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YOUR CLASSIC DESERVES THE WORLD STAGE. LET'S GET IT TO ESSEN.

Ship Your Car to Retro Classics Essen, and Home Again

We ship classic cars and youngtimers to Retro Classics Essen by ocean container, with air freight on request. Shared container from our New Jersey warehouse to Bremerhaven is $1,100 and takes 30-33 days, and our import agent there trucks the car to Messe Essen.

Bought a car at Essen and want it in the US? We ship door to door in both directions, by ocean or air. Your rate is in the calculator below.

Essen Shipping Calculator

West Coast Shipping

Why Choose Us?

Retro Classics Essen runs April 14 to 18, 2027, and for a spring show we would book the container in January. A New Jersey car lands in Bremerhaven in about a month, which leaves room for German customs and the truck to Essen. Air is quoted on request, and we keep it for cars with a fixed stand date: the flight is days, but the paperwork sets the pace.

We run our own warehouses in California, Florida and New Jersey, covering all of the US for imports and exports, and our own team loads every car and handles every document. German youngtimers going home, American muscle going over for the first time: each one is loaded in our own building before the container leaves for Bremerhaven.

We collect your car from anywhere across the United States using open or enclosed carrier. The car is then transported to our nearest export warehouse in California, Florida or New Jersey.

You always have the option to deliver/drop off the car yourself.

Our own team loads every car in our California, Florida and New Jersey warehouses and handles every document.

Our team files the US export documents (EEI in AES) and presents the title to US Customs 72 hours before loading (19 CFR 192.2). An import agent clears the car in Germany.

We ship collector cars to Germany by ocean and air. From New Jersey, Bremerhaven is 30-33 days by container, and the import agent trucks the car to Messe Essen.

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Export Locations

We load and ship cars from our own warehouses in California, Florida and New Jersey.

Learn more about our locations here.

Retro Classics Events 2026 and 2027

Retro Classics Essen 2027: The Second Edition

Retro Classics Essen returns to Messe Essen from April 14 to 18, 2027, for its second edition, with dealers, collectors and clubs bringing driving culture to the heart of the Ruhr.

Learn More

Retro Classics Stuttgart 2027: The Flagship Show

The original Retro Classics returns to Messe Stuttgart from April 29 to May 2, 2027, just minutes from Stuttgart Airport.

Learn More

Retro Classics Bavaria 2026: The Season Finale

Retro Classics Bavaria closes the driving culture calendar at Nuremberg Exhibition Center from November 6 to 8, 2026, the last chance of the year to buy, sell and see collector cars before winter.

Learn More

West Coast Shipping in the News

Germany Car Shipping Cost

Cost to Ship Your Classic Car to Germany, From Anywhere in the USA

Shared container from our New Jersey warehouse to Bremerhaven is $1,100 (30-33 days), from Florida $1,225 (31-34 days) and from California $1,850 (40-45 days). Air freight to Germany is quoted on request. These rates are port to port: door pickup, German import duty and VAT, the truck to Essen and Cargo Damage Protection come on top.

Destination charges in Bremerhaven are EUR 600 to EUR 650 per car, set by the receiving agent.

  • Shipping from Texas? Our Texas rate to Bremerhaven is $1,250 (24 days).
  • Exact pricing depends on the departure warehouse, the container and final delivery.
  • Motorcycles fly from New Jersey or California to Bremerhaven for $3,250 (10-14 days).
  • Optional Cargo Damage Protection is available: learn more about Cargo Damage Protection

Taking a car to Essen, or bringing one home from it? Your rate is in the calculator above. It's your dream car. Let's bring her home.

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Get Instant Rates

Our car shipping calculator provides instant rates from anywhere in the USA to Bremerhaven.

How We Ship Cars To Germany

AIRPLANE

Need the car on its stand by a set date? Air freight to Germany is quoted on request. The flight is days, but the paperwork sets the pace, so start the documents early if the car has a fixed stand date at Retro Classics Essen.

SHIPPING CONTAINER

We load several cars into one container to share the cost. Transit to Bremerhaven is 30-33 days from New Jersey, 31-34 from Florida and 40-45 from California. Once the car clears German customs, our import agent in Bremerhaven arranges the truck to Messe Essen.

“Excellent communication and genuine interest in our vehicles well being throughout the whole process. Highly recommend them for all your vehicle shipping needs!”
Alexander
San Francisco, California

Protect Your Vehicles During Transport

Protect your classic car during international shipping to Germany with Cargo Damage Protection. This coverage protects your vehicle from its arrival at our warehouse through delivery to Bremerhaven by our import agent at destination. Most standard auto policies don't cover international shipping. Without it, carrier liability under the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act (COGSA) is limited to $500 per package.

Learn More
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Documentation Required to Ship Cars from the USA to Germany

Shipping your car to Germany involves clearing US export customs and German import customs, which requires submitting several documents to prove vehicle ownership and comply with international regulations. Here are the required documents: 

  • Bill of Sale for the vehicle
  • Original Vehicle Title (If there is a lien on the car, a lien release letter is also required)
  • Power of Attorney form
  • Completed Online Shipping Form
  • Copy of Passport (if you are an international citizen without a US passport)
  • Copy of EIN Letter (if the car is owned by a US company)
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Dedicated Export Team

Your account manager prepares the export documents and tracks the car from pickup to loading.

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Wholesale Car Export Solutions for Germany

We ship for high volume dealers, auctions, wholesalers and Retro Classics Essen exhibitors, in and out of the US.

  • End-to-end solutions between the US and Germany
  • Vehicle collection and export clearance
  • Our own warehouses in California, Florida and New Jersey
  • Vehicle and parts consolidation
  • Use our carrier bookings or your own
  • Ability to choose your own import agent in Germany when shipping dedicated containers
  • Expedited Air Freight options
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