So, you've found an Elan (or other car) that you'd like to bring to the US. Great! There are a few things you will need to consider before making an offer.
- Has it been over 25 years since the manufacture date of the vehicle? There are very few circumstances in which you can bring a vehicle under 25 years since manufacturer into the United States - none of these apply to the Elan so I won't touch on them. In some circumstances, you may be asked to provide manufacturer supported evidence of the vehicle being at least 25 years old. For this you would contact Andy Graham at Lotus and supply him with your VIN and payment.
Will my insurance company cover an imported car/will they place any restrictions on use? in my case, my regular insurance company would not cover my Elan. Due to this I had to make the switch to Hagerty, who mandates that I will not use the vehicle as my daily vehicle more than 1 day a month.
How difficult is it to obtain a title in my state? For Pennsylvania, they require a copy of the V5C, and all documents related to ownership and transit into the US to issue a title.
Assuming that you have purchased the car and have a bill of sale, you will next need to arrange transit to the port of your choosing. There are a few different ways to find a broker for this but I had one recommended by the seller. The first step with the broker is to provide a signed bill of sale, a shippers letter of instruction, and a scan of your passport
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10sbHx0 ... sp=sharing
At this point, you will also need to fill out importation paperwork for the DOT and the EPA. Exemptions from regulations for both agencies are available as options, 25 years for DOT, and 21 years for EPA. This means your car does not need to meet any current DOT safety requirements - as such, air bags and cat converters are not required.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PigCuq ... sp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p-0L9h ... sp=sharing
Shortly after you will receive a bill from the exporter once a spot on a vessel has been secured.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NJ_dfv ... sp=sharing
Once these are complete, the whole process turns into the waiting game. Eventually, your car will be loaded onto a vessel and you will be sent the Bill Of Lading. Once your car has been loaded onto the vessel and is crossing the Atlantic, a US contact for the broker will reach out to you regarding customs clearance. In order for this to be done, you must sign a power of attorney unless you wish to undertake this extremely complicated and time consuming process yourself.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dRc4tN ... sp=sharing
When the vessel has made landfall and the vehicle is being prepared to disembark, you will receive notification if you have either passed or failed customs clearance. Provided you selected exempt on both the DOT and EPA forms, there should be no issues here.
finally, you will be billed for customs clearance/Tariffs (2.5% of stated value of car)/Port fees/ISF entry/Bond Fees/Filing fees, and Terminal handling charges. yes, they are necessary.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BIS56O ... sp=sharing
once paid, you will receive your customs clearance paperwork and your car will be on your way to you!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qFw0n4 ... sp=sharing
