Since I started this post, it's about time I conclude it!
I finally had my '67 230SL shipped from the Port of New York to Rotterdam last September-October of last year. The car had been in storage for several years in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I used Reliable Carriers Inc. for covered trucking from Detroit to the Port of New York, and from there it was shipped to Rotterdam through CFR Rinkens, a broker based near Los Angeles.
I was familiar with Reliable, as I used to work in Detroit for General Motors, and Reliable does much of the car hauling for the Big Three automakers. They used covered haulers and are very experienced and have a large fleet, so it is easy to get a truck that suits your timing for your overseas transport. I picked CFR as they have a nice container setup for shipping cars overseas, and they were cost-competitive. They have a good website that explains their shipping process and unique container setup.
The car arrived without a scratch, I'm happy to report, and started right up. The only problem was back on the East Coast of the U.S. When the car arrived at the port storage area in New Jersey, the VIN was logged into the warehouse's computer without the last few numbers. So when they went to search for it under the number I gave them, they could not find it! I had images of it being stolen by a New Jersey gang of car thieves and resold on the black market! Fortunately, after a couple of nervous days, the shipping receiver and the trucker figured out the problem and the car had been safe in the port warehouse all the time.
In the end, it cost me nearly 2900 EUR (or 3736 USD) for everything:
--USD 800 for the trucking from Detroit to New York
--USD 1095 for shipping to Rotterdam
--USD 600 for insurance coverage in transit to Rotterdam
--EUR 952 for handling, customs fees and 6% import VAT in Rotterdam.
I was taken aback by the insurance charge, but I think CFR just overcharges for insurance so they can lowball on the shipping charge. Best to consider both charges together, as you'd be foolish not to have insurance coverage should the ship sink. Your normal car coverage in the U.S. will only cover it until it is loaded on the ship. In any case, CFR's price was competitive and they were good to work with, returning emails fairly quickly.
The Dutch VAT remained a mystery until the car arrived in Holland. No one seemed to be able to give me a clear answer on what I would be charged. As I am a resident of Holland (I'm an American expat working here), I was charged 6 percent ... but the tax was based on what I paid for the car in 1981! So the VAT was far less than I expected, only EUR 322. I had considered trying to get an import exemption to include the car as part of my moving possessions, but I was past the one-year grace period and it wasn't worth the hassle of applying.
My car is now in the good hands of Van Dijk, the SL specialist in nearby Lisserbroek. I've decided to have them do a complete engine overhaul, which is long overdue, and to fix a few other minor things. I've been very impressed with their knowledge of these cars and the quality of their work. I'm expecting it to be done in the next couple in months in time for some spring driving.
I can endorse some of the advice of others on this post: check out different shippers, get quotes, ask around. Prices do vary somewhat. The VAT issue depends on what country you are shipping to, and I suspect your residency may make a difference as well. It is not always easy to get an answer from the bureaucracy, as I found, so best to talk to someone on here who has recently shipped into the country you want to ship to. Even the company that handled my car when it arrived was unsure what the cost would be ... ultimately, the Customs agent onsite decides.
Also, SLs definitely fetch more money in Europe ... especially in Germany. When I arrived to pick up my car at the warehouose south of Rotterdam, there was probably a dozen very beat-up W113 SLs that dealers had shipped over from the U.S. ... most with California or Florida plates. Restorers get them on the cheap in the U.S., fix them up and sell them over here to willing buyers.
Brian Akre
