Classic cars

How do you import a classic Ferrari to the UK?

A Ferrari that is over 30 years old on the day it is imported, still in original condition and of a model no longer in production can be imported at 0% duty and 5% import VAT as a collector’s vehicle. That covers the 308, the Testarossa family and the earliest 550 Maranellos. Cars built before 1986 can also go into the historic tax class, with no vehicle tax to pay once you apply. What decides the rate is originality, and a Ferrari Classiche certificate helps prove it but does not register the car.

Published 26 September 2026 · 6 min read

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1. Which classic Ferraris qualify in 2026

The collector's rate under heading 9705 needs the car to be over 30 years old on the day it is imported, in original condition and of a model no longer in production. In 2026 that means Ferraris built in 1996 or earlier, as long as the car has passed its 30th birthday when it lands. For the most imported models:

Sources: Classic & Sports Car on the Testarossa and on the 550. Cars built before 1 January 1986 can go into the historic tax class with nothing to pay, but you have to apply for it (GOV.UK). The MOT is a separate rule: a car built or first registered more than 40 years ago with no substantial changes is exempt, with a V112 declaration instead.

2. Originality on a Ferrari

Modern upgrades are common on older Ferraris, and some of them touch exactly what the collector's definition covers. Classic & Sports Car mentions electric power steering conversions on the Testarossa, a change to the steering, and aftermarket exhausts on the 550, noting that a car with its catalytic converters removed will fail a UK MOT. On the 308, Hagerty UK notes that US cars had less power because of their emissions equipment, and that fuel injection arrived in 1980 and the four-valve Quattrovalvole in 1982 (Hagerty UK). Knowing which version you are buying avoids surprises about what is "original".

3. Right-hand drive numbers

Right-hand drive cars are the minority of every model, which is why many buyers look abroad. Classic & Sports Car gives UK right-hand drive figures of 438 Testarossas, 88 512 TRs and 41 F512 Ms, and 457 550 Maranellos. A left-hand drive classic over 10 years old registers in the UK without conversion approval.

4. Ferrari Classiche is not a registration document

The Ferrari Classiche Certificate of Authenticity is available for road cars over 20 years old and verifies that the car conforms to its original design and the origin of its components. It carries real weight for value and for showing originality. It is not what the DVLA uses to register the car, and it is not a Certificate of Conformity. The DVLA starts from the original foreign registration document or title (GOV.UK). Note too that Classiche's 20 year threshold is not HMRC's 30.

5. The import in order

1. Import declaration, at the collector's rate if the car qualifies, otherwise the normal rates.
2. NOVA within 14 days of arrival.
3. A UK MOT if the car needs one: cars built or first registered more than 40 years ago with no substantial changes are exempt.
4. First registration on a V55/5, then an age-related plate.