You can import cars yourself. The real question is what happens to your money while that car is still overseas.

With a direct import, your cash is tied up while the car is bought, inspected, prepared, shipped, cleared, registered and MOT’d. Only then can it become sellable stock. If shipping slips, paperwork drags, a fault appears, or the car needs more prep than expected, the delay and extra cost sit with you.

Pitlane removes that dead time. By the time we offer a car, it is already in the UK, UK-registered, freshly MOT’d, prepared for retail and available at a fixed price. You can inspect it in person, or review the full condition report, photos and videos remotely before you commit.

So you still get access to import-priced stock, but without waiting months for your money to become a car you can actually sell. You buy it, collect it or arrange delivery, and put it straight into stock.

Most import stock reaches dealers after passing through several layers: agents, exporters, yards, lists and brokers. By that stage, the buyer is often relying on photos, sheets or descriptions from people who are not responsible for the final retail outcome.

Pitlane works the other way round. We buy in Japan and Singapore, inspect before purchase, prepare the car before shipment, then complete the import, registration and MOT process before offering it to UK dealers.

So by the time you see the car, it is not an unknown import still somewhere in the pipeline. It is landed, registered, prepared and documented.

Yes. We operate on the ground in both markets rather than buying through remote exporter lists.

That gives us access to cars before they become generic export stock. We can buy from the local market, inspect cars before purchase, and walk away from anything that does not meet our standard.

This matters because the best cars are not always the ones being pushed through export yards or circulated on spreadsheets. Local access lets us buy earlier, inspect properly and control the car’s journey from the start.

Before buying, we inspect the car’s general condition, mileage evidence, history, bodywork, interior, mechanical condition, wear items and any obvious faults or warning signs.

We are looking for cars that make sense as retail stock once properly prepared. That usually means lower-mileage, higher-spec vehicles with good underlying condition and sensible history.

If a car looks cheap but needs the wrong kind of work, we do not buy it. We reject more cars than we purchase, because the aim is not to buy every possible bargain. The aim is to buy stock that can be prepared properly and sold with confidence.

Once bought, each car moves to our workshop before leaving Japan or Singapore.

The work depends on the car, but can include servicing, fluids and filters, brakes, tyres, wear items, fault rectification, cosmetic issues and UK-spec changes such as MPH speedometer settings or English language systems.

The aim is simple: the car should arrive in the UK forecourt-ready, with the service, wearables and inspection items handled to support a clean MOT and reduce any further prep burden for the dealer.

Because it gives us more control and keeps the final price sensible.

If a car needs work, we want to know that before it leaves the country, not after it lands in the UK. Preparing it locally lets us deal with issues earlier, use our own workshop process and document the work before the car enters the UK registration stage.

It also helps keep costs under control. The dealer is not buying an unknown import and then discovering a prep bill later. The work is already done, recorded and reflected in the car we offer.

Each car comes with a detailed condition and preparation record.

This includes inspection photos and videos, service notes, wear item checks, preparation records, invoices where relevant, completed vehicle images, MOT details and UK registration information.

The point is transparency. You can see how the car started, what was checked, what work was carried out and how it was presented once complete.

Yes. All cars can be reviewed remotely using the supplied photos, videos and condition report, and they can also be inspected in person.

The idea is that you should know exactly what you are buying before you commit. If you are local or want to view the car yourself, you can. If you are further away, the documentation is there to give you a clear view of the car without relying on a vague description.

Yes. By the time a Pitlane car is offered to dealers, it is already imported, UK-registered, plated, freshly MOT’d and prepared for retail.

In normal circumstances, the remaining work for the dealer should be minimal: collect or arrange delivery, give the car a quick clean if needed after transport, and list it for sale.

The supplied photos and videos can also be used to prepare your listing before the car reaches your forecourt.

All vehicles we source are right-hand drive, and most are UK or European specification models that were first registered overseas.

That means they are generally the same type of vehicle as the UK-market equivalent, rather than unusual JDM-only variants. Import status still needs to be disclosed, but parts availability and mechanical specification are normally the same as the equivalent UK or European model.

Any unusual specification point is disclosed in the car’s documentation.

For the type of stock we usually source, parts availability is normally the same as the equivalent UK-market vehicle because the cars are generally UK or European specification models.

Insurance should still be checked and import status must be disclosed, but these are not usually the kind of unusual grey imports that create major parts or insurance problems.

If a car has anything unusual about its specification, we make that clear before sale.

You review the available stock, check the photos, videos and condition report, then contact us about the car you are interested in.

Cars can be inspected in person or reviewed remotely. Once agreed, the car can be collected or delivered, depending on location and availability.

Where we have stock in preparation or in transit, we can also discuss what is coming next so dealers can plan ahead.

Yes. Not every car we are working on will be listed as available immediately.

Some cars may still be in preparation, shipping, registration or final MOT stage. Where suitable, we can share upcoming stock information, expected timings and supporting details so dealers can plan ahead.

A car is only offered for sale once the import, registration, MOT and preparation process is complete.

Yes, for suitable dealer requirements.

Our main focus is prepared stock that is already landed and ready to retail, but we can also discuss specific sourcing requirements where they fit our buying criteria.

We are selective rather than volume-led. If the car does not make sense after inspection, we would rather walk away than supply the wrong unit.