UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Hi all,

My new r line Polo is due to arrive in Emden on the 11th of Jan! How long after it arrives in Emden will it arrive in the U.K.? And also let’s say it arrives at the dealer before February would you say it’s worth waiting for the 2023 plate or register it as a 72?

How long it will take will depend on the logistics and co-ordination of those companies involved in planning and transportation of your car from Emden to the UK dealer. I can remember one guy on a Golf forum whose car sat at Emden for nearly a month before being shipped to the UK. That’s probably the exception rather than the norm, and I’d guess that it ought to take no longer than a month from arriving in Emden to being ready for collection from your dealer, but that is purely a guess. It only takes one stage in the process to be disrupted (e.g. road transport carriers used for transportation of cars from UK port storage facilities to dealerships to go on strike - industrial action seems to be relatively commonplace just now) and what’s considered to be ‘normal’ timescales could become extended.

As to whether or not you should wait until March for a ‘23 plate; these days with the current UK registration plate format and two registration plate changes per year, I personally don’t think it’s that important - people seem to be less concerned about whether they have - or are seen driving - a 72 or 23 plate car, and it’s only the latest / new registration plate for a maximum of 6 months. Whether it’s a 72 or 23, it’ll still be a 2023 registered car. From a financial perspective, if you’re either leasing or PCP-ing and intend handing the car back at the end of the lease / PCP contract term, then I certainly wouldn’t bother waiting. If you’re buying outright, then waiting for a March collection and a ‘23 registration plate is something to consider. However, when the time comes to sell in a few years time, there’ll probably be little difference in the value of a 2023 car registered on a Feb 72 or March 23 plate (a few hundred pounds at most), and IMHO most prospective buyers - myself included - would place more importance on condition and history of a car, rather than the registration plate.

When I bought my 2011 mk6 Golf GTD, it was registered on an 11 plate just a few weeks before the registration plate change. I sold it at 4.5 years old and there was virtually no difference between the value of my car and an equivalent 61 plate car (it was in immaculate condition though, even though it was 4.5 years old). From memory, it was only on the dealer’s forecourt for just over a week and the person buying it probably did so based on its condition and history, and they weren’t bothered it missed being a 62 plate car by just a few weeks.

Mine arrived in Emden 30 November, arrived at dealer 2 weeks later and I had I got it a week later - so 3 weeks total.