Importing a Karmann Ghia, a club guide
Disclaimer: Information published here is to be used as a suggested guide when importing a Karmann Ghia, the club cannot be held accountable for the accuracy of any links or external adverts on these sites.
First find a suitable Car?
With the advent of modern communication and technology, searching for a car has never been so easy. Most cars these days are imported from the States. Bear in mind all USA market Karmann Ghia’s were left hand drive only. When looking at a car from America it’s better to focus your search in the dry states, such as California, Arizona or Texas. There may be evidence of rust, but this is often surface rust. Cars from the East Coast, so from New York down through to Florida have a lot more moisture in the atmosphere and so the corrosion is more akin to the corrosion we experience here in the UK.
Good sites to check are, but remember if it’s too good to be true it usually is!
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/cat.php?id=13
https://geo.craigslist.org/iso/us
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=karmann+ghia
When using the CraigList Site, you have to specify a US state for each search submission.
In recent years there has been a slight surge in cars coming over from South Africa which are Right Hand Drive (even Australia, New Zealand and even Thailand!). The cars from here are generally dry, but bear in mind the kind of life a car may have had in South Africa they may have been through, which may be a little tougher than one from the States.
In both cases, you can buy a car at a reasonable price, but often you are buying a car unseen unless you decide to jump on a plane and view it in person. This can present a few challenges that need to be overcome before you feel confident enough to deposit thousands of dollars in a strangers account.
Buying from a dealer is an easier option than buying from a private seller as at least you can check their website, but the most important thing you need to do is build up a rapport, so either Skype, WhatsApp or telephone. If you decide to telephone set up an account with a telephone discounter such as Telediscount who charge 1p per minute (at time of publication) to call a mobile or landline in the states whilst using you free minutes on your UK mobile provider.
Here’s a link to their website http://www.telediscount.co.uk/ but there are several other discounters out there.
When speaking to the seller, prepare the questions you want to ask in advance. Ask about the condition of the floor pans, the heater channels, the heat exchangers, does the heating work? Ask if there are any noticeable areas of damage or rust? Is there a lot of bondo (filler) in the car? Whats the bright work (Chrome trim) like? Is there any pitting or rust? Ask about the steering, if there is over or under steer, what condition the ball joints are in? Ask for the engine number and Chassis number. Check to see if the plate under the bonnet riveted on the inner wing is still there.
Get as many photos as possible, and make sure you ask for one of the chassis number (found under the rear seat where the central column widens) and the engine number (under the dynamo/ alternator stand for a type 14 and on the engine case beneath the air filter on a type 34)
Also get a copy of the title document (pink slip) and make sure the chassis number corresponds to the one on the car.
Having satisfied yourself that the car is the one for you and a price has been agreed you will need to pay. This will most certainly entail buying in a different currency, so keeping an eye on the exchange rate is highly recommended. If you use a money transfer service you will get a much better exchange rate than using a bank, credit card or paypal, and once you have agreed a rate it will be locked in regardless of fluctuations on the currency markets.
Shipping and Importing
Once you have paid for your car you will need to get the car to the nearest shipping port then onward to the UK. This can either be done by a shared container or roll on roll off and be organised by either a specialist shipper or you can organise each element yourself.
The preferred method of shipping a classic car would be by using a shared container. Here your vehicle will be secured in a container with 3 other vehicles.
Specialist shippers will perform the following tasks on your behalf
- US collection from seller / dealership
- Export documentation, Customs clearance formalities
- Container packing and ocean freight
- UK port handling, warehouse unloading
- Import Customs clearance and documentation
- HMRC tax and import advice
- UK delivery if required
We recommend Kingstown Shipping as a number of club members have used them with no hitches
http://www.kingstown-shipping.co.uk/
If you want to organise each element yourself then you will need to provide you shipper with the correct documentation, so that the car can lawfully leave the country.
You will need to apply for a V765 form to register a vehicle under its original registration number when:
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/360124/V765_150814.pdf
Once the application is filled in you will need to send it off to the club for our recommendation.
You will also need to enclose evidence that links your vehicle to the original registration number.
- Acceptable forms of evidence include: l the original old style log book (RF60/VE60) l
- archive or library records showing the registration number and the chassis number authorised by the archivist, clearly defining where the material was taken from, and
- other pre 1983 documentary evidence linking the chassis and the registration number to the vehicle.
