FAQ
Answers for a UK turnkey crossing. Nothing here is legal advice. A brief still starts with the car you want, not a catalogue.
How do you source the car?
You name year, spec, colour, miles and budget. We start with private owners, then specialist lots. If the car does not exist at that price, we say so before anyone spends money on photographs.
Who takes the photographs?
A photographer on our instruction, not the seller’s phone. You get panels, paint notes, interior, and underbody where we can reach it — enough to walk away before terms are agreed.
Who pays for the car?
You do. Funds go to the owner. Savage Imports never takes title as a dealer. Our fee sits beside that purchase, not inside it.
How does the shipping work?
Inland collection, export papers, ocean freight, UK customs. You see the sailing. The car is not left sitting between hands while someone “looks into it.”
What about IVA and registration?
We map the IVA and registration path the car actually needs — not a generic printout. Some cars are straightforward. Some need a workshop. We tell you which before the boat is booked.
How long does a crossing take?
Photographs in days, an agreed purchase when you instruct, ocean time in weeks, then UK clearance and delivery. A hunt for a rare spec can sit longer than the boat. We do not invent a date to close a brief.
From the field
@savageimports
If the car is already named, instruct the desk.
A brief is where year, spec and landing place go on the book — and where you still pay the owner, not us, for the metal.