Stefano Posted September 17 Share Posted September 17 Hello Forum I just submitted my order for a 485 CSR final edition. The car will be delivered in Italy early 2025. Next mission is trying to import it. Any recommendations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croc Posted September 17 Share Posted September 17 Welcome to USA7s with your first post. Import to where? Italy? USA? Some other country? Is it going to be a fully assembled vehicle? A roller? Or a kit? If a fully assembled Caterham and trying to import to the USA then that is non-starter. The import regulations prohibit that. Kits are possible. A little more information will help people here answer your questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefano Posted September 17 Author Share Posted September 17 It’s a fully assembled car and i want to import it from Italy to the USA. what if I import the chassis and engine separately? Would that work? Thanks Stefano Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croc Posted September 17 Share Posted September 17 If it is a complete car, i.e. engine is already installed in the car, then it cannot be separated and imported without breaching Federal laws. Complete cars need to comply with all Federal laws to be imported or be over 25 years old. Caterham does not certify that its cars meet all FMVSS and its not over 25 years old. I have not eve n discussed the EPA rules which also apply. If the drive train is not installed as you received it from Caterham and you bought the drive train separately from a third party other than the manufacturer, then you could follow the import rules for a kit. If you import both elements in the one shipping container then you run a big risk of US Customs putting things together and raising an objection to your import. The rules are very complex and you need to do your home work here before you try to import any vehicle. https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/importing-car I would caution you about discussing potential acts that Federal authorities might view unfavorably. This is a public forum. Even once you are past this you need to think about what your state DMV is going to require to title and register. Most rely on the import paperwork for complete cars or a manufacturers statement of origin (from Caterham) for a kit. A US dealer is not going to issue one of those for you - you need to contact Caterham directly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vovchandr Posted September 17 Share Posted September 17 I'm not sure I understand why this couldn't be ordered through the dealers here and avoid at least half the headaches. You'd only have the state ones to deal with after that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wemtd Posted September 17 Share Posted September 17 (edited) Would these rules still apply if the car were truly for track use/not to be registered or driven on roads? (I do mean this out of curiosity, not at all a ‘Monty python: wink-wink, nudge nudge’ question). Didn’t a group from UK/Ireland do a USA in 7’s tour with their cars back in 2005? (And then ship their cars home one month later?) Edited September 17 by wemtd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vovchandr Posted September 17 Share Posted September 17 7 minutes ago, wemtd said: Would these rules still apply if the car were truly for track use/not to be registered or driven on roads? (I do mean this out of curiosity, not at all a ‘Monty python: wink-wink, nudge nudge’ question). Didn’t a group from UK/Ireland do a USA in 7’s tour with their cars back in 2005? (And then ship their cars home one month later?) Track only has exemptions but you'd obviously never get registration. UK/Ireleand were able to do a tour here in the same way how we can drive our cars to Canada and why we see Quebec plates around upstate NY quite a bit. You're allowed to temporary have your car in other countries as a visitor. Less common with cars from the other continent for obvious reasons but you're allowed to do so nonetheless. You could drive your 7 in Europe if you wanted to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panamericano Posted September 17 Share Posted September 17 "UK/Ireleand were able to do a tour here in the same way how we can drive our cars to Canada and why we see Quebec plates around upstate NY quite a bit. You're allowed to temporary have your car in other countries as a visitor. Less common with cars from the other continent for obvious reasons but you're allowed to do so nonetheless. You could drive your 7 in Europe if you wanted to." The temporary importer to the US must be a legal resident of the other country. You can't bring over a bargain British car to drive for a period, then return it, unless you can prove legal residency in England. Like Croc said, too complicated to be worth it, unless not built. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefano Posted September 17 Author Share Posted September 17 Thanks all for the feedback. As to why did I not just buy a car in the the US, trust me I am aware it would be easier. The truth is I would like to be able to do both: drive the same car on either side of the pond, and I figured it would be easier to buy there and take here than the other way around. As to the legality, not trying to to break the law. I think I still can change my order to have only a rolling chassis imported and then get the engine from a third party, but by doing that I’m pretty sure I will not be able to take it back to my home country, when and if I go back there. So for now it’s either ship it here as temporary import - I think 1 year or so - or nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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