So… 25% tariffs on imported cars into the US. Another month, another bit of economic chest-thumping from the floppy haired tango’d fool in the White House!
If you’ve been following the chaos in the global car industry lately, plummeting sales, factory closures, and brands clinging together like wet cats in a thunderstorm, you’ll know things aren’t exactly rosy. And now, the US has decided to toss a tariff-shaped spanner into the works, courtesy of their most orange ex but current president.
This 25% levy is meant to “help” American carmakers by making foreign imports more expensive. Whether it actually helps anyone (other than lawyers and lobbyists) remains to be seen. The folks at VW, Mercedes, BMW and co. are probably sweating into their espresso right now, while China , ironically the real target, will likely dodge the worst of it thanks to their rock-bottom pricing.
But let’s talk about what actually matters: will this affect classic cars?
Well, the official line is that the tariffs only apply to new cars. So in theory, no and our lovingly aged E-Type or our beautifully brutal V8 Vantage should cruise through customs tariff-free. But here’s the rub: when changes like this get introduced overnight, the devil is always in the admin. And the admin rarely reads the press release.
Ask anyone who’s imported a car — all it takes is one confused customs officer to hold things up while someone decides whether your 1967 Alfa Spider is “new” because it’s had a nut-and-bolt restoration and a new ECU. Go figure!
Restomods are where it gets murky.
Plenty of companies in the UK specialise in buying up old Land Rovers, Mercs, and even Morgans, then rebuilding them with modern tech before selling them to deep-pocketed buyers in the States. Sometimes the work’s done here, sometimes it’s split between continents, but at what point does that restored classic become a “new” car in the eyes of a tax office?
If you’re dropping £200k+ on a restomod and then get stung with a surprise 25% surcharge… that’s an expensive grey area.
Even low-volume British manufacturers like Morgan, Ariel, Caterham, and Lister could be in trouble. They’re small, eccentric, and much-loved in the States — but how exempt will they really be? No one’s quite sure. And what happens if you’ve got a build 90% finished and suddenly the customer is on the hook for an unexpected £50k+? Good luck untangling that.
Of course, none of this is our problem!
RNG advice? Keep it simple. Stick with a glorious, analogue, UK based classic and get your thrills on home soil. No customs forms, no tariffs, no computers beaming data back to foreign governments. Just a V8 soundtrack from our Merc 500SL, leather seats that smell like history, and a gearbox you shift yourself.
As we always say at RNG, the world might go mad, but driving a proper classic keeps you grounded. And besides, no one ever imposed a tariff on joy!
