We talk to Gulf car owners every week, and the same few surprises come up again and again. None of them stops a car coming home. Each is easier to deal with if you know about it before the car ships, so here they are.
1. The front window tint usually has to come off
Dark tint is everywhere in the Gulf, and for good reason. UK law is stricter on the front of the car: the windscreen must let at least 75% of light through, and the front side windows at least 70%. Heavy Gulf tint usually falls well short, so the film on the front glass often has to be removed. Our guide to living with left-hand drive has the detail.
2. A car built for the Gulf may have no rear fog light
Fog is rare in Dubai or Doha, so plenty of Gulf cars have no rear fog light, or a single one on the left. UK rules want at least one, in the middle or on the right. It is one of the conversions almost every Gulf car needs, along with the headlights and the speedometer. Our guide to headlights, fog lights and the speedo explains all three.
3. The mileage stays in kilometres
The speedometer has to show mph, and we convert it where needed. People often assume the odometer changes too. It does not. A car that counts in kilometres keeps counting in kilometres, which is perfectly legal, and it is registered with its mileage as it is.
4. The number plate depends on proving the car's age
An imported car gets a UK registration number to match its age, so a 2019 car looks like a 2019 car. If its age or identity cannot be proven, the DVLA can issue a Q plate instead, which nobody wants. Most Gulf cars have the paperwork to avoid that, and for older cars we can source dating evidence. Our guide to which UK number plate your car will get explains how it works.
5. Some Gulf cars started life in America
Not every car on Gulf roads was built for the Gulf. Plenty arrived from North America, some of them after an accident or a flood and a spell in an auction yard. That history can follow the car, and an American spec car can need more lighting work than a GCC spec one. If you are buying, check before you pay. Our guides to GCC spec and salvage and flood cars show what to look for.
Better known now than later
We check every car from its VIN and its paperwork before it ships, so these come up at the quote, not at the test. If you would like to know what your car will need, ask for a quote with the make, model and year.