It all started a few years ago when I decided to fulfill my long-term wish to spend my savings on a classic car. In choosing which car, I had to keep a few key criteria in mind:
The space in my garage is limited, so the car needed to be small.
I have a strong preference for elegant coupe designs.
I wanted a project car I could work on myself within a limited budget.
Honestly, my first choice was a Ford Mustang. However, as iconic as it is and loved by classic car enthusiasts, I wanted something unique, even exotic for my country.
While browsing European car sales websites that feature classic cars, I found the one: a car that met my limitations and, in my opinion, is simply beautiful. Not the well-known 240Z or the advanced, fuel-injected 280Z, but the less-celebrated 260Z.
I found it on AutoScout24, sold by Mr. Chris Vischer of Dutch Car Factory (now part of s30.world), who had imported it from the USA with original documentation. Almost all our communication was via email, and I needed to organize transport to Croatia after purchase. Before finalizing, I connected with Automotive Consultant Services representatives, who traveled from Belgium to the Netherlands to verify the car’s paperwork and condition. They did an outstanding job, and I highly recommend them to anyone in need of similar services. I received a detailed pre-purchase diagnostic report from them, including critical information on the car’s condition, some existing damage, and an extensive photo collection.
The seller even discounted the price to account for the inspection cost, which made the experience very positive overall. This arrangement gave me the confidence to pay in advance, even without seeing the car in person.
When the Z arrived in 2020, I had 15 days to apply for import, as the car came from within the EU, simplifying the process. After an inspection by the Croatian Oldtimer Association (COA), I only had to pay a classic car import fee—which I later reclaimed—and no VAT, resulting in essentially no import cost. This benefit comes from COA, the Croatian FIVA (Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens – The Worldwide Organisation for Historic Vehicles) representative, which advocates for historic vehicles and technical culture in Croatia.
There is, however, a time limit to prepare the car for technical inspection—three years from its arrival in the country. As I mentioned, the Z had issues, mainly rust, that needed repair before it could pass inspection and the annual MOT, adapted for classic cars with fewer requirements than for everyday vehicles. This journey took two years, during which I learned a lot. I plan to share more about it in future blogs.
From the search for the car to making it street-legal, it took time, effort, paperwork, and a lot of calls, but it was worth it. My Z has since passed three annual MOTs, in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and is now registered as a classic/historic vehicle with special number plates and a COA Identity Card, which I’ll cover in a separate post.
One perk of this registration is that I only pay half the usual insurance cost, though I am required to own another “regular” vehicle for daily use.
So, from Japan to the USA, then to Europe, from the Netherlands to Croatia, my Z has become a little globetrotter.
Would I do it all over again for another car—a Z or another classic? Maybe. But remember those original criteria? When I mentioned this to a COA representative, he simply said that I could always build another garage—or several. As he put it, “Why not? The more, the merrier!”