Bringing your car to France

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by RayRay

I bet! Perhaps there's hope our built-for-the-US MINIs might pass the homologation requirements after all.

I'm always surprised when I see a PT Cruiser in France. They're everywhere, it seems, and they look SOOOO out of place <s>.

Ray

PT Cruisers were EXTREMELY popular here in France a few years back. Chrysler stated a big marketing campaign and I believe the PT Cruisers were the first model they pushed over here. I have no idea if the European version is identical to the US version or not - but when I rented a PT Cruiser back in the US, I got the impression that the US version may have been a bit larger than what I had seen in Europe.

You don't see too many of the Cruisers around anymore. Not sure if that speaks to their reliability or not. But Chrysler is still a presence (and you can find Chrysler dealerships in some places), mostly with their big, hulking SUVs (still small by US standards).
Cheers,
Bev

[eyeboy]

After reading this thread I think i may have some difficulty, my wife and I will be coming to france on a long stay visa, 6-12 months approximately before applying for residency if all goes well... my question is this, is it possible for us to purchase and register a car in france with only a friends address? i think i read we would need some sort of utility bill or something as proof of residency, not sure if we would be able to provide that.

another possible option would be to buy a LHD car in the UK where I think it would be easier to register and insure, but would we be limited to how long we could legally drive the car in France? We are likely to be moving around a lot as we are searching for the best place to settle in for a while...

any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated!

[jamesOK]

Originally Posted by eyeboy

After reading this thread I think i may have some difficulty, my wife and I will be coming to france on a long stay visa, 6-12 months approximately before applying for residency if all goes well... my question is this, is it possible for us to purchase and register a car in france with only a friends address? i think i read we would need some sort of utility bill or something as proof of residency, not sure if we would be able to provide that.

another possible option would be to buy a LHD car in the UK where I think it would be easier to register and insure, but would we be limited to how long we could legally drive the car in France? We are likely to be moving around a lot as we are searching for the best place to settle in for a while...

any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated!

Temporarily exporting a car from the UK only lasts 6 months. After that it is considered permanently exported and needs to be registered in the new country of residence. You will also have to pay more for car insurance which allows you to drive the car for a long period of time abroad.

[RayRay]

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

Just a word of caution - if you bought the Minis in the US, they were no doubt manufactured to meet US standards. That almost guarantees that there will be significant modifications needed to meet European and/or French standards. You may get lucky, but best not to count on it.
Cheers,
Bev

I called the homologation office of MINI France this morning and they were very pleasant and helpful. Both women with whom I talked spoke just enough English to ease the process, an unexpected bonus.

Unfortunately, neither of our two MINIs are candidates to receive a Certificate de Conformité to be imported into France.

So...On to Plan B: Sell the MINIs and buy a car in France!

It's nice to complete something for a change. At least I know how this one is going to go!

Ray

[GALLUS]

Just started my own re-import in EU process this morning with Dreal, Prefecture ann Mercedes.

Lots of fun in perspective...

[-mia-]

Originally Posted by RayRay

I called the homologation office of MINI France this morning and they were very pleasant and helpful. Both women with whom I talked spoke just enough English to ease the process, an unexpected bonus.

Unfortunately, neither of our two MINIs are candidates to receive a Certificate de Conformité to be imported into France.

So...On to Plan B: Sell the MINIs and buy a car in France!

It's nice to complete something for a change. At least I know how this one is going to go!

Ray

I'm so glad you found that out before you brought them over. Please don't buy that Renault! :P

[RayRay]

Originally Posted by -mia-

I'm so glad you found that out before you brought them over. Please don't buy that Renault! :P

We shall see what we can afford. Our MINIs are quite wonderful and perhaps we'll get a MINI Countryman Diesel. They're pretty costly, though.

Ray

[-mia-]

Originally Posted by RayRay

We shall see what we can afford. Our MINIs are quite wonderful and perhaps we'll get a MINI Countryman Diesel. They're pretty costly, though.

Ray

Oh, get the clubman instead of the Countryman. It's much more fun. And it's a good compromise. We should probably talk about this elsewhere as I keep taking the thread totally off topic! Good luck with your move, etc.

[jamesOK]

Originally Posted by -mia-

I'm so glad you found that out before you brought them over. Please don't buy that Renault! :P

Agree. Don't buy a Renault. My Trafic is 14 months old and now the radio and automatic headlights don't work (not to mention various other minor faults).

[RayRay]

Originally Posted by -mia-

Oh, get the clubman instead of the Countryman. It's much more fun. And it's a good compromise. We should probably talk about this elsewhere as I keep taking the thread totally off topic! Good luck with your move, etc.

We have a Clubman now and have loved it. It substituted for a BMW X3 SUV quite nicely.

While we've treated ourselves with cars lately, we're looking for something small, basic, diesel / inexpensive and comfortable enough for 2-3 hour trips.

Ray