The Chevrolet El Camino is half car and half pickup, and nothing else on a British road looks quite like it. The front is a Chevy coupe, the back is a load bed, and under the bonnet there is often a V8. The usual worries are rust and paperwork. Because every El Camino is now well over 30 years old, the UK rules work in your favour on tax, and most are old enough to skip the MOT too.
Ford's rival, the Ranchero, follows exactly the same route, so it gets a short section below. For bigger traditional trucks, see our Chevrolet C10 and classic pickups guide.
- Shipping from the USA
- From £1,450, shipping only
- Import tax
- 5% VAT, no duty, if it qualifies
- MOT
- Not needed over 40, if unchanged
- Time at sea
- Around 2 to 4 weeks
The generations
The El Camino had a short first run on the full-size Chevrolet, then came back on the mid-size Chevelle and stayed until 1987. All of them are left-hand drive, and most have a petrol V8, although six-cylinder cars were sold too. GMC sold its own versions, first as the Sprint and later as the Caballero.
| Feature | 1959 to 1960 | 1964 to 1977 | 1978 to 1987 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In brief | Full-size Chevrolet with the big fins of the era | Chevelle based, including the 1968 to 1972 muscle years and SS cars | Smaller, lighter Malibu-based body |
| UK test | None if not substantially changed | None if not substantially changed | None if built before October 1986 and unchanged, MOT after |
| Import tax | 5% VAT, no duty | 5% VAT, no duty | 5% VAT, no duty |
| Rear fog light | Not needed | Not needed | Needed if first used from 1 April 1980 |
The Chevelle-era cars from the late 1960s and early 1970s are the ones most people ask about, and the SS versions carry the biggest prices. That also makes them the most likely to have been copied, so check that an SS really is one before you pay SS money.
Rust and what to check
Where the car has lived matters more than its paint. States in the north and Midwest salt their roads in winter, and an El Camino from there can be rotten underneath while it still looks good in photos. One from a dry state in the Southwest has usually kept far more of its original steel. El Caminos were often worked hard too, so a tired bed floor or a sagging rear end is common.
Before you pay a deposit
0 of 9 done
If you can, have an independent inspector look at the car in person. It costs very little next to new metal in the bed and floor.
A word on the Ford Ranchero
Ford got there first with the Ranchero in 1957 and built it until 1979. Early ones were full-size, then it moved through Falcon, Fairlane, Torino and LTD II based bodies. Every one is over 40 years old, so the same rules apply: 5% VAT if it qualifies as historic, no MOT if it has not been substantially changed, and the same rust checks. A Ranchero first used before 1 April 1980 does not need a rear fog light.
Modified cars
Plenty of El Caminos have been lowered, re-engined or rebuilt as restomods. That is fine to drive, but it changes the import in two ways.
- HMRC's 5% rate is for vehicles in their original state. Restoration is fine, but a heavily modernised car is the kind HMRC's guidance leaves out, so it is likely to pay the standard rates.
- The MOT exemption for vehicles over 40 years old does not apply if the vehicle has been substantially changed, such as a replaced chassis, body, axles or engine that changes how it works.
Ask before you buy. If the car has a newer engine or major changes, send us the details first. GOV.UK suggests emailing the Tariff Classification Service before purchase if you are unsure whether the 5% rate applies.
Tax at 5%
A vehicle over 30 years old that qualifies as historic pays 5% import VAT and no duty. Today that means anything built before October 1996, which takes in every El Camino and Ranchero. Here is a £15,000 El Camino at our USA guide shipping price of £1,450, so the tax is worked out on £16,450.
| Feature | Qualifies as historic | Does not qualify |
|---|---|---|
| Duty | £0 | £1,645 (10%) |
| VAT | £823 (effectively 5%) | £3,619 (20% of £18,095) |
| Total import tax | £823 | £5,264 |
If the invoice is more than 3 months old, a recent valuation is used instead of the price. Our guide to the 5% historic VAT rules explains what HMRC looks for, and the import tax calculator runs your own numbers.
MOT and vehicle tax
A vehicle built or first registered more than 40 years ago, which today means before October 1986, does not need an MOT as long as it has not been substantially changed. It must still be roadworthy, so we put older vehicles through an MOT as a check when we register them. A late El Camino built after that date takes a normal MOT.
Vehicles built before 1 January 1986 can also go into the historic tax class, with no vehicle tax to pay. You have to apply for it. An El Camino sits well under 3,500kg gross weight, so a normal car licence covers it. For the wider rules, see importing a classic American car.
Lights
A vehicle first used before 1 April 1980 does not need a rear fog light, so most El Caminos avoid that job. The last generation from 1980 onwards needs one fitted. Headlights set up for driving on the right still need attention whatever the age. Our guide to converting an American car for UK roads covers the details, and left-hand drive cars in the UK covers living with the wheel on the left.
Shipping
For a classic like this, a container is the usual choice. It is strapped down and sealed in, out of the weather, and comes straight to our site in Castle Donington to be unloaded by our own team. It does not need to run, which helps with a project. Many vehicles share a 40ft container with other customers' vehicles, which splits the cost. Our guide to shared and sole containers compares the two.
We collect from anywhere in the USA and truck it to the port. East Coast sailings take around 2 weeks and West Coast around 4, with about 2 weeks before that for paperwork and loading. US Customs normally wants the title before the car leaves, and shipping a car from the USA covers the whole journey. For cover once it is here, see insuring an imported car.
Questions people ask
Can I import a Chevrolet El Camino to the UK?
Yes. An El Camino follows the same route as any classic from the USA: shipping, customs, any lighting changes, then DVLA registration. Most are old enough to skip the MOT if they have not been substantially changed.
How much import tax is there on an El Camino?
If it qualifies as historic, 5% import VAT and no duty, worked out on the price plus shipping. A heavily modified car may pay 10% duty and 20% VAT instead.
Does an El Camino need an MOT?
Not if it was built or first registered before October 1986 and has not been substantially changed. The last cars from late 1986 and 1987 take a normal MOT.
Does it need a rear fog light?
Only if it was first used from 1 April 1980, which means the later cars of the last generation. Earlier El Caminos and every Ranchero built before that date do not.
Is a Ford Ranchero any different to import?
No. The Ranchero was built from 1957 to 1979, so every one is over 40 and gets the same 5% VAT and MOT treatment if it qualifies and is unchanged.
Found your El Camino? Send us the listing on the quote form and we will price the whole job.
