Unregistered foreign cars

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Incidentally, this goes both ways, ie British cars SORNed in the UK, taken to Spain or France, then kept and driven there on (invalid) UK plates.

There's a limbo where these cars exist with no registration.

Unfortunately the only way to tackle this seems to be an EU register of cars - more beuroracy at Brussels .
 
^^ Is that really what the RAC should be getting involved in?
 
^^ Is that really what the RAC should be getting involved in?

Not sure what you are saying...? The RAC report relates to foreign cars on UK roads, the other way around was something I just added as a comment.

I think the RAC are concerned that the financial burden falls on the shoulders of law abiding drivers, while some people get a free ride by buying a cheap car in the continent then driving it to the UK and keeping it here without paying VED, not to mention that these cars may potentially have no insurance or MOT.

The question to my mind is whether this is really a large scale phenomena as they suggest it is?
 
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I agree. It's a drop in the ocean and whether road tax has been paid, or not, shouldn't be a concern of the RAC.
 
Incidentally, this goes both ways, ie British cars SORNed in the UK, taken to Spain or France, then kept and driven there on (invalid) UK plates.

There's a limbo where these cars exist with no registration.

Unfortunately the only way to tackle this seems to be an EU register of cars - more beuroracy at Brussels .

Don't think it will happen but it would certainly help me. Our 124 spends 9 months of the year outside the UK mostly in Italy. Technically it ought to be registered there as its out of the UK for more than 6 months. It would be a pain but its possible. However it would then be illegal for me to drive it in the UK on Italian plates with a UK licence. Incidentally it is insured, taxed and MOTd in the UK.
 
Don't think it will happen but it would certainly help me. Our 124 spends 9 months of the year outside the UK mostly in Italy. Technically it ought to be registered there as its out of the UK for more than 6 months. It would be a pain but its possible. However it would then be illegal for me to drive it in the UK on Italian plates with a UK licence. Incidentally it is insured, taxed and MOTd in the UK.

We actually took our UK car to Italy a few years ago and registered it, so it now has Italian plates. We could drive it back to the UK if we wanted to, but it just stays in Italy for now (in fact I am in Italy now, using the car). It is insured and MOTed locally here.


Does your UK insurance actually cover a 9 months stay in Europe?
 
Why didn't you just buy a car in Italy?

You could have put numberplates on with Engerland and a St Georges cross on to be different a poser a to$$er.
 
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Three million quid? I'd bet the foreign office spend more than that on wine.
 
Why didn't you just buy a car in Italy?...

I agree, but strangley the wife was attached to this car, which we bought new in Europe in 1997 then imported if to the UK. It's LHD and had the headlamps and speedo converted to UK spec, then 10 years later converted back to EU spec... it's a briliant car that never missed a beat, but I sometimes have the feeling that we overdid it with the import/export... well it's here now and still going strong.
 
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We actually took our UK car to Italy a few years ago and registered it, so it now has Italian plates. We could drive it back to the UK if we wanted to, but it just stays in Italy for now (in fact I am in Italy now, using the car). It is insured and MOTed locally here.


Does your UK insurance actually cover a 9 months stay in Europe?

NFU and Saga both offer unlimited fully comprehensive cover in the EU. Old enough for Saga but we went with NFU. There is a broker called Stuart Collins ( I think) who has a policy with AXA for ex pat vehicles but its considerably more expensive.
 

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