Kirkham prices - looking for help

NC427 · #1 (**permalink**) 06-03-2003, 04:07 AM

As quite a few of us I remain being interested in a Kirkham 427 in the long run and I am just wondering about the prices for a Kirkhams in the U.S. as I understood from the Kirkham Homepage that a roller is approx USD 60.000 and the presumably same roller is EURO 85.000 when bought from their german agent (approx USD 99450) although the car is made some 450 miles from here in Poland.

What is the reason for this huge price gap? Are the cars sent from Poland to the U.S. for assembley and then shipped back to Europe? (the price difference is quite a nice amount to cover freight and import duty if this is the case) or did I again miss out on something essential?

Thanks for clarification.
Carsten

Cal Metal · #2 (**permalink**) 06-03-2003, 07:40 AM

My suspicion is that you are probably dealing with some form of VAT (valued add) tax or import duty. I spoke with an English gal at Goodwood last year who owned a Viper. She said that the duty to bring a new one into G.B. was 20% of the invoice price.

NC427 · #3 (**permalink**) 06-03-2003, 08:19 AM

Cal Metal,
thanks for your reply. What you wrote was my initial thought too but I found that the sales tax which I would get refunded upon exporting from the U.S. would more or less equal the import expenses we do have here.

The difference in price for shipping and import duty remains being almost USD 40thousand = almost another 66% of the price for the second Kirkham?

Almost appears as if I would have a good excuse by now to fly to the U.S. and buy my car on your side of the Atlantic once the time has come. Will be fun!!!

Still: I cannot understand the price policy and I guess that there must be some mistake in my research re this issue. If not............

Carsten

rdorman · #4 (**permalink**) 06-03-2003, 08:29 AM

Call the Kirkhams and see if you can't get the car direct without having it shipped to the states. Maybe????
Rick

NC427 · #5 (**permalink**) 06-03-2003, 09:22 AM

Rdorman,
guess that is exactly what I am going to do once I make the final decision if I am going to keep my actual Cobra or if my desperacy for the Kirkham 427 can no longer be controlled.

rgds / Carsten

NC427 · #6 (**permalink**) 06-04-2003, 08:45 AM

Just to keep you informed: Had a very friendly mail, sent by the german Kirkham-agent, on my computer this morning.

Understood that there are mayor differences between the U.S. version and the European version so that the price surcharge for the Kirkham in Europe is, according to the agent, absolutely justified. (Does Kirkham supply a Cobra to the U.S. market which is less well equipped or made???)

Gonna try to stop by at his place in the very nearby future and check out the differences and possibilities.

Last but not least I have to state, that the quality of feed back which I received from Philipps Classic Cars (the german agent) was matching up to the high quality standards you Kirkham owners keep on talking about whenever it comes to judgements about the enterprises action and performance itsself.

Carsten

rdorman · #7 (**permalink**) 06-04-2003, 09:40 AM

Didn't know about that.

You know you can contact David Kirkham directly on this forum don't you?

Rick

Tom-In-Ohio · #8 (**permalink**) 06-04-2003, 02:25 PM

A pre-owned solid black Kirkham was just listed on CobraCountry.com

Very stealthy looking.

Tom

NC427 · #9 (**permalink**) 06-05-2003, 12:52 AM

Rick, Tom

Thanks for the feed backs.

Presently trying to find my way through the information-jungle re Kirkham and for this reason your hints are very supportive.

Guess I will need to do some more homework and also see the need to pile up some more $$$$$.

Understood from the german agent that the Kirkham cars are sold in the U.S. for racing pruposes only - so how do you guys get them legally on the street?

Carsten