To help assist in the registration process it is always recommended that you apply for the cars Birth Certificate and Data Sheet from the Stiftung AutoMuseum Volkswagen
You can apply for Birth Certificate and data sheet here:
https://www.volkswagen-classic-parts.de/en/volkswagen-zertifikate.html
V55 Form and DVLA submission (Updated Jan 2022)
If the vehicle has been registered before at DVLA, send the evidence that links your vehicle to the original registration number you are claiming, a recent photo of the vehicle and a filled in ‘Application for first vehicle tax and registration of a used motor vehicle’ (V55/5) (proof of identification is not needed).
Download the V55/5 form from the DVLA website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-a-used-vehicle-for-the-first-time-v555
The V55/5 form itself is the universal new vehicle data collection form for every vehicle registered in the UK. This covers over 2.5m new and old cars a year. This will mean that many of the sections are not applicable and need to be left blank.
You should complete the following sections of the V55/5 only and leave the other boxes blank – (The highlighted answers are general to all Karmann Ghia’s)
| Opposite 1 | Top right hand box enter the country you bought the vehicle in |
| 2 Tax class | HISTORIC VEHICLE – opposite this item indicate if the car is LHD or RHD |
| 3 Period of tax applied for | 12 MONTHS |
| 4 Registration fee Tax payable | (£0) |
| 6 Make | VOLKSWAGEN |
| 7 Model (including full vehicle specification |
ONE of the following KARMANN GHIA TYPE14/ KARMANN GHIA TYPE 14 / KARMANN GHIA TYPE 34/ KARMANN GHIA TC |
| 8 Type of body/ vehicle | Either COUPE or CONVERTIBLE |
| 9 Wheelplan | 2-AXLE RIGID |
| 10 Colour | The colour may not be the full manufacturer’s description as we only use basic colour descriptions (for example, if the vehicle is lavender it would be shown on the registration certificate, as purple). Note: where a vehicle has two colours, both descriptions should be entered on the V55 form, for example White with a Black Roof |
| 18 Number of seats (including the driver’s seat) | 4 |
| 27 Year of manufacture | Give the year the vehicle was built (for example, 1970). |
| 30 Date from which vehicle tax will start |
This will normally be today’s date or the first day of the next month. |
| 31 Type of fuel | Petrol |
| 32 VIN/chassis/ frame number | Give the full Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), chassis number or frame number, Can be found stamped at the rear of the tunnel under the back seat and usually also shown on a plate under the bonnet. |
| 33 Engine number | Give the full engine number, which you should get from the vehicle. |
| 34 Cylinder capacity (cc) | If not known when you purchased the car it can be worked out by the engine number |
| 46 Date of original registration |
Give the date the vehicle was first registered (regardless of which country this was in).
|
| 57 Partial postcode | Please give the first half of the postcode (for example, SW19) for the address of the person who bought the vehicle. |
| 63Name and address | Please give your full name, address and full postcode. |
|
64Date of birth Contact details |
Date of Birth – Optional
Please give contact details in case we need to get in touch: Dealer/vehicle keeper telephone number and/or Dealer/vehicle keeper email address |
| 66 | Mileage recorded on speedometer |
| Declaration | Please tick the appropriate boxes, and then sign and date the bottom of the application form. |
For the section which asks for a reason that you are not attaching type approval details, you need to use the wording “exempt due to age”
If the vehicle already has an age-related registration number you will not need to fill in a V55/5 form. You will need to send:
- the evidence that links your vehicle to the original registration number you are claiming and
- the Vehicle Registration Certificate (V5C) showing the current registration number.
To avoid sending valuable historic documentation by post , any club approved by the DVLA can act as signatory in your immediate area can copy and verify your original evidence. Please contact the club to make arrangements.
Once you have these authenticated copies, you can send the copies to the Karmann Ghia Owners Club (GB) committee member responsible for DVLA authentication who will be countersigning your application
If the vehicle has been imported and requires registering for the first time, the DVLA will require in order of preference, for the correct age related registration to be issued, at least one the following documents;
- Manufacturer dating letter
- Original registration papers from country where vehicle was first delivered.
- A Club dating letter
Remember to register an imported vehicle for the first time it must already be registered on the Governments NOVA database.
“The Notification of Vehicle Arrivals (NOVA) system was introduced on the 15th April 2013 as a joint initiative between HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to combat fraud on vehicles arriving permanently into the UK”
