Classic Car Shipping Services

Shipping a Classic Car Internationally — It Has to Be Done Right

A classic car is not just a vehicle. For most owners, it represents years of searching, significant financial investment, and in many cases a deeply personal connection to a particular era, marque, or memory. When it comes to shipping a classic car internationally, the stakes are simply higher than they are for a standard daily driver — and the approach has to reflect that.

At Ship cars ltd, classic and vintage vehicle shipping is something we take seriously. We have shipped everything from pre-war motorcars and barn-find projects to concours-condition show cars and fully restored muscle cars to destinations across every continent. We understand what these vehicles mean to their owners, and we understand that the margin for error is zero.

This page explains how we approach classic car shipping, what method we use, why we use it, and what you can expect when you ship a classic vehicle with us.

Why Classic Cars Cannot Simply Be Treated Like Any Other Vehicle

The standard approach to international vehicle shipping — loading a car onto a RORO (ROLL-ON/ROLL-OFF) vessel — works well for modern, fully operational cars on well-served trade routes. RORO is a legitimate, widely used method and we offer it for appropriate vehicles and routes every day.

But for classic cars, RoRo carries risks that most owners are simply not willing to accept — and rightly so.

On a RoRo vessel, vehicles are driven onto the ship by port handlers and parked in rows across multiple decks. They are exposed to salt air and humidity for the duration of the voyage. Multiple port staff handle the vehicle — at origin, potentially during transhipment, and again on arrival. For a standard modern car, this level of exposure is manageable. For a restored classic with a hand-finished paint job, original chrome, a freshly rebuilt engine bay, or a bespoke interior, it is a different conversation entirely.

There is also the practical reality that many classic cars are not suitable for RoRo loading at all. Low ground clearance on modified or original suspension means ramp loading carries a genuine risk of contact damage. Non-running vehicles — barn finds, restoration projects, cars awaiting mechanical work at the destination — simply cannot be driven onto a RORO vessel under their own power.

For all of these reasons, we ship classic cars exclusively by container service.

Container Shipping for Classic Cars — The Only Sensible Choice

Container car shipping gives a classic vehicle something that no other international shipping method can match: complete physical isolation from the moment it leaves our UK loading depot to the moment it arrives at the destination port.

Your classic car is loaded into a sealed steel shipping container — either a dedicated 20ft container for a single vehicle, or a 40ft container if you are shipping two vehicles or want additional space. Once those container doors are closed and the seal is applied, nobody touches the vehicle. No port handlers, no repositioning on the vessel, no exposure to open air or weather. Just your car, secured inside the container, travelling safely to its destination.

The loading process itself is carried out by our experienced team at our UK depot. Classic vehicles are loaded using a purpose-built loading ramp — never a steep shipping line ramp. Inside the container, the vehicle is secured using professional timber wheel chocks and heavy-duty cargo lashing straps at multiple anchor points. For very low cars, we use appropriate ramp extensions and additional protective measures. For non-running vehicles, we use a winch system to load the car without requiring it to move under its own power.

The result is a vehicle that arrives at the destination port in exactly the same condition it was in when it left the UK. That is the standard we hold ourselves to, every time.

Real-world example: A customer in Cheshire shipped a fully restored 1965 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 roadster to a collector in Los Angeles via a dedicated 20ft container from Felixstowe. The car had a full ground-up restoration completed just weeks before shipping. Our team loaded it using extended ramps due to the car’s low ride height, secured it with six-point lashing, and the container was sealed for the voyage. It arrived at the Port of Los Angeles in 24 days — the receiving collector described it as arriving in “showroom condition.”

Dedicated vs. Shared Container — What We Recommend for Classic Cars

For classic and vintage vehicles, our standard recommendation is a dedicated container — sole use of a 20ft or 40ft container for your vehicle alone.

The reasons are straightforward:

• Your vehicle is the only thing loaded and unloaded — no risk of contact damage during the consolidation process that shared containers involve
• You control the seal — the container is locked and sealed after your vehicle is loaded, and that seal remains intact until destination
• Loading is tailored to your vehicle — our team can take the time needed to load the car correctly, using whatever ramp configuration and securing method is appropriate
• Personal effects can be included alongside the vehicle in a dedicated container, subject to destination customs rules — useful for customers relocating and bringing a classic car with them

That said, shared container (consolidation) service is available for classic cars in certain circumstances — for example, where the vehicle is running, has reasonable ground clearance, and the owner is comfortable with a shared load. We will always give you an honest assessment of which option is most appropriate for your specific car.

