You would think that shipping cars overseas is a precisely the same no matter they type of car. But exotic cars require extra care and attention at each step of the process. Owners cherish their exotic cars and require the same from international shipping companies.
The Options
Exotic car owners hold the keys to a number of options when shipping their cars overseas. Many choose to ship their exotics by plane. It is the quickest method with planes departing on a daily basis from the US to major cities in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and other destinations. But unlike other options, shipping an exotic by plane is the most expensive method.
A more affordable way to ship an exotic overseas is using a container. The car is driven inside a container and safely secured. The container is then placed on an ocean vessel which sets sail to the destination. While it is slower to go by water instead of by air, the cost savings and extra security can be worth it. Not all expensive cars go by air, there have been countless multi-million dollar exotics and classic cars shipped this way.
Getting The Exotic To The Departure Point
When collecting exotic cars for shipping overseas, the majority opt for enclosed transport to keep away prying eyes and ensure the cars remain spotless.
Many also forget just how low exotics are to the ground, making it difficult to get onto a transporter without ramps to avoid scraping the front lip. This is despite many modern exotics having the feature to lift the front of the car. There are some transporters who will refuse to move your exotic because of low clearance.
While exotics are smaller than your ordinary vehicle, they tend to run wide. The Lamborghini Aventador is nearly 2 inches wider than a full size Range Rover! So transporters have to be extra careful with loading the vehicle into tight trailers. Usually this is not a problem with enclosed carriers.
Upon delivery of the vehicle to the shipping facilities, the same care goes into safely unloading your exotic car.
Check In Process
Once the exotic is unloaded, the vehicle coordinator compares the current state of the car to the condition report taken when it was picked up. If all blemishes match up, they sign off on the driver and accept the vehicle. However if there is any unmarked damage, they carefully go over each part of the car inside and out to ensure nothing else was missed. Other than an "act of god" occurrences, transporters that work with exotics are diligent and do not have reports of damage on previous cars. They face strict rating requirements when receiving work. Transporters with damage on their records, may as well change industries.
After inspection is completed and photos are taken, exotic cars ares stored until the day of departure. Cars are stored indoors, in a video secured warehouse with covers and battery maintainers available.
Prepare For Departure
The date of departure depends on the international shipping service chosen. If shipping by plane, vehicles are taken to the airport and placed on the previously scheduled flight. That can mean same departures in some cases. Departure dates mostly depend on requirements set by the shipper.
However if choosing to ship in a container, the exotic car will be shipped on the next available vessel. Ships depart on a weekly schedule to the most popular destinations in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Some of the more unusual destinations may take an extra one to two weeks before a vessel is available. Shipping companies can organize same day departures in advance.
