How long does a VIN check take?

A matter of seconds. You enter the number and get the country and city of the assembly plant plus the answer to whether that Corvette meets the condition for the customs preference. The check is free, needs no account and can be repeated for every lot you consider.

Does a sale in the USA mean assembly in the USA?

No. American sales also move cars built in Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia. Where a car was auctioned has nothing to do with the origin condition, which is why the assembly plant of a Corvette is checked separately, on the VIN.

Who deals with customs clearance?

We do. We put together the proof of origin, prepare the customs declaration and keep contact with the agency. For a Corvette that qualifies on its VIN we apply for the 0% rate, and the customs office decides on the documents.

What about models built in two countries at once?

That is a common case, and it is exactly where the VIN becomes essential. Two Corvette cars from the same model year can carry different rates, 0% and 10%, because they came off lines on different continents.

Can I check a car before the auction ends?

Yes, and that is the point of doing it. Enter the VIN from the lot while bidding is still open, read the assembly plant, and you know whether to count on 0% or 10% before you set the highest figure you are willing to go to.

Chevrolet Corvette: where the car was built and what it pays

US-assembled Chevrolet Corvette cars usually reach us from the plant in Bowling Green. If your car came off that line, duty is 0% instead of 10%; if it came from a plant in another country, the preference does not apply. The split runs by single VIN, not by model.

Where is the Chevrolet Corvette assembled?

The split shows in the data: 10,273 Corvette cars reached us with an American assembly plant, the rest came from plants in other countries. The first group qualifies for 0% duty, the second for 10%. The counts cover every car recorded in our database, not the current offer.

Plant	Country	VIN prefix	Cars in our database	Duty
Bowling Green	United States	1G1	10,204	0% duty
St. Louis	United States	1G1	68	0% duty
Beijing	China	1Z3, 1Z8	28	10%
Fuzhou	China	1Z3, 1Z8	25	10%
Cairo	Egypt	1Z3, 1Z8	24	10%
Ludwigsfelde	Germany	1Z3, 1Z6, 1Z8	21	10%
Nazareth	Israel	1Z3, 1Z6, 1Z8	20	10%
Taipei	Taiwan	1Z3, 1Z8	19	10%
Cordoba	Argentina	1Z3, 1Z8	17	10%
Dusseldorf	Germany	1Z3, 1Z8	17	10%
Valencia	Venezuela	1Z3, 1Z6, 1Z8	15	10%
Campo Largo	Brazil	1Z3, 1Z8	14	10%
Oshawa	Canada	1G1	1	10%
Blue Rapids	United States	138	1	0% duty

Made in USA • Tax 0%

How do you check a specific car?

The quickest filter is the first three characters of the number — on a Corvette with American assembly that is usually 138. A filter is not proof, though: we check the plant tied to the full VIN, because only that answers the condition. The check runs in seconds and costs nothing.

How much will you save?

The saving is a percentage, so it grows with the value of the car. A Chevrolet Corvette from an American plant comes in at 0% instead of 10%, and lower duty shrinks the 23% VAT base. Excise stays: 3.1% on smaller engines, 18.6% on larger ones. The calculator does the rest.

Work out the import cost

What the import cost is made of

Three tax lines and one variable. Duty follows the assembly country of your Corvette: 0% for an American line, 10% for any other. Excise goes by engine size — 3.1% or 18.6%. VAT at 23% is worked out last, on customs value with duty and excise added.

Component	Rate
Duty — car assembled in the USA	0%
Duty — everything else	10%
Excise	3.1% up to 2.0 l, 18.6% above 3.5 l
VAT	23%

Rates, not amounts — the calculator works the sum out on current data.

Zero-duty paperwork — our job

Our customs agency handles the formalities. We gather the assembly data for the Chevrolet Corvette, prepare the declaration and see the clearance through. The rate finally granted is the customs office's decision, taken on the documents submitted.

What to watch for when buying at auction

Cars end up at sales in the States mostly after damage, so the condition report matters more than the odometer. Check whether the damage touches structural parts or only panels, and price the repair before you bid. The duty rate ignores condition — a damaged Corvette clears exactly like an intact one.

Damage	Cars in our database
Front end	3,987
Rear end	1,103
Side	1,002

From the USA or from Europe?

The difference comes down to what you add and what you get back. Buying a Corvette in Europe, you skip the ocean crossing and the clearance; buying in the States you add both, but on a car from an American line duty is 0% instead of 10%. Your choice depends on how much paperwork and repair you take on.

See current listings: Chevrolet Corvette