Registration in Germany

[gundolf.ott]

Hello all together,

first I would like to introduce myself: I'm Gundolf from Germany and a proud owner of a Berlinetta since the 6th of july. I bought the car on Ebay and collected it in the midlands.

But now I have problems with the registration in Germany. The local TÜV (the german MOT) doesn't have any knowledge about this car and don't want to state the technical correctness of the car, so I'm not able to register the car.

Therefore my question whether here are other german owners of a Marlin Berlinetta who have experience with the TÜV-acceptance and could probably help me?!?!? Perhaps someone has the same technical basis (mine is from Cortina MKIII) and could send me a copy of his registration document (Kfz.-Brief) so that I can force the TÜV to give me the acceptance.

Many thanks in advance
Gundolf

[macdonald.dm]

Re: Registration in Germany

Hi Gundolf.

Exactly what information do they require?

There must be a simple way around this as I've seen quite a few Berlis on Ebay being bought by German buyers. One of them is clearly a dealer as he's bought at least 2 or 3 Marlins on his own and would know what to do - unfortunately I can't remember his Ebay name!

I have a Mk3 Cortina-based Berli, so in theory should be able to provide any info you require if you provide a list. However, you'll appreciate I wouldn't be happy to actually send a copy of my reg doc!

[macdonald.dm]

Re: Registration in Germany

Have a look at the "Ventilation fan unit." thread below. There's a German Marlin owner on there!

[gundolf.ott]

Re: Registration in Germany

Hi Donnie,

sorry for the late response!
If you know the right TÜV-engineer, it might be no problem. I also know minimumly two Marlins in Germany even in my region, but both were registered by a certain dealer. I have already spoken to this dealer, but he wanted to be paid for his knowledge with 4000 Euro. And this is too much. Therefore I try first by myself. But as you see it is not so easy. Many thanks for your offer to provide me with a list of all needed informations. But the problem is, that it has to be an official approved datasheet.

And I have already email-contact with Neville. But the mess is, that has never registered his car in Germany.

Therefore once again my demand whether there other german owners of a Marlin who could help me please !

Thanks
Gundolf

[danny_nelson]

Re: Registration in Germany

Hi Gundolf,
I received your email, but there is nothing that I can do to help you. Sorry.
Regards
Danny.

[macdonald.dm]

Re: Registration in Germany

Hi Gundolf.

4,000 Euros?! What a horrible fellow. I bet it didn't cost him anything like that.

Is your Marlin correctly registered on a British V5? If so, I'd have thought it would only be a technicality to have it re-registered in Germany. Or does the V5 still say it's a 'Ford Cortina'? (Ford Taunus in Europe, if that helps.)

You must have a SVA test equivalent in Germany? All newly-built kits in this country now need to be individually checked to ensure they are safe and comply with European safety standards. I wonder if this could be a route for you to take? Ie: you'd end up registering your car as if it was just built. It would mean having to do some work on it to make if as complaint as modern cars - dual circuit brakes, etc. etc., but should cost less than 4,000 Euros!

However, I can't help thinking there must be an easier way - as I said, a few Marlins have gone to Germany.

In Britain, we have DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Offices) in most large towns and cities. The funny thing is, they SHOULD all be looking at the same 'rule book' on how to interpret the law on licensing your car, but we have found they can be different - some are more sympathetic than others.

Perhaps it's worth contacting a few? Surely they can give you - for free - the same info that the dealer was wanting 4,000 Euros for?

[milliemarlin]

Re: Registration in Germany

Hi Gundolf,
Sorry to see you are having such problems. My only suggestion is to call TÜV test stations that are local to the dealer. They might know the process and be more amenable than the dealer.

A second idea might be to contact Marlin directly. They might know what to do or be able to put you in touch with a local who has done it.

Google seems to give many hits for importing cars mostly from Germany to the UK. You might have better luck searching in German.

Good Luck, please append here when you have the information you require for the benefit other owners.

Paul

PS: I hope you will consider joining the MOC and maybe organise a “German run”. I am certainly up for a drive down the romantic road.

[macdonald.dm]

Re: Registration in Germany

Hi again Gundolf.

I've just ahd a look at all the 'finished' auctions on Ebay that I'd been 'watching'. Since I like to keep an eye on Marlins and NGs on sale, I found the following which have been bought by Germans! Perhaps it's worth contacting them?

Username: yil1965 This fellow is clearly a dealer as he's bought quite a few kits - perhaps he's the fellow you've already been in touch with?!

Username: clecton Again, he's bought more than one.

