Domino

being "fairly confident" about the mechanicals will have no bearing on the Spanish ITV engineers. They will expect the car to be in the same state as it would be if it has just been built - and they will obtain that from the manufacturer. They are especially hot on things like the tyres having the correct speed rating - any deviation or lowering of standards and they will automatically issue a fail notice. As they will if it has any (rpt) any modifications from original (well go-faster stripes may be OK but no upgraded shocks, brakes, engine, etc etc.)

Your best bet is to take the car to a Spanish motor engineer of reasonable repute and get him to call in the mobile ITV engineer who will do a pre-test examination, go away muttering and having looked at the specn give a verdict as to what happens next.

I got heavily involved from a distance when my BH's car failed due to tyre ratings, and since I have been out here have now completed fully from scratch my car, putting it through all the paperwork with ITV, Hacienda and DGT (Trafico), down to getting the number plates made. That includes having to have the headlights changed at local main dealer, who was totally perplexed at the tough stance that was taken as my car has headlights with a "switch" that flattens the beam and makes it neutral in any country. So €850 + labour + IVA.

You should be talking to the dealer, if they are a reputable co and have had LHD's before they will know the procedure. If it has been brought out of France as part of property after a death then it is possible to be still French registered with all its docs.
If they have all the current F docs then you will probably be able to drive it through the chunnel and F to SP, where it will become a visitor.
Insurance may be a problem, this will take careful thought. UK ins co's don't like insuring anything that is or goes to EU mainland and have all sorts of restrictions. Since my car has passed its matriculation I have been able to get full Europe travel any time any where, with pick up and take to nearest dealer, for €412 for a 2.1litre V6 engine - after conversion about the same as my restrictive UK insurance. There isnt any time restriction on the Green Card, which is included in the docs pack.

Good luck, my suggestion is to plod it through logically and it will come together. As always the language(s) will be the biggest problem, followed by the intransigence of engineers who know they have you by the curlies.
I am trying to find the time to put together a post on the Spanish forum to give full details on what and where to do things, but in the meantime PM me if you need any assistance at this end.

Sausages

Thanks all for your valuable input. I've got some more information since my last post.

The car came from France from a lady who lived there with her husband. I think they were both British. Husband died and she came came back home to family and brought the car with her. She has sold it to a small dealer who has no knowledge of the French system but has told me (upon asking) that there is a Carte Grise and the CT sticker indicates expiry in August of this year (there are dots above month and year).

I have contacted a specialist insurance firm in the Netherlands who will issue a green card insurance.

My intention is to take the car on the Portsmouth to Bilbao ferry and straight to Spain without touching France.

I will call that commission as suggested and see what they say, but if there are any further suggestions based on the latest information, I'll be grateful!

By the way, buying one over there would be the preferred option I know, but with such a limited market, finding something decent at a decent price might prove tricky.

I believe the car is unmodified too. It's a decent spec car that doesn't really need any mods.

cjm

So CT was given in July/August 2011, your dots reference indicates sticker I had, it has since changed using printed numbers. Looks like you may have cracked it.

EuroTrash

It would be a massive problem for a third party to try and re-register it in France if the deceased husband is the sole registered owner. It would have to start with the wife getting it put into her name as her husband's heir, before she is legally entitled to sell it. In fact, selling it in the UK was a good move on her part and if she thought about it at all she probably expected the next owner to transfer the registration to the UK which would not have caused any issues.

But hopefully you can still side-step all that by taking it to Spain.

If it was owned by an elderly gent it's not likely to be too souped-up and modded, is it,

Bonne chance and happy motoring.

Sausages

Encouraging last two posts. It's a 3 litre turbo diesel so quick enough and a superb grand tourer. I suppose if I got the receipt from the garage and even a letter from the seller the Spanish might be happy with that?

cyrian

Does he (or previous owner) have to notify the french authorities that the car has been exported or will registering it in Spain take care of that?

EuroTrash

well that's precisely why sausages needs to find out exactly what the Spain requires

Clearly the previous owner can't notify anyone of anything 'cos he's dead; France might kick up a fuss if a third party whose name isn't on the cg pops up and says they've helped themselves to the car and exported it; so hopefully Spain will take care of that and sausages won't have to worry about it.

EuroTrash

I would definitely get a receipt from the garage, and leave it at that. The garage is the seller as far as you are concerned.

Domino

yes, you will require the receipt from the UK dealer DGT will require a copy of that, so get 2.

keep the letter from the seller in your back pocket in case, but the Modelo 576 requires date originally sold into the marketplace and the date you acquired it along with that receipt which shows ownership.

You will also be required to provide whatever the F version of the V5c Vehicle Registration Certificate is (help guys!!) as this will be returned to the country of origin to confirm to them that the vehicle has has now been permanently removed from their jurisdiction.
I would imagine that it would be best to advise the authorities of the change of ownership, they may well issue you with a fresh document with your name on it, being further proof of ownership which the Spanish will love.

But for all intents and purposes, although travelling straight to Spain (good thinking) the car will be French until such time as you receive the docket from the DGT authorising you to buy the number plates.

hth

cyrian

The Carte Grise is the french reg document with the registered owners details.

Domino

thanks, will have to store this away until next time

EuroTrash

The V5c is the log book isn't it? so, it's the carte grise.

As mentioned above - getting the French involved would open a horrible can of worms. Even a French resident would have difficulty registering a change of ownership in the circumstances (only the registered owner as per the prefecture's computer can sign to authorise the sale of a vehicle, that is taken very literally, and in this case the registered owner is dead), and Sausages is not even a French resident - so no chance.

(EDIT - sorry, posts crossed)

Domino

OK, no problems from my side ET, after all I owned my vehicle for 4yrs before the transfer and had all docs in my name.

I just feel a little concerned that with the bureacratic systems of France and Spain it would be better if the Carte Gris was in the name of Mr Sausage rather than the deceased.

However, we can only advise on the basis of existing knowledge and every other post we end up having to stretch the boundaries again and again.

TBH I have no idea what the DGT will say when presented with a bill of sale by party A to party B with a CG in the name of party X. That is out of my experience, and probably most if not everyone else here.

One thing that may smooth the way is to use a Gestor in Spain who handles all the paperwork - this may smooth the way over this wrinkle.
My experience was that I visited an abogado who couldn't get the Hacienda charge right so sent me to his brother, who is a gestor, who was also unsure.
At than point I withdrew sharpish and did all the paperwork myself and demanded that the Hacienda got off their backsides and did the calculation themselves, no arguing. After much muttering about abogado's and gestor's they did it. But they very nearly got it wrong as they read the manufacturing company name and assumed that the Ltd meant the car was a diesel.
I don't expect to have to give a lecture on British Company designations and abbreviations in the middle of the morning.!! (well not unprepared anyway).

`

Sausages

Looking back on all the posts, I think the words "Barge" and "Pole" spring to mind and "Don't touch with" !!

So I think all in all, it's probably better to either wait until I'm in Spain or get something that's UK registered at least!

Domino

Don't be disheartened - you can always have a look at those UK dealers who regularly handle LHD cars and are fully registered in Spain with no problems hanging off the bumpers

http://www.cheshamlhdcentre.co.uk/ca...062003_lhd.htm

http://www.londonlhdcentre.com/lhd-c...-LX-5-door-LHD

http://www.lhdplace.co.uk/

Good luck, see you here sometime