The case for importing · For dealers & private buyers

Why pay a local dealer's markup on top of a European distributor's markup?

Every Mustang, Corvette and Escalade on a European forecourt has already crossed the Atlantic — usually via two distributors and a retail network that all need a cut. We do the same job at trade level: dealers invoice us, private buyers commission us, nobody pays for the espresso machine in Stuttgart.

The numbers, on a real car

A 2024 Corvette C8 Stingray Z51 lists at $76,995 in the United States. Add 10 % EU import duty, 21 % VAT, RoRo ocean freight, customs brokerage and EU homologation, and the car lands in Rotterdam at roughly €92,500. The same VIN on a European Chevrolet partner's floor lists at €134,900 before options. For a dealer, that gap is gross margin. For a private buyer, it's the difference between an Audi RS and a Corvette.

The gap exists because European distributors carry the cost of small volumes, retail networks and warranty pools the US market doesn't price in. Sourcing direct strips those layers out. You pay the taxes — you don't pay for somebody else's overhead.

Selection Europe never gets

Ford never homologated the F-150 Raptor R for continental Europe. Dodge ended Hellcat production in 2023. The Cadillac Escalade-V isn't on a single European order book. If your customer wants a 717 hp Challenger, a supercharged Raptor, a Z/28 Camaro or a numbers-matching '69 Chevelle, there is no European distributor to call. There is only an importer — and a dealer who knows one.

The myths, briefly

What about the warranty?

Every car under 150,000 km ships with a 12-month European mechanical warranty underwritten by Real Garant — transferable to your retail customer. US factory warranties usually transfer too; we register them on your behalf.

Are parts hard to source for a European workshop?

Service parts for any Ford, GM or Stellantis platform from the last twenty years ship from German warehouses in 24–48 hours. We open a parts account for partner dealers and quote against local labor standards.

Can it actually be registered locally?

Yes. We handle EU type approval, light conversion, kph cluster and emissions paperwork in Rotterdam, then file the national registration in your country — RDW (NL), TÜV (DE), DGT (ES), DVLA equivalents and Nordic ursprungskontroll all included. The car reaches your forecourt road-legal.

Is it left-hand-drive?

All our cars are left-hand-drive — the same configuration most European customers already drive. The US is left-hand-drive too.

Can a private buyer use you directly?

Yes. Roughly a third of our work is private commissions. The process is identical — the invoicing model differs (margin VAT vs. full VAT recoverable for VAT-registered dealers).