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Not all "imports" are actually imported cars
A “grey” import is not a shady as it sounds, and grey import car insurance isn’t a black market or “grey” market service. A grey import is simply a product that’s built to conform to the regulations of its country’s origin instead of another national or international standards organization.
Japanese import car insurance is a good example. Japanese cars that are manufactured for the Japanese market, but get prospects from overseas buyers and distributors, are never tested for standards set by the European New Car Assessment Programme. But regulations in Japan are even more exacting than EU standards, so the lack of international certification is more of a technicality than a statement of inferiority. Many European motorists are willing to pay up to three times as much for grey import car insurance because they know their vehicle was “made in Japan” in every sense, and will probably have higher specifications than domestic cars.
Not all “imports” are actually imported. Grey imports actually do need to be imported, but there are parallel imports where some are obtainable through a domestic distributor, while others can be imported (hence the “parallel” status). If they have local distribution, you’re probably in luck, since there’s a chance that you won’t have to go through a specialist import car insurance provider for coverage, nor will you have to pay a premium for imported replacement parts.
Unfortunately, you will have to go through a specialist provider for grey import car insurance. Mainstream insurance companies aren’t willing to take on the due diligence needed to keep up with changes in regulations, parts pricing and other factors. To keep your premiums down, it helps to get at least a few quotes to pit agents against each other, but in all honesty, the number of specialists insurers is relatively small, so prices won’t vary too much.
Concentrate on the factors that would help you even if you were getting a domestic car: adding security devices, keeping young drivers off the policy, and especially avoiding any modifications at the time of ordering your import.
