Say you just bought an investment-grade automobile. Lucky you!
Maybe it’s the $2.3 million Porsche 911 Carrera Jerry Seinfeld sold in Amelia Island. Maybe it’s the Toyota 2000 GT that EBay listed recently for nearly $1 million.
Or maybe it’s just a car you bought off a guy because you think it will be worth a million dollars with a little bit of luck—and about 30 years behind it—and you want to drive it on your next European holiday road trip rather than settle for renting a teensy, boxlike Peugeot.
Basically, at some point you’re probably going to need to move said car because such beauties don’t just pop up next door. And when you do, you’re going to want to do it right, because you’ve got to protect your investment.
Dmitriy Shibarshin, the head of marketing for West Coast Shipping, described the process as like putting together a puzzle.
“No two cars are alike, and each one requires a white glove service during collection, loading, shipping, and unloading on the other side,” Shibarshin said. West Coast Shipping has moved a 1964 Ferrari 330GT, a 1928 Bugatti Roadster T44, a 1972 Lamborghini Miura P400, and a 1963 Jaguar E-Type just this year alone. Those are all six- and seven-figure cars. The demands on West Coast Shipping are simple: The automobiles mustn’t get damaged, they must arrive on time, and if they travel internationally, they must be handled appropriately at customs.
“It's a business built on trust,” he said. “There is no other way customers would allow someone else to ship their priceless babies around the world.”
So how as a new client do you go about such an endeavor? Here are the key steps.
* Do your research. There are many U.S. carriers who specialize in high-priced domestic cargo. Others, such as West Coast Shipping, specialize in global transport. Places like the automotive website Edmunds.com use Reliable Carriers. The shipping company aggregator on EBay called uShip is a good place to start looking for reviews and rates. You can also check the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration hotline for shipper licenses and insurance records. Be sure to get price quotes from a few different providers before you choose one, and ask around from others who have recently purchased valuable cars to get first-hand recommendations. “The less specialized the shipper it is, the greater the chances of something happening to your car,” said Jonathan Klinger, a spokesman for Hagerty, a firm that insures classic and collectable cars. “It’s worth it to pay the money for a specialized shipper. The difference that you pay for is they use soft straps to hold the car, and they’re not throwing a chain around the chassis. Their drivers are most accustomed to being around and driving vehicles like this. There will just be a much higher level of care.”
* Decide whether you need open-air or covered transport.This is a bit of a risk/reward proposition. Uncovered transport is cheaper, but it leaves your pride and joy exposed to the elements, not to mention rocks, insects, and other debris on the highway en route. You can use cloth car covers to help mitigate damage, but if you really want to be sure the new car is protected, opt for the (more expensive) covered-truck method. Edmunds says that this will generally cost up to 60 percent more. At least your purchase will be protected. If there are idiosyncrasies with operating your car, be sure to leave detailed instructions for the truck drivers and shippers as well. You don’t know who will be driving the vehicle next, so anything you do to help that person will go a long way.