# Taking a classic car to Spain



## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

Hi. Ive posted this in the other thread that I started ages ago but thought it would get more response in its own.

To recap. We were looking to move out to the La Nucia area sometime soon but have now put this off for a couple of years.

BUT. when we do move over I would like to bring my 1968 Mk2 Cortina 1600E with us. Its in good condition for its age and I drive it most of the time.

What does bringing a classic over to Spain entail?

Any advice or stories if you have done this please.

Cheers.


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Hi 

Yes it can be done; make sure it is as manufacturer´s specification as they don´t like modifications. I seem to recollect there are a couple of "quirks" compared to re-registering a normal car. 

You will receive a special number plate - I think they are BB series. 

Davexf


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Hi, I have replied to you on your other thread.

But basically it depends on the homologation situation for your car in Spain / EU.

A) If the model was sold in Spain it will almost certainly have a different code in the UK to the one in Spain, but an approved engineer or even a recognised classic car club can validate the two codes as being for the same car.

B) If it was not sold in Spain, but was subject to a Certificate of Conformity in the EU (unlikely I'd say) you will have to get an approved engineer to produce a "ficha reducida" which will effectivley homolgate the car in Spain under the EU CoC.

C) If it was not sold in Spain and has no Spanish homolgation code and has no EU CoC then the approved engineer will have to do a full individual homologation of the car.

You should hope for "A".

I said in the other thread that I had never seen a Mk2 Cortina in Spain, but a quick trawl through the classifieds at lunch time showed one for sale in the Canaries, with a Spanish plate, so someone has done this in the past. There is hope.

I don't know anything about BB plates that davexf mentions, but you could get the car on HH plates (historic vehicle) but this costs a lot of money and has limited advantages (less frequency of ITV checks and more lenient) but also some major drawbacks, one being that it becomes susceptible to being expropriated at the government's will due to it's patrimonial interest


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

Overandout said:


> Hi, I have replied to you on your other thread.
> 
> But basically it depends on the homologation situation for your car in Spain / EU.
> 
> ...


Cheers for the info. The model was sold in Spain but shipped from the UK so I would expect there to be no problem with the code. I will check with the cortina club.
As to it being 'as it came off the production line' its not possible to have this, original spec tyres would now be illegal, and there are certain parts that are no longer made so slight modifications are made to fit modern day replacements. 

I suppose my best route would be to undergo a full restore after getting as much information as I can.


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## Dunpleecin (Dec 20, 2012)

As I recall from my dim and distant past (mainly dim) The Ford Cortina was called the Ford Taunus in mainland Europe. A little bit like Fiat's were all Seat's. Not like now when Seat is it's own make, the Seat's were the same as Fiat's in the UK.

So I would expect that Cortina's weren't sold in Spain, but were sold as Taunus's. Quite what the differences were I'm not sure.

I suppose you qualify for free Excise licence in the UK. I'm not sure it's the same in Spain.


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## JoCatalunya (Mar 16, 2011)

Whereas folk in the UK seem to appreciate a classic car my experience here suggests that the person who prangs into the side of it because...

a) they cannot drive
b) do not know that, that thing in front of them is a steering wheel and if you turn it the car will go to either side and not simply shunt backwards into the car behind.
c) bumpers are not actually the way you tell you have gone back or forward far enough.
d) they don't care about their car so why would anyone else.

I would question (politely ofcourse) whether or not it is a good idea to bring your beloved car over here.

There are classic car rallies, which entail classic cars hurtling around the countryside at night at breakneck speeds and the people who come out to watch all applaud you as you beetle along in your classic car.

But day to day use will see it damaged and whilst it probably won't amount to more than a scratch or a dent or two it will undoubtedly break your heart as it did mine when we brought our pristine car over and it was dented to high heaven. You see one day whilst parked up in a supposed safe parking area someone decided to use my car as a means of getting out of the parking slot behind. By that I mean they shunted their car back and forth until eventually the sheer number of times the car slammed into mine meant the wheel which they couldnt turn for some reason turned by itself and therefore they could eventually get out. 

Oh, and when my son brought over his little Mini Metro and we tried to get a part for it we were told, they were not available here as our car was obsolete, this was at a the local Rover dealership. (shows you how long ago that was) So be prepared to have to have all your bits and pieces sent over from England as I doubt you will find anyone who stocks them here and you might even struggle to find anyone who can repair it on top.

Sorry to be the bearer of such lamentable news but better someone tells you this now than you come over, drive your car into town, proud as punch and find it dented when you come out of the supermarket and end up punching someone because they say to you.

