Can I import it? What your car will need

Give us the year and the type. You see which UK rules apply to it, straight away, and which ones are worth a conversation first.

What it will need

A 1995 car, about 31 years old.

Vehicle approval
Not needed
More than 10 years old, so a car does not need IVA to be registered.
MOT
Needed
An MOT is needed from the third anniversary, then every year. It is only waived at over 40 years old.
Vehicle tax (VED)
Needed
Vehicle tax applies. The historic class is for vehicles built before 1 January 1986 at the moment.
The cut-off rolls forward each April, so on that pattern it would qualify from 1 April 2036. That is our extrapolation, not a confirmed date.
Duty and VAT
Check with HMRC
HMRC may class it as a collector’s piece (nil duty, VAT at 5%). It has to be at least 30 years old, out of production and original, and it is not automatic.
Mass-produced US cars often fail the production and originality tests. An Advance Tariff Ruling is advised, and cannot be issued once the vehicle is with customs. Standard route: 10% duty, then 20% VAT on the value plus the duty.
London ULEZ
Maybe
ULEZ is judged on the declared Euro standard, not on age. US cars often have none recorded and may show as non-compliant even when they would pass.
The standards are petrol Euro 4, diesel Euro 6 and motorcycles Euro 3, and the charge is £12.50 a day. Proof for a US car is often hard to get.
Whatever its age
Needed
Tell HMRC through NOVA within 14 days of the vehicle arriving, register it with DVLA, and insure it before you drive it.

Needed, Not needed: The rule applies, or does not, on the information you gave. Neither is a promise about a particular car.
Maybe: It depends on something we have not asked, such as the exact date or how the car has been changed, or on a rule we have not been able to confirm.
Check with HMRC: The tax treatment is for HMRC to decide, car by car. The collector's piece rate is the usual example, and it is never automatic.
Sources: gov.uk on importing vehicles, vehicle approval and historic vehicles, the UK Trade Tariff, and Transport for London on the ULEZ, all checked on 6 October 2026. The vehicle tax cut-off moves every April.

Send us the year, the model and where it is. We tell you what it needs and give you an itemised quote.