Mazda MX5 Eunos Roadster

[XLeblanc]

I have now successfully registered two of our three vehicles in France with no real problems. We have a mazda MX5 Eunos Roadster which was imported from Japan into the UK. It is now in the barn with a cover over it in limbo as it has no MOT or road tax although it is insured with our French agent. Whilst the car is not worth a great deal of money I have replaced and upgraded a lot of the parts on the car over the last few years and as such it would be a shame to get rid of it.

From what I am told I wont get certificate of conformity for it from Mazda and the only way to get it registered in France would be to put the car through a test similar to the SVA (single vehicle approval) in the UK.

Has anyone on the forum got any experience of this, what are the chances of being able to register the car in France.

Thanks

[Sunday Driver]

As the Eunos was never type approved in the EU, you'll need to contact your local DRIRE and request a reception de titre isolé (SVA test).  First off, write to Mazda France with a copy of your V5C and ask them for an attestation de non-conformité avec notice descriptive (technical specification sheet), then compile a dossier for the DRIRE containing a demand de reception form, copy of your V5C, the Mazda attestation and notice, CT certificate and quittus fiscal certificate.

They'll review the papers and call the car in for a physical inspection.  They'll principally be looking for compliance with French safety standards - E marks on the headlamps and lenses, windscreen and glass, seatbelts and mountings, plus emissions and radio suppression.  Worst case is you may have to take the car to Paris for independent technical tests, but as it went through a UK SVA in the past, it should be OK.

The DRIRE will issue a process-verbal de titre isolé (SVA certificate) which is your "certificate of conformity" which you take to the prefecture for registration.  All this is achievable, but you need to factor in the time and expense of following this route.

 

[tracteurtom]

When we came to France 3 years ago we had a Toyota Lucida, a jap import.  It was a superb car and the whole family loved it.  However, I gave up on trying to register it in France, it just was not worth the hassle and then there was the issue of spares.  I ended up taking it back to the UK and swapping it for a Kangoo that was a breeze to register in France.  Not the best outcome, but then the jap imports are cheap to buy in the first place so, its another case of you pays your money........................

[Chancer]

I know of someone who has done this with a Mitsubishi Pajero, it took him nearly a year and had to replace many of the parts that were not E-marked including all the inertia reel seat belts.

[Nick Trollope]

We gave up on one of these, an MR2 and an Irmscher-Izuzu - all Jap-market imports. But I am a bit of a wimp where paperwork is concerned....

[XLeblanc]

Food for thought really, If someone could tell you categorically what would need changing then a decison could be made whether or not it was worth doing. I will need to have a thinkif I have the time to do all of this chasing around.

Cheers all who contributed