit of inconvenience


----------



## Monkey104 (Aug 24, 2014)

I am aware of that, thank you.


----------



## Simon22 (May 22, 2015)

Monkey104 said:


> I am in the same situation. I initially wanted to bring my car and matriculate, nothing to do with Outwitting the Spanish, just would have been a bit easier getting down there with my dog, cat and the Wife!
> I also thought of buying left hand drive and bringing it to Spain.
> I have even thought of buying Spanish, driving back to the UK and picking up the good wife and animals but really cannot be bothered with all the driving.
> What did others do when they moved to Spain?


We hired a campervan and loaded our possessions and the cat and drove through the tunnel and down through France into Spain. I then took the camper back to the UK via the ferry.


----------



## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Monkey104 said:


> I am in the same situation. I initially wanted to bring my car and matriculate, nothing to do with Outwitting the Spanish, just would have been a bit easier getting down there with my dog, cat and the Wife!
> I also thought of buying left hand drive and bringing it to Spain.
> I have even thought of buying Spanish, driving back to the UK and picking up the good wife and animals but really cannot be bothered with all the driving.
> What did others do when they moved to Spain?


We drove over in our nearly-new English RHD car (cats went with a professional pet transporter, couldn't stand the idea of three days of yowling). Matriculated it to Spanish plates (cost €1k-ish), used it for 8 years then traded it in for a brand new eco-friendly Spanish car under a scheme that gave us a €2k discount because it was over ten years old.


----------



## Monkey104 (Aug 24, 2014)

We like that idea, especially with the pets but my wife says we should buy one. I am not sure as we will have to matriculate it and if it can’t be matriculated we will have a vehicle we can’t use.


----------



## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

We drove over. We had a return trip already booked for three months later and used the three months to do all the necessary admin stuff of moving over and to take time to look for a Spanish reg car, this meant that we were under no pressure to buy immediately. After finding and buying the new car we subsequently drove back in the UK car, in our case we gave it to son-in-law, and then flew back to Spain ready to go.


----------



## Nomoss (Nov 25, 2016)

From reading posts on here, and after the hassle we had to export one of our Spanish registered vehicles to France, due to a mistake by a Trafico clerk, I reckon it was easier before Spain joined the EU.

We brought our car, a Canadian reg 1977 Austin Marina, through France with us at the same time as the boat, taking the train back every few days to where we last left it, and I eventually took it from S France to Mallorca via the ferry from Barcelona.

This was in 1980, and we were allowed to legally use a foreign plated car by paying an annual fee of 10% of its value.

The value was determined by a letter from the importer, stating the landed value of the car when new.

British Leyland Spain stated the value as roughly 200,000 Ptas, so we paid 20,000 Ptas, about £100 a year, to use it there, and exchanged it for a Spanish reg. Mini with someone who drove it back to the UK in 1985.


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Monkey104 said:


> What did others do when they moved to Spain?


Moved ourselves by hiring a van. Sold my Volvo estate in Uk to the guy who bought our flat. Sold SWMBO's Micra to a dealer and actually got quite a good price. Bought a Berlingo here, left it at the airport when we took the Van back and flew here after SWMBO had finished her work and collected the Berlingo.


----------



## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

Op,

If you want to spend more and suffer hassle, go ahead.

If not, get yourselves here and buy a car.


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

The best policy is to decide, roughly, the area in which you wish to live. Look around and see which is the most popular type of car on the roads, there. The chances are that will be the most suitable vehicle for the area, after all, tens of thousands maybe millions of people can't be that wrong. For us, it is the small MPV - Berlingo, partner, kangoo, etc.


----------



## Dunpleecin (Dec 20, 2012)

baldilocks said:


> The best policy is to decide, roughly, the area in which you wish to live. Look around and see which is the most popular type of car on the roads, there. The chances are that will be the most suitable vehicle for the area, after all, tens of thousands maybe millions of people can't be that wrong. For us, it is the small MPV - Berlingo, partner, kangoo, etc.



I respectfully disagree for the most part. Unless you’re talking about a straight choice between 4 wheel drive because of terrain or any other type of car I can’t see any reason to be a sheep and drive what everyone else is.


----------



## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

baldilocks said:


> The best policy is to decide, roughly, the area in which you wish to live. Look around and see which is the most popular type of car on the roads, there. The chances are that will be the most suitable vehicle for the area, after all, tens of thousands maybe millions of people can't be that wrong. For us, it is the small MPV - Berlingo, partner, kangoo, etc.


Except Gibraltar, where there are hundreds of top of the range sports cars but no roads on which you can go much more than 25 kph.


----------



## Nomoss (Nov 25, 2016)

Alcalaina said:


> Except Gibraltar, where there are hundreds of top of the range sports cars but no roads on which you can go much more than 25 kph.


But they can probably drive easily into Spain, as do similar owners in Andorra, and drive like lunatics there.

A bit like cows going daft when released from their sheds at the end of winter


----------



## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Nomoss said:


> But they can probably drive easily into Spain, as do similar owners in Andorra, and drive like lunatics there.
> 
> A bit like cows going daft when released from their sheds at the end of winter


That's probably why there are so many speed cameras in the Campo de Gibraltar then.


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

I bought a LHD car, couple of years old, from a reputable dealer in the UK. The car was already on Spanish plates, though so all I had to do was change ownership. 
I would never have considered buying a new LHD car and importing it. Far too much hassle.
Best to buy in Spain but again, from a reputable dealer.


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

baldilocks said:


> The best policy is to decide, roughly, the area in which you wish to live. Look around and see which is the most popular type of car on the roads, there. The chances are that will be the most suitable vehicle for the area, after all, tens of thousands maybe millions of people can't be that wrong. For us, it is the small MPV - Berlingo, partner, kangoo, etc.


I disagree. The type of car you drive depends on what you want to do with it and of course your personal likes/dislikes. I drive up to our perrera most days on rough unmade 'roads' so need a 4x4. I also need a vehicle that can carry two dogs.
So for me, an oldish Landrover fits the bill.

But I also like comfort and style so recently I sold one of our two Landrovers and bought myself a VW Cabrio. Thought it might take a few years off me.


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> But I also like comfort and style so recently I sold one of our two Landrovers and bought myself a VW Cabrio. *Thought it might take a few years off me*.


and did it?


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

baldilocks said:


> and did it?


I like to think it does


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> I like to think it does


At our ages, the only really effective solution is a transplant - of everything or almost everything.


----------



## Monkey104 (Aug 24, 2014)

We have now come up with a plan with regards our vehicle issues.
We have a Jeep Grand Cherokee that will easily accommodate the cat and dogs. We will get the ferry from Plymouth to Santander.
We will then have the use of our car for a month or so until we buy a Spanish registered one.
I can then sell my Jeep, hopefully locally.
If not I will scrap it as I don’t want to run a 3litre automatic diesel.
And I won’t even be trying to outwit the Spanish and not too much inconvenience!


----------



## ss-suffolk (Apr 3, 2017)

We simply sold our car in UK, flew to Spain, booked a car hire for a month in Spain, looked in https://www.autoscout24.es, found and bought a guaranteed car from a local reputable car dealer and they came with us to return the rented car and swop to our purchased one.
All was done within 10 days, including all paperwork. This was a year ago and all is still going well.
No hassle at all.


----------

