You have found the car you want in Europe, the USA or the Gulf, and the steering wheel is on the wrong side. The obvious question is whether you will have to move it, and what that would cost. The short answer is that you do not have to, and in most cases we would talk you out of it.
This guide is for the moment you are weighing it up. It covers what the law says, what drives the cost of a conversion, how it fits around the IVA or MOT, and why keeping the car as it was built is usually the better result.
- Legally required
- No
- DVLA registers it
- As it is, left-hand drive
- Usual effect on value
- Takes value off on most cars
- Work still needed either way
- Lights and an mph speedo
What the law says
Nothing in UK law requires an imported car to be right-hand drive. The DVLA will register a left-hand drive car exactly as it is, and the MOT does not test which side the wheel is on. What the car does have to meet is the UK standard for lights, and on newer cars, an mph speedometer.
So a conversion is a choice, not a condition of getting the car on the road. If you want the detail on the changes that are required, our guide to left-hand drive cars in the UK goes through them.
Why people consider it
The reasons are understandable. Overtaking is harder when you sit nearer the kerb, drive-through windows and car park barriers are on the wrong side, and some people simply feel more at home on the right. Others worry that a left-hand drive car will be hard to sell later.
Those are real points, but most owners find they adjust within a few weeks. Plenty of people drive left-hand drive cars here every day, and for a car that was never sold in right-hand drive, buyers who want that model tend to expect it as it left the factory.
What a conversion involves
Moving the steering wheel means moving everything the driver uses with it. That is the steering itself, the pedals, and the parts of the dashboard and instruments built around the driving position. On a modern car it can also reach into the wiring, the airbags and the electronics that expect the driver to be on a particular side.
How much of that is a straight swap depends on the car. If the manufacturer built a right-hand drive version for another market, some of the parts may exist. If it never did, the job turns into fabrication, and that is where cost and finish both suffer.
What drives the cost
We are not going to put a number on it, because there is no honest single figure. What we can say, from My Car Import's own experience, is that a conversion costs more than the speedometer, headlight and rear fog light jobs put together. These are the things that push it one way or the other.
- Whether a factory right-hand drive version exists: parts from it make the job far simpler
- How complex the dashboard is: a simple layout moves more easily than one with integrated screens
- Airbags and electronics: anything safety related has to work properly afterwards
- Who does the work: a specialist who has done that model before is worth paying for
- The finish you expect: a factory-looking result takes far more time than a functional one
It is also worth remembering that a conversion does not replace the compliance work. The car still needs headlights set for driving on the left, a rear fog light in the right place, and an mph speedometer if it is under 10 years old at import. Our guide to speedometer and headlight conversions explains those jobs.
Keep it or convert it
| Feature | Keep left-hand drive | Convert to right-hand drive |
|---|---|---|
| Legal in the UK | Yes | Yes |
| Compliance work | Lights, fog light, mph speedo where needed | The same, plus the conversion |
| Cost | The compliance jobs only | More than the compliance jobs put together, before you start |
| Finish | As the factory built it | Rarely looks like the factory did it |
| Value | Kept as original | Takes value off on most cars |
| Insurance | Specialist import insurers are comfortable with it | A major modification to declare |
Timing it around the IVA or MOT
If you do decide to convert, the order matters. A car under 10 years old from outside Europe normally takes an IVA test before it can be registered, and steering is one of the things the examiner looks at. Older cars take an MOT instead.
The sensible approach is to have the car tested in the form you will actually drive it. Converting after the test means the car on the road is not the car that was inspected, and it leaves you relying on the conversion having been done well with nobody independent checking it. Our guide to the IVA test explains what is checked and when.
GOV.UK lists the changes you must report on the V5C, such as colour, engine and fuel type. A steering conversion is not one of them, but that does not mean nobody needs to know. Your insurer certainly does.
Talk to us before the car ships. If you are set on a conversion, tell us at the quote stage. It affects the order of work once the car lands, and it is far easier to plan around than to undo.
Insurance and resale
A conversion is a significant modification, and every insurer will want to know about it. Leaving it out can give them grounds to refuse a claim. Ironically, the left-hand drive car you started with is often the easier one to insure, as specialist import insurers deal with them every day. Our guide to insuring an imported car covers what to tell them.
On resale, a converted car has to answer more questions. Buyers will want to know who did the work, whether it was tested, and whether the airbags and electronics were dealt with properly. A clean, original left-hand drive car with its paperwork in order is usually the easier sale. More on that in selling an imported car.
Questions to answer first
Before you commit to a conversion
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Questions people ask
Do I have to convert a left-hand drive car to right-hand drive in the UK?
No. There is no legal requirement to convert an imported car to right-hand drive. The DVLA will register it as it is, once the lights and, on newer cars, the speedometer meet UK standards.
How much does it cost to convert a car to right-hand drive?
There is no single figure, because it depends heavily on the car. As a guide, a conversion costs more than the speedometer, headlight and fog light work put together, and more again if no factory right-hand drive version of the model exists.
Does converting to right-hand drive add value?
On most cars it takes value off rather than adding it. Conversions rarely look like the factory did them, and buyers of models never sold in right-hand drive tend to expect them original.
Should I convert before or after the IVA test?
If you are going to convert, do it before the test so the car is inspected in the form you will drive it. Steering is one of the things checked at IVA.
Do I need to tell my insurer about a right-hand drive conversion?
Yes. It is a major modification, and leaving it out can give an insurer grounds to refuse a claim. Specialist import insurers are often comfortable with the car left as left-hand drive.
Bringing over a left-hand drive car? Send us the details on the quote form and we will tell you what it actually needs.
