We are fortunate to import cars directly from Japan through our trusted partner, Universal Exports Japan (UEJ), based in Fukuoka. Our contact at UEJ is originally from Barry, South Wales—just 12 miles from our showroom—and speaks fluent Japanese. This connection allows us to hand-pick vehicles from Japanese auctions and have them shipped directly to us.

One of the key advantages of importing vehicles from Japan is their exceptional quality and meticulous maintenance. Japanese vehicle owners are known for their dedication to upkeep, strictly adhering to Japan’s “shaken” vehicle inspections, which ensure cars remain in top condition. Additionally, Japan’s salt-free roads help preserve vehicles, resulting in minimal rust and wear.

Importing from Japan has also broadened our selection of vehicles available for the UK market. The majority of these cars are petrol engines with automatic gearboxes, offering great options for those looking for something reliable and different.

While Japanese cars are produced on the same production lines as their UK counterparts and are all right-hand drive, there are some notable differences:

• Radio Frequency: Japan uses a radio frequency range of 76.0–90.0 FM, whereas the UK uses 87.5–108.0 FM.
• Units of Measurement: Japan uses kilometres instead of miles, which means the speedometer needs to be adjusted.

After converting the radio and adjusting the speedometer, the only difference left is the vehicle’s tax cost. Imported cars are taxed based on engine size, which means a higher displacement engine can sometimes be cheaper than a UK equivalent. Conversely, smaller engine imports may incur higher tax rates compared to their UK counterparts. Current DVLA tax rates are as follows:

Mileage tampering before import.
While we can’t speak for all importers, we can guarantee that the vehicles we offer have genuine mileage. We provide a full CarVX report for each vehicle, which is similar to a UK HPI report but much more detailed. This report covers potential discrepancies in mileage, accident history, contamination risks, theft, hail damage, and more.

Japanese cars have less underseal protection.
We specialize in German vehicles from the Japanese market, and these cars come with the same level of underseal protection as any new UK car from the dealership. However, we recommend that our customers apply Lanoguard to the underside of their vehicle to protect it from the harsh UK roads and winters.