Registering an Imported Car in the UK

[4129R]

I have brought back 7 Europas to the County of their birth Norfolk, from the USA. 6 were basket cases, 1 was running, 4129R.

I am in the process of registering 3 at DVLA, and being "jobsworths", they are being difficult.

When you fill in the V55/5 form, the VIN number has to match both the import paperwork from HMRC, and the Title from the USA. In my case, this VIN number had to be for example 74/3089R, whereas the VIN plate says 73023089R. The 74 is the Lotus Type model i.e. Europa Twin Cam, and as we all know 3089 is the chassis and body number, and R is a Federal Spec car, (P is UK spec, and Q European spec). 

Having mastered that problem (all 3 applications were rejected for this and the reason given was in complete gobbledegook and not understandable), 3089R is still being rejected by DVLA as the Pennsylvania Title calls it 75/3089R, but the HMRC paperwork refers to it correctly 74/3089R. 

I have now sent a letter to DVLA with a photo of the VIN plate (73023089R) explaining that the car is 74/3089R and not 75/3089R, and the title issued in February 1982, some 41 years ago, is incorrect calling it 75/3089R, and saying it was first registered in 74. I sent them also a screenshot of the Lotus Europa Registry (photo below) to further evidence its nomenclature.

The other two cars were inspected today, so I hope to have two registration numbers very soon.

Fingers crossed the application for 3089R will be accepted and inspected soon.

[BDA]

 Sorry that there are now 7 fewer Europas in the States but really happy that they were restored to proper running condition and will be driven! Well done!

Good luck slaying the bureaucratic beast!

[lotusfanatic]

it may be worth asking (and possibly paying) for assistance from Andy Graham at Lotus Archives?
Either way, good luck with the task!

[4129R]

it may be worth asking (and possibly paying) for assistance from Andy Graham at Lotus Archives?
Either way, good luck with the task!

I sent them this email ..............

[4129R]

It is now over 6 months since  started to register 3089R, and 10 weeks since I replied to DVLA advising them that I had sent them all the possible documentation and evidence possible, including a photo of the VIN plate and a Certificate of Provenance from Lotus Cars Ltd.

As this is a Government Department, I have made a complain to my MP about the appalling service DVLA are providing.

I could not make a complaint to DVLA, as their on-line complaint form cannot be submitted to them without a vehicle registration number, which is the very thing I am asking them to give me. Catch 22 !!! I cannot complain about not getting a registration number, as I have not got a registration number to fill in the complaint form. Typical Government bureaucracy, which makes absolutely no sense. I am a bit "miffed". 

[4129R]

4 days after contacting my MP and only 3 days after my MP sent a letter to DVLA, I received the following today from DVLA:-

Good Morning

Apologies for the delay we were seeking further advice regarding the VIN number. Whilst I appreciate your explanations in your correspondence to us we do need to verify these things ourselves also. We have carried out our checks and are satisfied with the vehicle. I have returned your application to our first registration and imports department who will process your application as urgent.

Providing the first registration department are happy that you have provided them with everything they need to legally import the vehicle you should receive your new V5 in the next 10 days, if they need to speak to you regarding anything they will be in contact.

It seems a kick up the backside from my MP was what was needed to get them to extract their digit.

[BDA]

All it took was an act of (a member of) Parliament!

[4129R]

Bureaucracy at its finest.

[EuropaTC]

Apologies for the delay we were seeking further advice regarding the VIN number. Whilst I appreciate your explanations in your correspondence to us we do need to verify these things ourselves also. We have carried out our checks and are satisfied with the vehicle.

Given that you'd contacted Lotus themselves who explained that some records no longer existed and you'd sent a photo of the VIN plate in evidence, I wonder just where they were "seeking further advice" from ? 

Deliberately Vague, Lazy Ars....   I think we can all work that out. I've no faith at all with the current organisation although in the early 80s they did provide a folder packed with all the previous history of my Elan, copies of logbooks, etc, for a fiver. Mind you, it also included data for someone's Hillman as well......   

[4129R]

Given that you'd contacted Lotus themselves who explained that some records no longer existed and you'd sent a photo of the VIN plate in evidence, I wonder just where they were "seeking further advice" from ? 

Those were exactly my thoughts. With a letter from the manufacturers, and a Certificate of Providence from Lotus Records, what else did they expect, what further evidence could I provide? Did they actually contact Lotus or were they just checking with their superior line manager who takes 10 weeks to find?

For my 4 previous registrations, they had sent someone to actually view the car to look at the VIN and engine number, but this time, they seem to have accepted my paperwork with help from my MP. 

I have 2 more to register, I just hope they will go through without 6 months of bureaucracy and delay.

[kram350kram]

Makes you wonder what’s the problem with these Department of Motor Vehicle bureaucrat’s and the DMV hierarchy. All they should  be concerned with is protection of the public, i.e. is the car reported stolen? I’m sure their extensive data base could tell them that. All this is nothing but a government control program and money grab. Anyway, at least where I live in the States we have no MOT. Wonder, statically speaking, what’s the death rate between states or nations with annual mechanical inspections and those without?I bet not much, but the outlay of monies from the vehicle owner to the state is significant.

I did see once that Autobahn death rates where there were no speed limits were no greater than speed mandated sections.

Anyway I say cheat, steal and obfuscate anyway you can . They are doing it to you.

[GavinT]

I have 2 more to register, I just hope they will go through without 6 months of bureaucracy and delay.

Just walk up to the counter and say . . . Remember me?   

[4129R]

Unlike when I registered an imported car in Perth W.A., where they give you the plates over the counter there and then, in the UK you have to deal with everything by post or online, so no faces, just bureaucracy hiding behind anonymity. 

[4129R]

Well.............despite DVLA's email, shown in my earlier post above, I got another email today saying that they have appointed a company to inspect 3089R at my home.

The stupid bureaucracy continues. What exactly do they want to see that I have not already sent them? Surely the Certificate of Provenance and photo of the VIN plate is sufficient. But no, they have their path to follow, boxes to tick, despite everything that I have sent them. 

So we waste another 2 weeks so that they can see the VIN plate in real life. I will just have to be patient while they go through their regimented processes.

I expect they will issue me with a really grotty registration number just to punish me for complaining about them to my MP.

[EuropaTC]

What gets me about all this is the cost that the DVLA is ramping up and of course us taxpayers/motorists ultimately get the bill without any say in how the DVLA is operated.   

Regardless of the frustration to yourself, every delay/email/visit is costing money somewhere along the line and I'm struggling to see the benefit to the country. It could be even worse, you could be a small business where cash flow is critical and this sort of thing puts you out of business.

Looking back at the email from them, they refer to passing your details to another department in order to register the vehicle and I suspect you're starting again with another set of people who clearly don't trust the part of the DVLA that you've been dealing with or the evidence that they have passed on.   Hence the "I wanna see it" visit.

Plus of course it's a jolly day out, nice drive through rural Norfolk with a pub lunch thrown in on expenses. It's a good job I'm not cynical..... but I'd be very tempted to have a quiet word with your MP about just how inefficient (incompetent ?) this process is.

chin up Alex, you'll get there in the end, how do you fancy DVL 4OK ?

Brian