After 40 years of shipping cars overseas at Schumacher Cargo, we know that international car sales are much easier than you might think. Many Americans have started selling cars overseas for profit and have found success. Foreigners do buying tours where they come to the US to find cars to sell back overseas as well.
Cars from the United States are favorable overseas; they’re generally in better shape than what you’d find in other countries. Classic American cars are especially popular abroad because it’s easier to find these vehicles through a private seller in the States than in, say for example, Germany.
We frequently ship classic American cars overseas, usually after they sell at auction or through private parties, with our specialized service Schumacher Secure. The Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Corvette, and Dodge Charger are the most popular classics exported to Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Read our guide below on how to sell a car overseas and start your sale today.
International Car Sales Overseas from the US
You may be able to make a nice profit selling your car to a foreign buyer, especially a classic car in good condition. If you’re from a foreign country, we’ll be writing another guide for the opposite process and adding it here later.
Determining the Price to Sell the Car Overseas
Finding out how much to sell the car for is a good place to start. Selling a car overseas is a bit more complicated than selling domestically, but may be worth it. You’ll need to sell the car at or above market value to make a profit, otherwise you could just sell it domestically. Start by determining the market value and then adding the profit you would need to make to be worth the work.
Places to start determining the value include:
- Kelly Blue Book
- Ebay Listings
- Foreign Auto Forums
Something to consider in the price is the shipping. Depending on what you agree upon, you or the buyer will have to pay that additionally to the car. Determining the shipping cost is easy with Schumacher Cargo Logistics, as we can provide free custom quotes. Just fill out our Online Quote Form and we’ll get back to you with a shipping price.
Once you have the price to ship, you can add that to the price you want to sell the car for. That number adds up to the total price to sell your car overseas.
Places for Selling Cars Overseas
Posting your car online makes it easy for interested buyers to find it. Millions of people around the world use these websites for buying and selling American cars overseas.
- eBay Motors
- Autotrader
- Hemmings
- ClassicCars.com
Be sure to include plenty of detailed photos and the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) in your listing. For classic cars, use our handy inspection checklist to answer all your buyer’s questions ahead of time.
Payment Options Between You and the Buyer
The buyer should pay via a trusted wire transfer service. A cashier’s check works, but it needs to be from a reputable domestic bank. Get the full payment before you release the car, otherwise there’s a chance you’ll never receive it all.
Alternatively a safe way to pay may be through a escrow service. By holding the money until everything is complete, keeps the buyer and seller safe from scams.
Schumacher Cargo Logistics also offers something similar called a funds transfer service at our US warehouses. With this service we do not ship the vehicle until the money from the buyer arrives. Then when the money arrives we send it to the seller. This service also keeps the buyer and seller equally safe from scams when selling cars overseas.
How to Ship a Car Overseas
After you and your buyer settle a deal, it’s time to get your car from Point A to Point B. Schumacher Cargo Logistics is fully licensed and bonded and a world-class expert in shipping cars overseas to popular destinations in Europe, Asia, Oceana and the Middle East.
The cost to ship a car overseas depends on the vehicle’s starting location, final destination, shipping method and any extra details. You can tailor these details to your, or your buyer’s, specifications.
Shipping Your Car With Schumacher Cargo Logistics
Roll-on/roll-off and containerized shipping are the most common and economic ways for shipping cars overseas, while air freight is the fastest and most expensive option.
For extra convenience, you can get door-to-door delivery service which includes ocean transport to the destination port. Once it arrives, our overseas agents can contact a local service to deliver the vehicle to its new home.
No matter which shipping method you choose, our services always include 24/7 online tracking and U.S. customs clearance.
Get your free shipping quote online or call our shipping experts at 1-800-599-0190 to learn more about international car shipping with Schumacher Cargo.