Username: 99champion56 bought a really smart Berli.

Another name which crept into my mind from before is kitcarlover

You can use a search on Ebay to find their contact details. Surely worth a go, as they've all been through this process.

Good luck.

[danny_nelson]

Re: Registration in Germany

Donnie, I was talking to a German some time ago. He trailered back quite a few kitcars over a period. It was my understanding from what he told me that there was no straight forward way, or strictly legal way to take a kitcar from here and reg in Germany. There was a back door way!
Whatever the answer is in Germany I would have thought, and not here.
By the way I have had contact with a guy from outside the U.K intrested in buying a Marlin but he wanted a copy of the documents including MOT and Tax and Log book sending to him before any money was exchanged! You can guess what my answer was! Gentlemen beware.
Anyone buying a Marlin or any other Kit car for that matter
which they intend to take outside the UK really should do there homework regarding registration. I do not know a lot about this, but I am told that in some places it becomes more straight forward if the car has historic reg here.
Regards
Danny.

[macdonald.dm]

Re: Registration in Germany

Interesting stuff, Danny - and good words of caution regarding Reg docs. Hold on to them tightly!

I remember a few years ago I was considering buying a Berli on Ebay when it was snapped up with the 'buy it now' by a German dealer. Less than a month later is was for sale again - in Spain! (For more than twice the original purchase price...)

[gundolf.ott]

Re: Registration in Germany

@all
First I have to apologize again for my delay in response, but on my work I'm not able to write in this forum and in the later evening when I'm at home again, I have sometimes something else to do.
And many thanks for trying to help me !!! :-)))

@Donnie
Yes my Marlin is correctly registered in the V5 as a Marlin. It is based on Ford Cortina MK III. As you wrote, there are some Marlin Berlinetta already registered in Germany. But as you also wrote, we have the same problem in Germany with the TÜV as you have in England with the DVLA. The engineers I met until now were not really symphatic and really bad paper-shuffler. :-(((
The right way is to find the town where is the engineer who is familar with this car. And I'm working on it.
And, Donnie, thanks for the usernames from ebay. Two of them I know:
yil1965 - is another dealer I had already contact to. He would do the registration and the for Germany needed technical changes (front light, tachometer etc.) for estimated 1.500 Euros. He is my plan C. If plan A or B doesn't work, I will finally go to him.
decton and kitcarlover: I only found someone from the USA
99champion56: ohh, this is a really nice guy, I stay the whole time in very personal contact to him, but he is not able to help me; it's me ;-))
@Paul Carey: Principally you right, but the TÜV in Germany becomes suspicious, if you go to a station which is not near to your hometown. But many thanks for your advice, this will be something like plan B or C, if I don't find any other solution. And I've already thought about joining the MOC and perhaps founding later something like a German section of it. But first I have to solve my small problem. This applies also for organisation of a "German run". But it is a good idea and especially the romantic road would be a good choice. Give me a little bit time.
@Danny Nelson
In Germany the V5 is only needed as proove that the car is really imported from the UK. All other information in this document doesn't help you. This is what I mean that the TÜV needs a certain official datasheet because for the German registration are much more data (as length, weight and many technical data more) needed. Also the historic reg in UK doesn't help you, because the German authorities have much tougher direction about considering a car as a historic one.
@Donnie again
I have also found a certain dutch dealer in Eindhoven who buys many cars in the UK even kit cars and even Marlins. In April this year I watched several kit cars (especially a Pilgrim Bulldog and one marvelous Berlinetta). He bought those cars and one week later you could find them on his internet page for the triple price without having done anything with the cars.

Okay, once again many thanks for you help, I will keep you informed about my progress in registration. But, if someone has some further informations, please post them here.

Regards
Gundolf

[macdonald.dm]

Re: Registration in Germany

Hi Gundolf.

Ha, ha - I did have a suspicion that 99champion56 could be you! A very nice Berli!!!

clecton is still there (note it's C L E C T O N), and he's bought a Marlin Roadster and, I notice, a GP Madison recently - so clearly he should be well tuned as to what is required.

Funnily enough, the German 'kitcarlover' seems to have disappeared!

Since 1998 in this country, when we now build a new kit car, it has to be SVA'd. This is a fairly rigorous check to make sure the car conforms to current safety requirements. Even tho' the Marlin is an 'old' design, a few of us have managed to up-date the relevant parts so it can pass and be registered for the road.

I guess you have something similar - perhaps even identical? - in your country, although this would be more involved than adjusting the 'tacho and front lights'! It would be like getting your car on to the road for the 'first time'.

Good luck.