The most profitable cars from the USA

What car from the USA - what to look for?

Bringing a car from the United States to Poland involves costs: transportation, customs, excise, VAT. Whereas you can buy a car up to 30— 40% cheaper. In order to maximize the profitability of the investment, it is worth playing it right, for example to try to reduce fees or to achieve the highest possible “breakthrough” in the European market.

• The car from the auction. Bidding is popular in the States and allows you to buy a car really cheaply; asking prices often go below market value, and an experienced person will play the game smartly. You can entrust such a purchase at the auction to us - you do not risk anything, because if we do not win, you will not incur any costs. Before that, we check the car in Carfax and EpicVin databases, we can also order a paid inspection. Pre-leased cars are often auctioned, coming from the liquidation of fleets and from insurers: sellers first of all want to get rid of them quickly.

• Exemption from customs duties and taxes. Among the most advantageous groups of vehicles imported from the USA are classics and electric cars. Such cars are exempt from customs duties or excise duties, and the VAT paid on their purchase is also lower. In the case of other vehicles, the excise duty, in turn, depends on the engine capacity. The differences are significant, because for engines up to 2 liters the duty is 3.1% of the vehicle value, for larger ones - six times more. The rate is lowered by the HEV or PLUG-IN hybrid engine.

• Cars for several years. You can gain the most from buying used cars that are several years old, because, as a rule, they are in much better technical condition than their counterparts in Europe. Good driving conditions in the USA bear fruit in the form of rather rare car repairs, and for collisions it is usually enough to check the history of the car in the Carfix database. Most Americans sell damaged cars or give them to an insurer. So bringing in an accident car can pay off, especially if you know reliable mechanics or want to work on it yourself.

• Popular in the market models with high class. A four-year-old high-end vehicle is worth more in Europe than in the United States. Cars from this group are profitable to buy and resell after a short time - then you can profitably earn on the investment. Such a few in the US market are distinguished by a lower price and better condition compared to European counterparts. Expensive cars depreciate most quickly in the first few years, then maintain it at a stable level, because they are characterized by much better design and technological solutions.

• Collectible Gems. Old and iconic American cars it pays to buy in both the short and long term (as long as you have the opportunity to keep them in good condition). For collectors, legendary cars from the USA are often priceless — sky's the limit, as in the case of art. So it's worth looking for cars with a history that could one day become a legend — for example, the Ford Mustang from the movie Boiled sold for almost $4 million. Of course, it is difficult to buy such a gem cheaply, but the investment can pay off many times later.

The most profitable cars from the USA — which categories to target?

The most profitable American cars for classics, luxury models and electric cars. Also, damaged cars are worth considering, but with a degree of caution. because Importing a car from the United States is our way of life, we have some practical tips for you.

Classic cars from America

By classics we mean vintage and collector cars, and they are considered as such cars that are at least 30 years old. They are exempt from additional duties and excise duties and are subject to only 7% VAT. Iconic cars in the United States, which on European roads are real gems and gain in value, in the USA you will buy much cheaper. It is worth looking for sights rather in warm and dry states, such as California: a decades-old car without a trace of rust is not uncommon here.

If you only properly care for the classics, then after a few years you can win a really favorable return on investment. You don't have to adapt a vintage car to European regulations, so additional costs are reduced.

If you do not entrust this task to a company like ours, you have to be careful — not every 30-year-old car qualifies for registration as a vintage. It must still consist of at least 75% of original parts (although there are exceptions to this rule), and its production should end 15 years before the date of registration.

Luxury American Cars

Comparing the purchase of a car in the USA and Europe, the greatest savings can be obtained when importing luxury vehicles. They not only have lower price, but also characterized by better design solutions and are made of better materials. The quality of American roads is also important.which are more well-groomed than those in Europe. Thanks to this, even a few years old luxury American cars are in much better condition than European ones.

Luxury cars from the USA are best purchased for a few years, when they have already lost significantly in value - even by several tens of percent. After adapting to European regulations, being in really good technical condition, they will achieve a much higher value in our market and will maintain it for years to come. Another advantageous solution may turn out to be the purchase of a damaged vehicle: often at no cost.

Of course, luxury cars require payment of customs duty, full VAT and excise duty. Since a large engine is usually also responsible for this exclusivity, the excise duty can already reach a maximum rate of 18.6%. However, you can cut in half if you buy a car with a hybrid engine HEV or Plug-in type, and completely avoid it in the case of an electrician.

The higher the price of a car in the US market, the greater the “break” in relation to the market price in Europe. The more expensive the car you invest in, the more you can earn on this operation.

Electric car from the USA

Another group of cars imported from the USA are most often electrics: completely devoid of engines that generate exhaust gases. Green cars are being rewarded today as part of various programs aimed at reducing exhaust emissions, hence their Imports are exempt from excise duty. You will not pay this tax also if you buy a hybrid with a PLUG-IN engine of up to 2 liters. Thanks With favorable driving conditions and infrastructure in the United States, electrics for several years are usually in better condition than their European counterparts, and at the same time cost less. For electricians, however, importing cars from the US has a serious drawback - a different charging standard. So include in the costs the purchase of adapters or the renovation of a home installation.

When making a decision, also take into account the need to adapt the car to European regulations. The procedure usually involves replacing headlights, fog lights, turn signals and a meter, sometimes tires. It may be necessary to repair the exhaust system or engine. The investment, as a rule, still pays off, but estimating the cost of work, you will not be surprised.

Bringing in damaged cars

It can be extremely rewarding — especially when luxury cars are involved or when dealing with older vintage vehicles with a history (e.g. belonged to someone famous or attended an important event).

The American car market has it to itself that it is usually more profitable to buy a new car here than to repair it. You can buy an accident or a vehicle with a big defect here for great money, but will you benefit from it? In most cases, yes, but it depends. In this case, it would be good to already conduct a paid expertise, since the history of the vehicle in the database will not give a complete picture. It is also worth first checking the availability and price of parts and the estimated labor costs of specialists. It is by far the most profitable to repair the car yourself (at least as much as possible). If you have the skills, experience, conditions and desire for such a job, then yes — you can benefit from buying a vehicle. In another case, it is important to choose a good car repair shop: with not exorbitant rates for labor and paintwork and good reviews. You can also save on parts if you look for them yourself in the secondary market (eg Allegro, eBay, Otomoto) or take advantage of discounts on new ones - unfortunately, car repair shops usually offer them at maximum prices.

It is best to look for damaged cars at American auctions or directly on the websites of insurance companies (such sellers, as a rule, want to quickly get rid of the problem, and this means lower prices). We will find them for you and prepare proposals for bidding, according to your requirements.

We invite you to Bryki from America! We search for your dream vehicle, inspect it, bid, buy and bring it to Poland, completing all the formalities along the way, and we deliver the car to your door — all within 6 weeks. Are we acting?

FAQ:

1. What is the most profitable car to import from the USA?

From the USA it is most profitable to import American pickups and SUVs (e.g. Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee), muscle cars (e.g. Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger), sports cars (e.g. Chevrolet Corvette) and other luxury models. At an attractive price you can also buy German and Swedish cars in good condition (e.g. BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Volvo).

2. What cars can be imported from the USA without paying excise duty?

Vintage and collector cars and electric or plug-in hybrid cars with a capacity of up to 2 liters are exempt from excise duty.

3. How long does it take to import a car from the United States?

If you entrust the entire procedure to a specialized company such as Bryki from America, you will receive a car after a maximum of 6 weeks after purchase.