Importing an Acura NSX from the US

[frenchbantam]

I have always been a fan of the NSX. I had a '93 Prelude VTEC and the next natural step was an NSX. Sadly, I couldn't afford one. I have been looking at the autotrader.com website in the US and see that there are quite a few Acura NSX's with low mileage for sale. Some of these cars are in beautiful condition. I appreciate that it is probably the same car although it has been re-badged to an Acura.
My question is this; would it be worthwhile trying to import one of these into the UK or not and would it be prohibitively expensive. I would be concerned about emissions and whether they have lower performance due to catalytic converters fitted in the US
I appreciate it is LHD but as I live in France I would be mainly driving it there in the summers.
Any opinions or advice would be most gratefully appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike

[NSX 2000]

I would say it would be pretty easy. The thing you have to remember is you have to pay Duty and VAT when you collect it from the docks.
IIRC I paid duty of about 22% when I imported a pickup a few years back, plus VAT will go back up to 17.5 % at the end of the year :angry:

[Dragonlady]

Would the duty be less if you imported straight to France?

[Mariscalcus]

I lived in France for 5 years and in that time imported a new Saab with Swedish export plates and a Jaguar 'E' type Series 1 OTS from the US on US plates. Good news; physically getting the car into France is a walk in the park. I drove the Saab from Gothenburg and then drove it legally for 1 year on its Swedish plates in and around Paris. Bad news: importing and registering a non-EU car in France is a long and tedious process.

I imported the 'E' type through Le Havre. French customs were totally uninterested and I simply signed the papers with the handling agent, paid his fee and drove it out of the port and down to Paris. (The US shipping agent will have a relationship with the equivalent in France and it is all arranged for you for a reasonable fee). Note that at that time there is nothing to pay in France until you begin the registration process unlike the UK - the French handling agent can advise. This too I drove for over a year on its US plates. On the rare occasions the flic stopped me it was more to admire the car than to question the registration - I simply said that I was a tourist and off I went. However, that can only go on for so long and the dreaded importation process has to be done. Do not underestimate its complexity - it is not the cost but the amazing bureaucracy. You will pay TVA and a duty assessed on the book value of the car along with with various minor fees related to the infernal bureaucracy. Allow a lot of time and even more patience.

Interestingly, I was then transferred to the UK and the process of registering the cars there - both now on French plates could not have been easier (and it cost a pittance since I had owned them for over a year). I was even able to drive them legally on the French plates for 12 months.

Bon courage

David

[eclipse1501]

There is a red 1994 French plated NSX for sale in Tenerife at the moment, think i have the sellers email address if you are serious. I only say that as over the last 3 months i have found 3 bargain LHD NSX for sale here in Europe without much trouble.