Purchasing a supercar, for most people, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — so getting the new car home is nearly as important as the purchase itself. If you’ve managed to get your hands on one of these limited-edition supercars, how can you safely transport it to your house?
Inspect
When you take possession of your car, do a quick inspection. Take pictures of the exterior and interior of the vehicle and make note of any dings, scratches or other damage. If this is a brand-new car, it shouldn’t have any damage, but if there is anything there, make a note of it and snap a picture.
This helps you in the event there is any damage when you receive the car after shipment. Keep detailed records to protect yourself.
Research
Don’t choose the first car transport company that comes along. As with most things, not all transport companies are created equal. Do your research before you choose the company to carry your supercar home.
Select a company that specializes in high-dollar transports. The service will probably cost you a bit more, but you’ll know you’ve got a company that knows how to handle these expensive supercars.
Decide
Step three is to decide how you want to transport your car. If you’re bringing your car in from overseas, you need to choose whether you will ship your vehicle by air or by sea. Shipping by air is more expensive, but it is faster. Shipping by sea can take months, but it will cost you less in the long run.
You will also need to decide if you want to ship your car covered or uncovered. Covered shipping — inside a freight container — will cost more, but it will protect your car from any road debris that could scratch the paint job. Uncovered shipping is more cost-effective, but it leaves you open to scratches and other damage. You can mitigate some of this risk by ensuring your supercar is covered with a cloth cover, but there is still some risk.
Insure
Your car shipping company probably offers some form of insurance, but for a high-ticket item like a supercar, it’s a good idea to purchase some transport insurance on your own. Give your insurance company a call and see what it offers for this kind of protection. It might cost you a pretty penny, considering the initial cost of your supercar purchase, but it will keep you protected if your car is damaged during transit.
Wait
This is probably the hardest part of the whole ordeal — the waiting. Once you choose your shipping method and get your insurance, you have to wait to have it delivered. The amount of time this takes will depend on the method of shipping you chose. If you paid to have your car flown home, it might only take a few weeks. The same amount of time might pass if you bought a domestic supercar and are having it shipped home on a freight truck.
Shipping a car from overseas on a ship will take the longest. Depending on the shipping schedule, it can take months to get your car home.
Inspect Again
Once your supercar has finally made its way home, your next step is to inspect it again. Go over it from bumper to bumper and make sure there are no new scratches or dents that weren’t there before. If there are, gather all the inspection information and photos you took before the car was shipped and file a claim with your shipping company.
Store
Once your car is safely home, your last step is to store it. This is one area where it’s helpful that shipping takes so long. It gives you plenty of time to clean out the garage, rent some storage space or build a new carport to ensure you have somewhere to safely store your new investment when you’re not behind the wheel.
All that’s left now is to enjoy your new car — and relish in your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.