Selling English cars

[pirate]

Hi,

We`ve decided to buy an older cheapish vehicle 4x4 just to get us over, whats the chances of selling it when we get there, it wont be a wreck, but it wont be expensive, or would it be possible to scrap it there without too much hastle?
cheers

[Campo Kenny]

It will sell in no time.....if it's priced below its Spanish equivelents

[Heston]

quite a few people on the costas make a living from selling them on quite a big market
x

[Retro P]

Pirate, Im not an expert on cars but I will give you my opinion based on time spent in the Marbella area in the last twenty years, if you're planning to bring ANY english car here follow these hints:
the car should be not older that 7/8 years old, make sure you have a full years mot and tax, and make sure it's not a total heap.

The problem with bringing english cars to Spain and numerous, you would need to re-register it in Spain as you cannot tax or mot it here otherwise, you cannot legally insure ( no matter what anyone tells you) a british registered car here (legally) so any potential buyer would be looking at these points closely.

I know it's tempting to bring all your stuff here in your own vehicle because you save money but in the long run you don't.

I would always advise anyone moving here for a lengthy period to buy a Spanish registered car, you'll find it much easier in the long run, no doubt other posters will have a different view on this but the legalities I mentioned are factual and correct, good luck with your move!

[spanish_lad]

look in the sur or town crier or euro weekly, about 50% of the cars for sale are english. most of them want "on the button" money for them, which they wont get. try selling a non taxed or mot'd car in the uk and you dont get alot for it. do the same in spain and it probably wont sell.

best bet is to sell it within 6 months or maybe a year, that way it'll still have T & T .. even better if you can get a LHD 4x4, that will be easier to sell because someone will buy it to transfer it to spanish plates.

if you want to keep it over here and transfer it to spanish plates then the cost to do so will be under a thousand euros normally, so weigh the costs, it's cheaper to bring a 94 disco full of stuff kids and pets than it is to fly and transport it.. so i'd bring it and transfer it.

ps. for a 95 > 4x4, you are looking at nearly 8,000€ here, rarely you'll get one cheaper but it'll be a wreck.

where as uk plated non taxed or mot'd you are looking at alot less money. i've seen some for as little as 3 or 4 thousand.

[dido72]

spanish lad,

Is it really as difficult and expensive as people make out to transfer a car onto spanish plates?

What would you do buy a uk plated one and transfer or spend a bit more on one in spain and not have the hassle of transfering?

Anyone elses opinion welcome too

[spanish_lad]

i'm led to believe that it costs around 1000€ depending on the age and value of the vehicle.

i've just bought a jeep on uk plates, for penuts, which i am going to get transfered.

[dido72]

Let us know how you get on with the transfer, I need to know if it is worth the aggro

[spanish_lad]

i've just seen a 1996 bmw 3 series on uk plates (N-reg) for €400 in alhaurin

[masterob]

Transferring to Spanish plates is very straightforward if you use a gestor who will do all the legalities for you.
A bigger question really is whether you want to drive around in Spain in a right hand drive car. I wouldn´t!

[spanish_lad]

well, i've got a lhd megane, i dont "like" sitting on the "other side" but its not really a problem. i cant see it being much of a problem really, alot of people drive LHD in the uk.

i know a few people who have transferred their right hand drive vehicles and they are perfectly happy with it.

[Campo Kenny]

Agree, if you can drive it makes little difference what side the wheel is on........in my opinion of course

Funny thing is with having RHD in Spain I find that for every instance there's a negative for having RHD it is balanced out by a positve over LHD.

It's just not an issue as far as I'm concerned.

As for Matriculation I also agree it's a doddle to get the gestor/assesroria to do it for you, it's quick, painless and probably about 20p more costly than scurrying around doing it yourself.

Kenny

[olive]

the best thing about driving a matriculated RHD car is watching the faces of other oncoming drivers as your passenger quite rightly enjoys the view.

olive

[spanish_lad]

so a question to the people who have re-matriculated a uk plated vehicle, and used a gestor, what car was it and how much did it cost? i'm particuarly interested in the costs to do a 4x4 and the cost to do a bmw 3 series

[stellastaff]

The thing with 4 x 4s over here-so my mum has found out with hers-is that after market towbars may not get you through the ITV! She took hers and was told that the towbar did not have a particular number on it and failed the whole car! The car was bought in the UK and a towbar added afterwards. Apparently the number should be stamped on the towbar-sort of a kitemark/BS number, don't know exactly. She is now going to remove it and try again. When it passes she will put it back on again!

[spanish_lad]

and even if your car passed itv here last week, and you add a tow bar this week, you have to go and get another full itv

the car failed because the towbar didn't have the kitemark, take it off and take it back, you'll have the itv within the hour

[Retro P]

The thing with 4 x 4s over here-so my mum has found out with hers-is that after market towbars may not get you through the ITV! She took hers and was told that the towbar did not have a particular number on it and failed the whole car! The car was bought in the UK and a towbar added afterwards. Apparently the number should be stamped on the towbar-sort of a kitemark/BS number, don't know exactly. She is now going to remove it and try again. When it passes she will put it back on again!

So the ITV will then be invalid and the insurance therefore void, what's wrong with doing it properly and legally, a new, legal towbar can't be that expensive

[Campo Kenny]

Have to agree, a **** hot insurance company may just pick up on something as silly as an illegal towbar and knock your claim back just when you need it most after a mishap that might not have even been your fault.

I don't speak the language so the best I can do is to stay legal!........right down to me spare bulbs and orange jacket.

Have a word Donna.

Kenny

[Miro]

I had the towbar problem with a Landcruiser - this was 10 years ago BTW. Nice to know some things haven't changed! Another semi-problem was that the model I brought over was originally sold in Germany, with a petrol engine, but was never offered on the Spanish market, so when they looked it up in their little black book to value it for tax purposes, they could only find the diesel version. Result: the new Spanish matricualtion doc showed it as being a diesel. Luckily nobody checked under the bonnet when it went for it's ITV!
Bit tricky to explain when I sold it a couple of years later......