Hello all,

I have been on this forum for about a year under a different name which I still use for discussion regarding my own personal daily driver, a 2004 DII. I created this new account to represent something new I am trying. This forum account is to represent my new venture "Cleveland Classic Rovers"

I am an airline pilot for my day job which allows me to fly overseas to the UK frequently. I have always been somewhat jealous of UK folks easy access to older series trucks and the Defender vehicles, especially the great diesel engines offered overseas. I am at the end of a several month long project to bring in several land Rover 90s in from the UK. I was able to personally inspect each vehicle so I could ensure each was the best of the type that I could find.

My goal with Cleveland Classic Rovers is to support the US based Rover community and get more of the Older Series, Land Rover 90 & 110, and Defender vehicles to the states where they can be enjoyed by fellow Rover enthusiasts. I am able to take specific requests for vehicles to import, or even work with a buyer to have a completely custom Rover built to specification. I also will have several Land Rovers available in the states at any given time.

I don't want to write a post in the sales section just yet, I would appreciate it if one of the moderators could contact me and let me know how I can do so without violating any forum guidelines. I just wanted to say hello to the forum and offer my assistence to anyone interested in importing a classic Land Rover from the UK.

Regards,
Mike

 

Sounds interesting. You'ld probaly want to make a complete process of forms, import restrictions, etc. available to potential clients. Tell people the perils involved based on certain years, etc. You may also find a sub-market for specific parts for oldies, like the PTO drive, etc.

If I ever win that Lotto game I'd have you look for a Defender CKD (complete knocked down, basically u-assemble Rover in a crate).

 

Savannah,

That is a good point, a lot of people who want to get their hands on an old Defender or Series truck believe it is a simple process of buying something online and having it shipped over. In actuality it is a very involved and expensive process. Customs, DOT, and EPA would really prefer that nobody brought in non-us spec vehicles. The 25 year loophole is really only there to reduce workload on government agencies. Because of this the procedure to import Land Rovers or any other vehicle from the UK is not an entirely streightforward process and CBP, DOT, and EPA are not there to help you with it. Mis-interpreting the rules could possibly end up in your vehicle having to be immediately exported or destroyed once it hits the states.

Regarding the complete knockdown kit, in theory it is do-able but it would have to be done carefully and would definitely involve several different shipments. For customs and tariff purposes any components that constitute a larger whole are considered the whole unit. So a chassis, running gear, body, engine, etc. even if claimed as spare parts are considered a whole vehicle. If that vehicle is non us spec it is not allowed in. Also I dont believe the new UK spec Puma diesel meets US EPA spec so that would not be granted passage to the states as a complete running unit either.

You would actually be better off having a 1988 or older defender brought to the states. Once in you could source a new style Puma bulkhead and dashboard and other bits like doors, grill, headlight surrounds etc to make it look and feel like the current production unit. Engine wise currently the newest diesel that's importable is the 200TDi with the 300TDi becoming legal next year.

If the project becomes something you would seriously like to consider please contact me and I would be glad to work with you to come up with a solution.

Regards,
Mike