Importing a classic – top right-hand drive markets

21 February 2025

The thought of importing a classic car, van, or motorbike is tempting to a great many automotive aficionados. The thought of something that may not have been available in the UK originally, or perhaps just something a little unusual on these shores, can have buyers scouring the internet for their ideal vehicle abroad.

But there can be significant factors that put some off. The issue of tax, insurance, and paperwork is relevant no matter the import, and relatively simple to sort given a little time and research. But for many, the steering wheel being on the ‘wrong side’ will be the greatest hurdle.

It’s not the case for every driver, but for some, the inconvenience of not being able to see clearly to overtake, or having to reach across or get out of the car to grab a ticket from the car park barrier etc will put them off. Remember though that the UK, although in the minority, is not the only market where cars are driven on the left with the wheels on the right.

Warmer climates mean less rust

One of the most popular countries to import cars from for the UK is South Africa. Combine the use of right-hand drive with a warmer, drier climate typically than the UK, and it’s easy to see why. Just remember that the only real downside is that South Africans work in kilometres rather than miles, thought you’ll find this basically everywhere.

South Africa typically doesn’t have the same choice of cars that the likes of France, Italy, Germany, and Spain does, being closer to the US and Australia in terms models than Europe and Japan. But the benefits of the South Africans driving on the ‘correct’ side, and that warmer, less rust-friendly weather, certainly makes up for that.

And because of its closeness – relatively speaking – to the UK than Australia, it’s a more popular destination for import customers than the market Down Under. Although, of course, Australia has many of the same benefits as South Africa. It will just take longer, and potentially cost a little more, to ship your new pride and joy from the likes of Sydney than it will from Cape Town.

Some markets have more choice than others

While Australia and South Africa are the main two right-hand drive import markets for the UK, the choice certainly doesn’t end there. New Zealand for example has many of the same models as the two mentioned above, but since the weather is rather similar to the UK’s for much of the islands, it’s probably not worth searching hard for something that could simply be bought here, or from a warmer country.

By the virtue of sheer size, India should have a greater choice of models for RHD import buyers than anywhere else, though the country’s historical status in terms of economy means the automotive market is less well developed than a number of other nations – think the traditional automotive powerhouses.

If you’re wanting a dry-stored car from closer to the UK, there’s always Malta and Cyprus for a right-hand drive option. But given the smaller nature of these islands, you may find it hard to pick up something that couldn’t more easily be source elsewhere. And of course there’s Ireland for right-hand drive cars that are fairly close to the UK, but there is little benefit in terms of weather or non-UK available models that would make it worth searching hard for an import there.

Instead, the other major RHD market is Japan. With a large number of Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) only models available, the availability of something different from the norm is far larger than just about anywhere else. Plus, there is plenty of support available thanks to an established practise of importing vehicles from Japan. Although the likes of Australia and South Africa offer the benefit of a shared language with UK buyers, there are a number of companies around that can deal with that paperwork and cross the language barrier for you.

Naturally, import companies exist for just about all markets, not just RHD countries, and can take much of the bureaucracy away from you, for a small fee naturally. But no matter how or from where you bring in an imported vehicle, you’ll likely find something to liven up your life from overseas – and Footman James can sort out your insurance needs.