How To Ship Cars From Amelia 2026: International Buyer Guide

Step 1: Build Your Amelia 2026 Target List

Amelia 2026 brings together The Amelia Concours d’Elegance and several high‑end auctions on a compact North Florida island. In a single long weekend you can see pre‑war greats, period race cars, blue‑chip European sports cars, and modern supercars.

Before you fly, treat Amelia like a sourcing mission. Review the online catalogs for Broad Arrow’s official Amelia sale and any additional auctions running the same week. Create a shortlist with:

• Lot numbers and auction days

• Estimated price ranges

• Markets you plan to resell into (or keep for yourself)

Knowing which cars you actually want—rather than trying to decide in the room—makes it far easier to match purchases with a realistic shipping plan.

Step 2: Pre‑Price Shipping and Set All‑In Budgets

Next, price logistics before you register to bid. Use West Coast Shipping’s international car shipping calculator with “Florida” as the origin and your destination country and port. Run a few scenarios: a mid‑range classic, a high‑value concours car, and perhaps a modern supercar.

Turn those estimates into all‑in budgets for each target car:

• Hammer price

• Buyer’s premium

• Estimated inland transport + container shipping

• Import duties/taxes in your destination

Once you know the total, you can set true maximum bids and avoid winning a car that only looks cheap until freight is added on top.

Step 3: Use Preview Days to Inspect and Verify Documents

When you arrive at Amelia, use preview days to inspect your shortlist. For concours‑level and historically important cars, pay attention to originality, recent restorations, and documentation—especially items that carry weight in your local market: matching‑numbers powertrains, race history, period paperwork, and so on.

At the same time, verify the basics that matter for export:

• VIN on the car matches the catalog and title

• Title is clear in the selling state

• Any liens are disclosed and will be released

• Seller has proper authority to sell the vehicle

WCS checklists in articles like the guides to car auction shipping costs and documents you need to ship an auction car make good “walk‑around” companions while you’re on the field.

Step 4: Factor in the 25‑Year Rule When Choosing Lots

Some Amelia cars are old enough to fall under the U.S. 25‑year exemption, which affects how they are treated when imported into the United States and can simplify U.S. import eligibility (and may help in some other markets depending on local rules). Before bidding, skim WCS resources such as classic cars eligible for 25‑year import in 2026 and related classic‑import trend pieces.

Use that knowledge to prioritize lots. A car that just crossed the 25‑year threshold may face fewer regulatory hurdles in the U.S. and, depending on the destination, could also align better with local historic‑vehicle categories—making it the smarter buy once shipping and import rules are accounted for.

Step 5: Plan Your Post‑Auction Window

After the hammer falls, timing becomes critical. Auction houses have their own policies, but a sensible planning buffer is to allow roughly 24–72 hours for:

• Payment to clear

• Titles and release paperwork to be prepared

• The car to be available for pickup

Share your likely release dates with West Coast Shipping ahead of time. That way, as each car is cleared, WCS can dispatch carriers to collect from the Ritz‑Carlton or nearby storage areas and move vehicles to the chosen export facility without unnecessary storage fees.

Step 6: Choose Port and Routing from Amelia Island

Although Amelia Island is located in Northeast Florida, WCS ships vehicles exclusively through Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. This allows buyers to consolidate vehicles from events like Amelia Island into secure container shipments, with routing and sailing schedules tailored to the destination rather than simple geographic proximity.

If you’re also buying at ModaMiami or Mecum Kissimmee, or if the best sailings for your route leave from South Florida, WCS can move cars from Amelia down to its Fort Lauderdale facility and route via Port Everglades or PortMiami instead. Choosing the port becomes a strategic decision based on:

• Where you bought your other Florida cars

• Which carriers have the best schedules to your destination

• Whether you want one consolidated container or several smaller shipments

The Amelia–ModaMiami–Mecum 2026 pillar article walks through these options in more detail if you’re combining events.

Step 7: Use Containers as Your Default for Amelia Cars

At Amelia, most purchases are high‑value, historic, or show‑level vehicles. For this kind of inventory, container shipping should be your default. It keeps cars fully enclosed, away from weather and port traffic, and allows detailed loading plans tuned to fragile bodywork, low ground clearance, and irreplaceable trim.

West Coast Shipping’s complete guide to container shipping for vehicles and its articles on how cars are loaded in containers explain the general best practices for positioning and securing vehicles for ocean travel. In practical terms:

• One car can ship in a shared container with other vehicles going to the same region.

• Two to four cars can often be combined in a 40‑foot container when sizes and wheelbases allow.

• Buyers acquiring multiple cars across Amelia, ModaMiami, and Mecum can move up to dedicated containers for full control over timing and layout.

Step 8: Set Realistic Arrival Timelines

Transit times vary by route and season, but there are useful planning ranges. For many routes to Northern Europe, container sailings from Florida are often around two to three weeks at sea, with an additional week or so to cover consolidation and export processing. Shipments to Gulf and Middle Eastern ports commonly run more in the four‑ to six‑week range, and routes to Asia or Oceania can be longer, especially when transshipment hubs are involved.

Treat these as estimates rather than promises. When deciding which auction day to target or whether to chase an extra car, think about whether the shipping timetable still gets the vehicle into your hands in time for the events, sales season, or driving weather you have in mind.

Step 9: Compare Amelia to Other Florida Buying Opportunities

If you’re planning to attend more than one Florida event, use the Amelia results as the first piece of your 2026 buying puzzle. The Amelia–ModaMiami–Mecum 2026 pillar article shows how many buyers treat Amelia as the place to secure the rarest, most historically significant cars, then fill remaining container space at ModaMiami and Mecum with modern exotics and muscle.

By looking at all three together, you can decide which Amelia lots justify the higher per‑car spend and which vehicles might be sourced more efficiently later in the Florida season.

Turn Your Amelia 2026 Wins into Smooth Overseas Deliveries

If Amelia 2026 is on your calendar, plan buying and shipping as a single strategy. Start by using West Coast Shipping’s international car shipping calculator to price sample cars from Amelia Island or Florida to your destination. Then map those numbers against your shortlist and the broader 2026 Florida events shipping guide so every bid you place at Amelia already has a clear path from the concours lawn to your garage or showroom overseas.