Importing cars from the USA into France

A friend is about to move from California to France, and is considering
bringing his two (fairly new) cars with him.

Does anyone know how difficult it is to get the cars registered in
France? I seem to remember bikes were tricky, but are cars the same?

Cheers.

 

Has he owned them for more than a year? If not, he's probably liable to
pay tax on their importation, which under NL calculations would be in
the *eeeek* category.

Do the make and models exist in europe? If so, US imports can usually
be brought in line with EU spec, although it's not necessarily cheap.

The list of difference between a US and EU model of the same car can be
quite a lot. Even the Mini Cooper S I brought back from Cali had some
fairly big differences that I had to rectify. Or was supposed to.

 

I believe so, yes.

 

Eisenhower managed it no problem.

 

Wicked Uncle Nigel wibbled forthrightly:

Drop dog an email, he can give you the lowdown on the issues with H's
bike.

It can be done, but it's a nightmare apparently. If the cages in
question are already sold in France, then it helps (they'll still need
to be brought up to French specs though). They'll need to go through
the "Passage aux mines" in any case to prove that they're roadworthy
(and get the certificate that will enable them to be registered in
France). I see a lot of Merkin cages in France (there's a stretch
Hummer not too far from home) so it can be done. It's just a PITA.

 

That would explain why " ... on twisties not much less than a porker is
going to be close ... "

 

If it's a model sold in France as well, then no, there won't be a
problem. He'll first need to "dedounier" it, i.e. declare it to the
customs people and possibly pay tax on it (not sure how it works if
you're moving here at the same time). They'll issue some certificates
which he needs to take the the vehicle registration people aho'll
issue the carte gris and plates etc.

If it's not a homologated model in France then he may have problems.

 

I think I'm being whooshed here.

The differences are things like no rear fog light (or switch in the
panel), additional lights on the wheel arches which aren't allowed in
Europe (or at least NL).

 

And what about the Cali smog system. That's well known for castrating power
outputs, making a Porker less useful than a Cooper.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Only if you're an idiot. Most people that have performance cars in Cali
quickly open them back up once they've been smog tested.

 

Why, what is done to them?

 

Detuned, reduced air intake etc.

 

You're missing the point, which was a humorous conflation of two of
DNC's posts: that he has a California spec Mini; and that it handles
much better than all the other small fwd cars on the road.
Surely you didn't expect anything serious from me....

 

We're talking "devastating cross-country missile" here, aren't we.

 

Well, obviously I spotted the reference,

but it wasn't humouress either...

 

Unlike the Audi which is based on a Golf floorpan.

 

That's because women aren't funny.

 

Even on a Porsche? Heresy.

 

On anything that doesn't pass the California emissions testing. Which
is pretty much anything half decent.