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What can 23Classics offer you?
From the search to delivery at your doorstep – step by step to your dream car.
Vehicle Search
Vehicle search means for us: keeping an eye out for your dream car and making first contact with the seller by email or phone. If you find interesting listings online – whether on Craigslist, Autotrader Classics, eBay, or other sites – simply send them to us by email at info@23classics.com.
As soon as a suitable vehicle appears that meets your criteria, we don’t hesitate: we try to reach the seller quickly by phone or email and find out as much information as possible about the vehicle. With this information, it’s easier for you to decide whether a viewing appointment is worthwhile.
Experience shows that you shouldn’t wait too long when good, reasonably priced offers come up – good vehicles are usually sold quickly. Gathering initial information and photos is not charged – we consider this good customer service from 23Classics.
Vehicle Inspection
The vehicle inspection consists of two parts. The vehicle is thoroughly checked on-site: electrics, lights, engine operation, and all gears are tested before the test drive. The bodywork is examined for damage, panel gaps, rust, and filler – we also crawl as far as possible under the car to inspect the undercarriage.
Since a lift is usually not available at the seller’s location, the undercarriage cannot always be fully inspected. However, upon request and with the seller’s consent, the vehicle can be taken to a nearby workshop with a lift.
A paint thickness gauge is used for the paint and bodywork check. This allows us to determine whether there was any prior or accident damage, how much filler (Bondo) is hiding under the paint, and whether the original paint is still intact.
If all tests go well, it’s time for the test drive. This usually quickly reveals whether the steering is worn, the alignment is off, the suspension is loose, or the brakes are worn. We also check whether the engine runs smoothly and revs freely, the transmission shifts cleanly through the gears, and whether the kickdown works on automatics.
Before payment, we always verify that the chassis number (VIN) matches the title exactly. The DMV offices in Los Angeles are unfortunately often careless – an “8” can quickly become a “B” or an “L” become a “1”. If the VIN doesn’t match, the vehicle cannot be exported from the USA, as US Customs will not release it.
2–3 videos are also recorded – of the vehicle starting, the engine running, the exhaust sound, the electrics, and the interior and exterior. If you have WhatsApp installed, you can even be there live during the inspection: you can actively request specific photos, have questions asked of the seller, and view all photos on your smartphone or PC within seconds to make a purchase decision on the spot.
Photo Documentation
During the photo documentation, up to 350 photos are taken of the vehicle depending on the inspection, to truly capture all positive and negative areas for you. All photo and video material is uploaded to a Dropbox account after the inspection and sent to your email address as a link – so you can comfortably browse through the images and videos at home on your iPad or PC to make a decision about a possible purchase.
Price Negotiation – fair for both sides
When everything checks out and you give the green light to buy, it’s time for price negotiation. To get the best price for you, a fair 50/50 deal for both sides has proven its worth: every dollar negotiated down from the originally asking price is split between us.
A quick example:
- The seller is asking $15,000 for their car.
- We manage to get the car for $13,000.
- A total of $2,000 was negotiated off.
- Split fairly, that’s $1,000 for each side.
This creates the best possible motivation going into price negotiations – in the end, both sides benefit. Since personal opinions and tastes vary, the final word on the purchase decision always rests with you – we simply provide a neutral assessment of the vehicle.
For the vehicle inspection including photo documentation, we charge $1.00 per kilometer for the round trip and $70.00 per hour (travel and inspection time). If the vehicle is too far away, additional costs for flights, hotel, rental car, and fuel may apply depending on the distance – in this case, we agree on a flat rate together in advance.
Processing
Clean handling all the way to your door: After purchasing the vehicle, the entire processing can be handed over to us if desired. This includes the deposit or full payment of the vehicle as well as completing the purchase contract with the seller (Bill of Sale).
After full payment, the title is taken into our possession and personally handed over to the shipping agency, the seller’s bank details are obtained, and vehicle pickup through the shipping agency is initiated (domestic freight is not included in the processing fee).
Processing fee: $950.00 flat rate
Shipping
Safe transport to your home country
23Classics has been working successfully with the shipping company “Martin Transports International” (or “MTI”) for many years. MTI, headquartered in Rancho Dominguez, CA, puts customer satisfaction ahead of profit: where 4 cars would fit in a container, MTI only loads 3, to avoid possible damage to the vehicles. German is of course also spoken at MTI.
Link to MTI: shipmti.com
Before the vehicle is safely packed into a container and shipped, you can choose whether the journey goes to Rotterdam or Bremerhaven. To take advantage of the favorable classic car import tax, the vehicle should be at least 30 years old – then you pay 9% tax via Rotterdam or 7% via Bremerhaven (on the purchase price plus shipping costs). For newer vehicles, 10% customs + 21% tax applies via Rotterdam, or 10% customs + 19% tax via Bremerhaven.
Depending on the length and size of the vehicle, container space S, M, L, or XL is assigned:
S
Container Space
$1695.00
M
Container Space
$1795.00
L
Container Space
$1995.00
XL
Container Space
$2095.00
A half container space can also be booked for $2,495.00. Shipping costs from the port of New York are slightly cheaper.
Option 1 – Total Loss
Insurance against “Total Loss”, meaning sinking and salvage of the ship: 1.25% of the purchase price.
Option 2 – Total Loss + Damage
Same as Option 1, plus additional insurance against damage to the vehicle with a $500.00 deductible: 1.75% of the purchase price.
From Los Angeles
approx. 4–5 weeks
From New York
approx. 2–3 weeks
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23Classics
Long Beach, California, USA
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