New Or Used?: Coming To America Edition

Colin writes:

Sajeev and Steve: I’m a Brit currently on expat in the US. For several years now I’d loved the idea of buying a cool American only car and taking it back with me, have something fun to drive for a while and then selling it in the UK (or Europe) for more than its total cost. I have 18 months left before my return, however to avoid import duties and VAT I need to own the car for a minimum 12 months in the US and 6 months in the UK.

So here’s the scoop – I want a modern fun car which is not sold anywhere in the world in RHD, that would be a head turner back home all for a max of $25k purchase price. The car has got to be relatively easy to maintain back in Blighty. Fuel consumption needs to be considered [ >20 mpg(US)], and ideally with a manual transmission.

One of cars that spring to mind is the Pontiac Solstice GXP– A version of the engine is used in the Astra and it’s sister the Saturn sky was sold in mainland Europe as the Opel GT, however the lack of storage for anything other than a slim wallet and that folding roof put me off – both of these are solved by the coupe but I haven’t found a GXP for under $30K

The Chevy Camaro V6, Dodge Challenger RT or Ford Mustang are another option on my list. They all have the advantage of have a rear seat which would make it more practical – my concern here is that in 2 years the now hot Camaro / Challenger could be luke warm and new prices would have dropped causing the finances not to stack up. I’ve also seen C6 Corvettes getting into my price range for a 2005 model. In a complete different direction a Toyota FJ Cruiser has also crossed my mind but I’m unsure how easy this would be to sell in Britain.

So Sajeev & Steve, what is your recommendation? Is there a model that ticks my boxes that I haven’t considered?

Steve Answers:

I would take a Ford Mustang and customize the absolute h-e- double hockey sticks out of it. Racing stripes, custom grille, maybe even a blaring ‘train’ or Dixieland horn.

No really. I would get the most sporty, gregarious and outgoing Yank tank this side of the pond and make it my very own. You would be fine with the 300 hp, V6, 6-speed combination and with close to 30 highway mpg for the taxified petrol of the UK, it wouldn’t kill your operating costs.

But…. what if you went really nuts! A Ford Ranchero or Chevy El Camino with the proverbial silhouette of a scantily clad woman in the rear glass would be right up your alley then. You could give it a Confederate flag ‘Dukes of Hazard’ paint job and add to the rear glass and bumper such niceties as, “The South Shall Rise Again!” or my personal favorite, ‘Support Your Local Police…. Speed More!” Make sure you have plenty of smashed beer cans and a loudspeaker blaring out Merle Haggard and Toby Keith to alert everyone of your presence.

Sajeev Answers:

Stop concerning yourself with the finances in this deal. Be prepared to lose your shirt, consider yourself lucky if you make a few grand. Any late model Yank-Tank is a hit or miss, a safer bet is buying a mainstream classic (Chevelle, Barracuda, Mustang, and a few non-muscle cars) and praying that the Pound (or Euro) stays stronger than the dollar.

My choice? Twofold: get a pre-owned Challenger R/T in the most obnoxious color you can find. Or lower your initial cash outlay with a Ford SVT Lightning (the quintessential hot-rod truck) in bright red. You may never make a dime on the deal, but both entertaining vehicles will be one heckuva eye-catcher back in the old country. And I suspect either choice will make a profitable UK sale if you are patient.

Need help with a car buying conundrum? Email your particulars to mehta@ttac.com, and let TTAC’s collective wisdom make the decision easier… or possibly much, much harder.