'What is your problem, it's an old car anyway.'


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

JoCatalunya said:


> Whereas folk in the UK seem to appreciate a classic car my experience here suggests that the person who prangs into the side of it because...
> 
> a) they cannot drive
> b) do not know that, that thing in front of them is a steering wheel and if you turn it the car will go to either side and not simply shunt backwards into the car behind.
> ...


This, unfortunately, is almost entirely true.

My car (26 years old) is mechanically virtually perfect, but the bodywork and paint suffers exactly the kind of battle scars that JoCatalunya mentions. I would love to repair and paint the car to give it the aspect it deserves but I know that if I were to do so then I would then not be able to use it and I would end up leaving it parked (relatively) safely in the garage.

This is one of the changes in mentality that moving country involves. We have to accept that the Spanish (in general) do not give as much importance to material objects, which in principle is s good thing, but it leads to attitudes like those mentioned above. 

I therfore choose to drive my car regularly and not to let it get to me when I see the driver of the car next to it bang his door into mine when he gets out, or when I see someone "parking by feel". I learned over time that challenging people about this behaviour is just not worth it.

Amongst the few things that I don't agree with is the behaviour on classic car meets. Whereas the behaviour desribed by JoCatalunya almost certainly does take place, in the club of which I am a member, and antisocial driving or other behaviour is strictly frowned upon and people who do not uphold the image of the club and marque are expelled.

Also the manufacturer of my car has a policy to make parts available for "older cars" so I have no problem walking into the local dealers, past all the 50k - 100k models on display to order that 25€ chrome trim that my car needs. No frowning, no rip offs, just good service. There is also a thriving second hand parts market which although more expensive than in the UK, it works and 99% of enthusiasts are reliable and trustworthy.

Of course, sometimes its better to buy parts from around the world and pay the postage, I have bought parts from Bulgaria, USA, UK, Germany, and Spain. Again with very few problems.


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## JoCatalunya (Mar 16, 2011)

Prior to the racing around the roads like lunatics the classic car enthusiasts all line their shiny old boys and girls in a long row for all and sundry to admire.

Later that night they go for a run around the hill and mountain roads. Last year 3 came off the roads, due to excessive speed whilst taking a tight corner one of which was totalled.

Personally speaking if you spend that much money on your car and these guys obviously do I cannot for the life of me fathom why they would put it at risk driving at night on steep sided roads that have hairpin bends like nobodies business.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Just to clarify registering as 'historic'. 
The number plate starts with the letter H , followed by 3 or 4 numbers & then the three letters BBB. There are no other types of historic plate.
Cost is around 1000€+ & then any engineers reports on top. Best done through a car club that has a classic section as they know all that has to be done & , most importantly, the gestor who knows how to do it ! 
Benefits : no road tax, cheap insurance , ITv's about every 100 years .:lol:
Normally a maximum yearly amount of kms you can drive & also normally restricted to the region you live in . I think you have to apply for exemptions to travel to other regions for shows , etc; but on this point I'm not 100% .


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

gus-lopez said:


> Just to clarify registering as 'historic'.
> The number plate starts with the letter H , followed by 3 or 4 numbers & then the three letters BBB. There are no other types of historic plate.
> Cost is around 1000€+ & then any engineers reports on top. Best done through a car club that has a classic section as they know all that has to be done & , most importantly, the gestor who knows how to do it !
> Benefits : no road tax, cheap insurance , ITv's about every 100 years .:lol:
> Normally a maximum yearly amount of kms you can drive & also normally restricted to the region you live in . I think you have to apply for exemptions to travel to other regions for shows , etc; but on this point I'm not 100% .


Gus, thanks for clearing up the historic reg confusion, I'm sure you are right.

But some more clarification is required about road tax and insurance.

Road tax: This is dependent on the town hall where the car is registered.

Some town halls (e.g Madrid) do indeed insist that a car is registered as Historic to be exempt from tax, but others allow any car over 25 years old to be exempt, this is my case. Others allow a % reduction based on the age of the car.

As you would esxpect though, these measures are being phased out in many authorities due to the drive to get old cars off the road.

Insurance: You do not need the car to be registered a Historic to qualify for classic insurance. I have a classic policy which is very cheap, again, just based on the age of the car (Ialso had to prove that I had other "normal" vehicles for daily use and there are a few other restrictions but in my case there is no limit on Kms per year, although most classic policies do have this.


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