What We Need From You Before We Ship

Shipping a classic car internationally requires a clear and accurate document set. For UK export customs clearance and the Bill of Lading, we require:

• V5C Logbook (original) — Section 11 should be completed and sent to the DVLA to notify permanent export; you retain the main document
• Bill of Sale / Purchase Invoice — used to declare the vehicle’s value to HMRC and for insurance purposes; for inherited or long-held vehicles without a recent purchase invoice, we can advise on alternative valuation documentation
• Passport / Photo ID — for both the exporter and the consignee if different
• Agreed insured value — we strongly recommend comprehensive marine cargo insurance for all classic car shipments; the insured value should reflect the vehicle’s full replacement value, not the purchase price

For certain destinations, additional documentation is required before the vehicle can be shipped — most notably Australia, which requires a Vehicle Import Approval (VIA) obtained via the ROVER portal before the car is loaded. New Zealand has similarly strict biosecurity requirements. Our team will identify every destination-specific requirement at the point of booking, not after the vehicle has already been collected.

Customer experience: A UK owner shipping a 1972 Porsche 911 Carrera RS to Sydney applied for Australian Vehicle Import Approval six weeks before the planned sailing date. Our team guided the documentation process from the start, flagged the biosecurity cleaning requirements in advance, and ensured the vehicle passed quarantine inspection on first presentation — avoiding any port storage charges on arrival.

Classic Car Shipping Routes from the UK

We ship classic and vintage vehicles to destinations across every continent on regular sailing schedules. Our most active classic car shipping routes from UK ports include:

• UK to USA — weekly container sailings to Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, Houston, and Baltimore. Sea transit 12–28 days depending on destination port. A popular route for UK classics heading to American collectors, auctions, and Concours events.
• UK to Australia — weekly container sailings to Sydney (Port Botany), Melbourne, Brisbane, Fremantle (Perth), and Adelaide. Sea transit 55–60 days. Vehicle Import Approval via ROVER required before shipping.
• UK to New Zealand — weekly sailings to Auckland and Lyttelton (Christchurch). Sea transit 55–60 days. Strict biosecurity requirements on arrival; vehicles must be thoroughly cleaned before loading.
• UK to UAE (Dubai) — weekly container sailings to Jebel Ali. Sea transit 18–28 days. A growing market for classic and prestige car imports. Note: UAE restricts most used vehicle imports to vehicles under 10 years old unless classified as classic (typically 30+ years).
• UK to Europe — road transport in enclosed or soft-top trailers to European destinations, with container options available for longer storage-in-transit or specific port requirements.
• UK to South Africa — regular container sailings to Durban and Cape Town. Sea transit 25–35 days.
• UK to Canada — weekly sailings to Halifax, Montreal, and Vancouver. Sea transit 15–25 days.

Our team will confirm current sailing schedules, transit times, and any pre-shipment requirements specific to your destination at the point of enquiry.

Marine Insurance for Classic Cars Non Negotiable

We will always recommend comprehensive marine cargo insurance for every classic car shipment we handle. Carrier liability under international shipping conventions is calculated per kilogram of cargo weight — it bears no relation to the actual value of a classic vehicle and is almost always entirely inadequate.

A properly structured marine insurance policy covers the agreed, declared value of the vehicle throughout the entire transit — from the moment it is loaded at our UK depot to the moment it is released at the destination port. For a vehicle that may be worth £30,000, £80,000, or significantly more, this is not optional — it is basic financial prudence.

We can advise on appropriate marine insurance options at the point of booking. The premium is modest relative to the value of the protection it provides.

Why Ship Your Classic Car with Ship Cars Ltd?

We are a vehicle shipping specialist — classic cars are not a sideline for us. Every member of our team who handles a classic vehicle booking understands what is at stake, and every loading is approached with the care the vehicle deserves.

We do not cut corners on securing methods. We do not use inappropriate ramps. We do not load your classic car into a shared container if a dedicated service is the right answer — even if the shared option would cost less. Our job is to get your vehicle to its destination in the same condition it left in. That principle guides every decision we make on your behalf.

If you are considering shipping a classic, vintage, or collector vehicle internationally, talk to us first. We are honest about costs, realistic about timelines, and straightforward about what each route and method actually involves. No jargon. No surprises.