Why not just rent something?

"Why don't you just rent a car out there?"

Too expensive and not cool.

"Why not just buy something there?"

Similar money and still not cool.

"Isn't shipping a car really expensive?"

Yes but not as much as you'd think...

I am a self confessed petrol head and globe-trotter to boot; taking my love of cars and travelling to another level. I'm not wealthy, I'm not particularly intelligent and I'm not hellbent on a specific model - I just love cars and gave myself a specification for my trans-Atlantic jolly.

It had to be RHD, manual and something our American cousins had never had the pleasure of being particularly well-acquainted with. There were other specifications though - it had to be no more than 300 quid, have working AC, comfortable enough to be slept in if needs must, be reliable enough to do some serious mileage and not hard to fix at the side of the road with a socket set and some duck tape. 

I considered the following:

Alfa 156 Sportwagon - I bought one and surprise surprise, it was broken.

Jag S type 3.0 manual - Too complicated

E36 touring - Only appreciated by hardcore BMW fans
Saab 9-3 TiD (my own) - Too valuable and auto

Vauxhall Calibra - Too expensive

Ford Cougar - They have them

Eurospec Porsche 924 - All broken or expensive 

Eunos Roadster - Can't sleep in it

Mk2 Astra - No A/C

Rover - Blends in too easily

French - Too pragmatic

Hot hatch - Won't reliably do the mileage

The list goes on. 

I could have just decided to buy something out there but that defeats the objective (and wouldn't be much cheaper by the time you buy a title and plates) - I could hire/rent something but the length of time I will require a car is unfeasible AND again - defeats the object.

So what is the objective? What is it that I am trying to achieve?

That's a tough one to understand when you're not a petrol/gear head. Mind you, even some petrol heads don't really get it - but like an enthusiast of anything, there are people that consider themselves 'enthusiasts' and there are 'enthusiasts'. When you live and breathe cars and can't go a day without thinking about them (like you're in love); you're a petrol head (arguably a bit odd too). When 'life goes on' without a car in your life - you're not really, but you can still enjoy a car for it being more than just a means to an end. The enthusiasm is not simply black and white.

I want to take a car to the States that will turn heads without being invasive. I only want for it to start conversations with people because it's unusual - not because it's garish or loud. Otherwise I would just buy something over there; classic and in bright green - that's not the kind of attention I want my car to command. Petrol heads will ask lots of questions - because they get it. They will understand why I brought it over. Regular folk will be mildly interested and it will create a pause for thought in their day. Both will be confused; for differing reasons... The regular customer at the gas station will be confused because s/he has never seen a car with the wheel on the other side and the petrol head will not be able to calculate why such a cheap car is so fast and good on fuel... Welcome to Europe baby! 

So why only 300 quid? Well, shipping is £800 and there are $70 worth of fees at the port, $75 to pay the escort (because I cannot be on the port without one) and I've got to get there, which short of an 8-day walk, is not free. Remember, I'm not wealthy and my specification does not command an expensive car. Also, at the end of the year I must either export it or bin it. As exporting will cost another thousand dollars, it's not worth taking something so valuable that I would have to send it back. Also, if there is a problem and it all goes wrong, I'm only a grand out of pocket and without a car - annoying but not the end of the world. But if all goes to plan, aiming for a bill as close to a grand as possible makes it cheaper than renting and not much more than buying - cool and cost effective motoring for up to a year of visiting.