Vehicle Imports
Grey imports are vehicles that are imported outside the main dealer network. The dealer network often feel under threat from these cars as they are generally cheaper than the UK cars. However there are some drawbacks as the specification of the cars can be targeted for the particular country that they were originally designed for. One example of this would be that in the UK we like our added security features, and certain appearance features (like alloy wheels to go with our premium car tyres!), whilst another country these features may not be fitted to the cars as standard. Therefore the perceived saving could be drastically less than you think it might be once you add in the cost of having the features you want fitted.
Another issue that can face grey imports is rust protection. All cars sold into the UK market are undersealed. This is for good reason as we salt our roads to make sure that they do not freeze. There was a case a few years ago of a vehicle that was imported from outside Europe that was completely corroded underneath the vehicle. This vehicle was so bad that when it went on to a ramp in the garage, the ramp went through the floor of the car! This vehicle was only 5-6 years old at this point but the owner could not claim back any of the costs. The vehicle was effectively a write off, so if you do import a vehicle make sure it is properly protected from rust!