Honda Civic 1.6iES Auto 3 door (99) - Japanese Import

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Mon 20 Dec 2010 20:15
Honda Civic 1.6iES Auto 3 door (99) - Japanese Import - abacus5

I purchased this car privately and found out later when I went to insure that it was a Japanese Import (?) AA insurance diverted me to a specialist insurer as if it was a Supercar -not a Civic I was insuring! I thought all but a few Honda's were made in Japan anyway unless it means the car was imported personally. I got a few quotes and it was into the (shock horror) £600/£700 mark!! _ I have a clean licence and am over 50. As far as I could see, nothing in the paperwork told me the car was a so called 'import' and nothing was noticeable on the car itself -nothing in japanese etc!! Have I missed something and how is one supposed to know a car is an 'import' before you buy? Who would be the best insurers for so called 'Imports'? The Reg Document shows it as Registered in 1999.

Many thanks

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Tue 21 Dec 2010 05:39
Honda Civic 1.6iES Auto 3 door (99) - Japanese Import - Falkirk Bairn

Most Hondas sold in UK come from the UK (Jazz, CRV, Civic), the only current ones from outside UK are small volume sellers (Accord + hybrids (Japan))

The reason the mainline insurers do not want imports is if you have an accident - it is then they find that parts can be difficult to obtain even when the model appears to be the same as a Swindon built car. For example - wrong colour of glass, different trim - small things to the eye but tricky to replace quickly whilst the Ins Co may be footing £50/day+ car hire.

A friend of a friend had a Subaru Outback Japanese import, small tube in engine bay had to be built locally as it was different from the UK model that is built in Japan.

Imports may mean you have to go to the likes of Adrian Flux as they specialise in placing "non standard risks".

was the £600/£700 for Comp or TPF&T?

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Tue 21 Dec 2010 06:46
Honda Civic 1.6iES Auto 3 door (99) - Japanese Import - LucyBC
Try Motaquote on 0844 346 0428. They do imports and are mass market.
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Tue 1 Nov 2011 13:07
Honda Civic 1.6iES Auto 3 door (99) - Japanese Import - drivermeider

These guys specialise in it too: www.acorninsure.co.uk/car-insurance/import-car-ins.../

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