Japanese Import Car Insurance
Japanese Import Car Insurance
The Japanese motor industry is one of the biggest in the world, and the export of cars from Japan is also a massive business that is actively encouraged by the Japanese government, with cars being exported to many countries in which motorist drive on the left. As a result the UK imports many Japanese cars from overseas, both new and used, in order to get a better deal or to purchase a car that is not available in the UK by any other means. For those of you who want to stand out or just want a car with the latest green technology or a hybrid engine, importing a car from the Japanese market and running it in the UK is probably an attractive option. The term ‘grey import’ is applicable to most Japanese cars imported to the UK, and refers to the fact that the car has been imported not by its original manufacturer but by a third party legally, but without the consent of the original manufacturer. This is a regular occurrence, and as a result there are many specialist insurance companies that cater to the grey import market and several insurance considerations that you need to take into account when you are thinking of purchasing your Japanese imported car. It’s worth bearing in mind that it’s possible to get your import insured by one of the more mainstream insurance companies, but that to get the best deal it’s very sensible to shop around and it could be that a smaller, specialist insurer will give you better value for money and a more honed service.
The Insurance Considerations
Insurance companies take into account very similar things when considering the cost of your insurance premium for your Japanese imported car as they would were you the owner of a car sold by a manufacturer in the UK. The number of years you have remained ‘claim free’ will help to drive down your premium, as will the kind of area in which you intend to use and store your car. If, as is the case with many Japanese imports, you are purchasing a high performance, desirable sports car such as a Nissan Skyline or a Mitsubishi FTO, then making sure you have secure off-street parking or a garage will help decrease the price of insuring the car, as well as fitting an alarm or other theft deterrent. Of course the level of use and your occupation will also be taken into account, along with your profession and age, so making sure that you get the most affordable insurance is vital. You may also want to consider the chance of getting insurance for the chassis until grey import status has been satisfied, so that should there be any hiccups in the process you will hopefully not loose out and be left shaking your head. Specialist Japanese Import Insurance websites such as japimportinsurance.com/ and insurancefactory.co.uk/scheme/import provide a quote gathering comparison service which will get you in touch with the specialist insurer that’s right for you.