What would you guys do. I have a mini on order that will be shipped to the states. I might be taking a job in England.

Would you ship the car back to england to drive or sell it and buy a car in england? Would they allow left side steering wheel cars there and are car safety rules stricture that would require modifications to the car???

 

I know they allow left hand drive cars. I used to see a beautiful 56 Chevy at least once a week.

I believe there are many cars imported for military folks. I don't know if there are any special regulations regarding it though. You might check the MINI2 boards. There are a lot more Brits on there.

 

I took my 89 Ford Probe to the UK and drove it there for 6 years without any problem. There are many left hand drive cars there. You will have to have the very same inspections the locals have, the MOT and pay the road tax just as the locals have too. If you work for the military you can even buy American spec cars there and bring them back with you.

It will also depend on who you work for in the UK. Not everyone because they get a position in the UK is eligible to take a car with them. I happened to work for the military so not only could I take a car, but they paid shipping there and back.

 

A friend of mine moved to the UK, and took his Miata with him. No problems.

 

[quote=sancochojoe;1822192] I might be taking a job in England. quote]

What do you do and where do I apply? Actually I'm not kidding. . .

 

[quote=IndyDave;1823260]Work as a government contractor in DC Doesn't matter the profession...but i'm in IT. Tons of positions abroad. Most of my friends that I worked with in DC have taken jobs abroad in other countries.

Its so ironic. I place an order for a Mini and then a week later i'm asked if I would like to work outside of London tax free.

 

I say take the job!!! How often can an opportunity like this come along? Sure you may loose the deposit but your dealer will understand. Just think, you can order another car when you get back and there may be some more goodies that MINI adds later in the production, (auto up windows!!!)

 

Your dealer may be able to facilitate the changeover--sort of like the Euro deliveries many people take. It's worth a try.

 

just move the steering wheel to the other side

 

Is there anyway you can ask your dealership to leave the car in England? and not deliver to the US? With a lil finesse and scrambling, it would seem to me they might be willing to.

 

Chances are the car would get here first so I will wait and I'm in the negotiation stages of the job offer.

 

You'd be better off shipping your Mini to the UK than buying a car over there. It will cost you a fortune. Brit friends of mine left there Mini in the UK to be sold and purchased a US spec Jeep Grand Cherokee while they were stationed in the US for 2 years. Their main intention was to take the Jeep back with them to the UK because it cost considerably less here than it does there.

 

any idea the cost of shipping a mini to england?

 

Honestly, no. But I can tell you that in 2002 we were quoted about $1200 to ship a Suburban to Germany. That was 5 years ago and to a different country...oh, and not to mention for a vehicle 2.5 times as large as a Mini. Just contact a few vehicle shipping co's to get some quotes.

 

Your employer isn't going to pick up the tab on shipping a car ? Most companies give very good bennies when asking someone to pick up and move overseas.

Geez, even when my company asked people to move from Maryland to Virginia, they offered great bennies..... like if you couldn't sell your house within "x" number of days before your departure, they would buy it from you (for your latest listed price) and then they would sell it. If they got more for it than what they paid you, you would get the additional money.

And your company can't even pay to ship a car ?!?! :impatient

 

Just get a classic Mini when you get there

 

of course an american car is going to cost more in the UK than it does here... but as for MINIs, wouldnt they be cheaper to buy in the UK?

Also, my dealer said that the deposit is refundable... you should double check with your dealer.

 

cars in europe (and most of rest of the world) cost more than here. we get to pay less for both cars and gas

it would be so cool if you worked out some kind of arrangement to take delivery of your car over there, given your situation. there's always the chance of your car getting damaged during shipping, too. either way, i think to register your car there you'll need to make some modifications. it's not a big deal tho, i think it's mostly to the headlights due to driving on the right side. take the job!

 

I want to...still negotiating salary. The Euro and Pound is destroying the dollar. One good perk is they are paying $2000 toward living costs not including salary. If I can get them to ship the car that would be great!!!

 

The Mini is considerably more expensive in the UK. My Mini configuration would cost about $13K (US dollars) more in both the UK and Germany. This is due to the US dollar being so weak against the Pound and Euro. Oh, and VAT is included which is 17.5% in the UK. Ouch!

 

The modifications are very easy and cheap. You have to have a rear fog light and you have to have your headlights aimed the other direction. That’s it. Been there, done that!

If you get a job with the US government over there more than likely they will ship for free or pay a good portion of the shipping. Being in the military when I was there they shipped my car there and back for free.

As for MINIs being cheaper there, don’t count on it!!! A $25K MINI in the states will cost you 25K in pounds in the UK and that’s over $2.00 to the pound now so you’re looking at $50K for a MINI in US dollars.

The US spec MINI you have coming will not be held in the UK for you and you can not convert it to right hand drive. The law states US spec MINIs must be exported and the US will not allow right hand drive MINIs to be imported, simple as that. Anyone who thinks it can be done needs to do a little research because it has been looked in to by many of us long ago.

 

You had better be looking at doubling your current salary at a minimum! Do you homework living in the UK is VERY expensive! I just came back from there. regular gas was about $7.50 a gallon, 1 bedroom flats in London well over 2,400, typical underground fare without the Oyster card was $11 for 2 zones per day. I believe that the current taxable exclusion in about 85k, be prepare to pay tax on anything over that. Hypothetically if your living comfortable here at 60-70k you better ask for 135k to live the same over there.

Just my 2 cents

 

Thanks for the advise...I just sent your comment to their HR. This is this companies first major contract in Europe and so they are still doing the research on cost of living. I also asked if they could ship my Mini out there given the cost of cars in England relative to the states.