Or, how to buy a Mustang.
As most of you know, we love our vehicles. Even a few months ago I was just saying how we didn’t really need any more and were managing well on just one in France. The silly things we say…
Just weeks after that comment, B became super interested in getting a muscle car. Possibly provoked by memories of the Dodge Charger we had in the US a couple of years ago, in turn provoked by booking another trip back there. This wish had turned up on his bucket list after that original trip, and we had talked about it from time to time, looked at a few models in a couple of dealers, but now, all of a sudden it seemed to me, it had hit the top of the list.
We checked finances, and yes, a sold garage and a couple of savings accounts could cover it between us – the idea being to get a fairly new one, a left hand drive better suited to life in France, and replace Humphrey the ageing and out of production Saab. B settled very quickly on wanting a current model Ford Mustang after reading lots of reviews. Around this time, we met a Danish couple in France who own a couple of older Mustangs, and they encouraged us to get one ourselves so we could join the French owners club and go on trips and weekends away with them. All sounding good so far…
B investigated models and then started to search for cars for sale. I tentatively suggested we wait until after the next visit to the US, but B was not to be put off and promptly found the perfect car. In Luxembourg.
The owner was on holiday, but duly sent more photos on his return. I suggested buying in France might just be easier? By then we already knew a bit about registering cars in France, and its not that easy – as with anything involving paperwork there. So B checked, but the answer came back that the ones he found in France were at least 15% more expensive – which is a lot of money when you are talking 2 year old cars. Back to the one in Luxembourg.
A week or so later, we were near Geneva with friends, 4 hours in the right direction, and B was still obsessed with this particular Mustang he had found there – and it was still available. I gave in, and said OK, we can consider this, but we have to look at it before buying, we are nearly half way there so lets go to Luxembourg and look at it.
So we did. 5 hours later we ran into a torrential downpour (memories of one of our Near Misses the year before). Somehow, we got there in one piece, but of course the car we went to see was likewise soaking wet – we all know, you never buy a wet car, so we had to stay a second night and hope for better weather the next day.
The next day the sun shone, we went to the owner’s house, the car looked fabulous, B got to drive it and we did the deal and signed a contract to buy it. Job done! Of course, not in reality, as that was where the fun really started…
We drove back home via our favourite Champagne producer (as you do), taking some of the paperwork with us which we knew we needed to register the vehicle in France. The owner first had to de-register it in Luxembourg and we had to wait for the confirmed document from his local prefecture.
In the meantime we juggled money, and the exchange rate promptly went in the wrong direction. Of course.
We booked our appointment at Nimes Prefecture to register the car – then failed to confirm by return email so had to do it all over again. Two and a half week’s wait for that. More money juggling – we needed to pay a tax to register the car and thought we knew approximately how much that might be.
The seller emailed us a few times for updates, and in the meantime the document from Luxembourg prefecture arrived. Armed with this, multiple documents to prove identity and address in France, plus Certificate of conformity, original purchase invoice showing VAT paid, and our debit cards, off we went to Nimes with our Mustang owning friend. Thank goodness he came, we were told the invoice was not sufficient proof and got sent off to the local tax office right across town to get it decoded into some other tax document which is considered sufficient. We had no idea where that was or where to go within the building it, luckily our friend did. Then back to our lady at the prefecture, who moved on to the tax calculation. We all fell off our chairs. Let’s just say it was somewhat more than expected, and high enough that I hadn’t juggled enough money into our French accounts to be able to pay it!
The paperwork and tax might have been bad, but lucky for us our lady at the prefecture was brilliant – she told us we could go back later in the week, without the formal 2 week ahead appointment, and she personally would assist us again.
Several days, transfers and emails to our bank later we returned and paid up. It was painful and basically wiped out the saving made by purchasing in Luxembourg. Now we know why the prices were so different. It’s a learning curve. The number plates we then rushed off to get were a bargain, the insurance less so, but not as punishing as expected.
The exchange rate then duly got worse again as we transferred money to the seller, in 2 tranches. The second on a Friday before we boarded the TGV to Luxembourg the following Monday. Even the trip there was not easy – rebooked twice, the second time due to a train workers strike, so beloved in France.
After a somewhat nervous weekend – the seller now had our money and our car – we boarded the TGV at Nimes. It smoothly set off and soon was achieving over 280km per hour, peaking at 316 ! then it slowed down and stopped in the middle of nowhere – I was in the buffet car queuing for lunch – they announced a cow on the line and a wag somewhere suggested that Carpaccio de Boeuf might shortly be on the menu!
We texted Ben, the owner, and he confirmed he would still be there to meet us. He was, and boy were we relieved – and told him so! He had seemed a nice, genuine guy when we met before, but a little niggly voice always says you never know. He took us to his Dad’s house where our Mustang was being stored. B and Ben changed the plates over and then we were invited into his Dad’s lovely house for champagne and nibbles with them both and their respective girlfriends. How terribly civilised!
After that, we followed them to our hotel, dined together and Ben paid. We got on so well with them all that his Dad, who is in fact our generation, invited B and myself to come back to Luxembourg to stay with them any time we liked.
Now that’s how to buy a great car and end up with friends!
The first epilogue is that having purchased a left hand drive car, we promptly drove it to England! There was some logic here, and after we return to France, it will stay there. Oh and so will Humphrey – not really worth selling and much better mpg for the longer trips…
The second epilogue is that Ben and 4 friends will shortly use our house in Dorset for a couple of nights as we found out that they planned to visit Bovington Tank Museum before all this happened. Small and amazing world don’t you think?
420 horses? that’s the horse power of Hercules, our 5 litre V8 Mustang 😉
HERCULES