Has anyone imported a right hand drive mini from Europe?

 

If it is more than 25 years old, you can usually do it with minimal hassle. If newer than that, it is extremely difficult, but not impossible.

See links below for cars over the 25 year old mark:

https://wittymelon.wordpress.com/por...-into-the-u-s/
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...r-personal-use
https://one.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/imp...ges/page2.html
https://www.shipoverseas.com/blog/cl...rs-europe-usa/

 

Classics, people do it all the time. New MINIs i have only seen a few as it was mainly people who came from England or Barbados and paid to have the car updated to US specs $$$ and registered.. I guess they could not leave there MINI back home. We see some come in time to time from Canada that are newer MINIs.

 

As for the classics,
I'd guess that most RHD examples in the States come from Japan...

https://carfromjapan.com/cheap-used-rover-mini-for-sale


...there are quite a many JDM car importers making the process very simple these days.

I don't think I could ever adapt to RHD,
but if I did ever bite the bullet I'd deffo go for a fun little kei car,
like this:
http://www.jdmautoimports.com/1992-s...o-kei-car.html

 

Most of those don't fit the 25 year rule on carfromjapan so be careful unless there is an exemption for those models.

https://www.japaneseclassics.com/inventory/ does have a few in stock and seem to have a pretty good rep, although their prices are a bit higher than what I see elsewhere.

 

Yeah I didnt knowing there was a "year" rule or a lot of things that would have to be changed on a newer mini. I liked the idea of importing a right hand drive newer mini.

 

Here is a good sight for original Mini's for sale. I believe that most of these are already imported and titled in the USA, so that work has been done for you.

https://www.minimania.com/Cars4Sale_...fm?adtype=Mini

 

Since it is a new MINI, I don't think the 25 year rule applies because it has already been federally approved (or whatever you call it) for sale in the USA, but for legal importation it is likely that any parts which don't conform to USA regs will have to be replaced, for example little things like the side markers on lower front and rear bumpers, and other things too probably.

I'd think it's easily possible, but I think it'd also be a bit of a hassle with some extra costs involved which given the current market values for modern MINI's wouldn't make much sense unless you got money to burn and are willing to pay all the extra tax for the novelty of having a RHD specimen.

2¢

 

Importing a RHD MINI (not a Mini meeting the 25 year rule)

from https://www.nhtsa.gov/importing-vehi...ification-faqs

If the vehicle you are seeking to import is a RHD, even if there were a U.S.-certified left-hand version of that vehicle, it might not be considered "substantially similar" for import eligibility purposes. Our experience has shown that the safety performance of RHD vehicles is not necessarily the same as that of apparently similar left-hand drive vehicles offered for sale in this country. However, NHTSA will consider the vehicles "substantially similar" if the manufacturer advises the agency in writing, on the manufacturer’s letterhead (and not that of an authorized dealership or other such entity affiliated with the manufacturer) that the RHD vehicle would perform the same as the U.S.-certified left-hand drive vehicle in crash tests. Absent such evidence, the petitioning RI would have to demonstrate that the vehicle, when modified, would comply. In this case, you might want to contact one or more of the RIs listed on our website to obtain their opinion on the feasibility of conforming the RHD vehicle to the FMVSS, and the costs involved in conforming the vehicle and petitioning NHTSA for a determination as to whether the vehicle is eligible for importation.

What this means is if the car is produced in LHD drive form and sold in the US, the hurdle to get a RHD version approved is HIGH. There are exceptions and they are mostly found on the same form the "25 year rule" is found file:///C:/Users/Brian/Downloads/hs799short.pdf.... like diplomats and show only or race only