Importify Cars
▸ For US buyers

US car import
finance.

Financing an imported vehicle in the United States works differently to a dealership loan — a 25-year-rule import has no book value, so collector-car and specialty lenders underwrite it as an asset. Model the repayment here, then tell us what you’re planning and our team will talk you through the options.

Start a finance enquiry Import cost calculator

Know what you want already? Apply direct with LightStream — our US finance partner, who take the application themselves.

What would it cost?

Move the sliders to model a repayment

Vehicle price$65,000
$10,000$400,000
Deposit$15,000
$0$65,000
Estimated interest rate7.00% p.a.
Term
Amount to finance$50,000
Estimated monthly

$990

5 years at an estimated 7.00% p.a. · about $9,404 in interest over the term

Continue

An estimate only, based on an assumed 7% p.a. Importify is not a lender and this is not a quote, an offer of credit, or an indication that finance is available — your actual interest rate and repayment depend on your lender and your circumstances.

Why importing changes the finance.

Most American buyers importing a vehicle under the 25-year rule find the same thing: the car is the easy part, and the finance is where it gets awkward. Mainstream auto lenders are built around a dealership transaction with a VIN, a book value and a lot to repossess from. A vehicle still sitting in Japan fits none of that.

It is entirely doable — collector-car lenders, specialty finance and asset lending all handle imports routinely — but the structure depends on the car, the landed cost and your own position. No single product fits everyone, which is exactly why this page is a conversation rather than an application form.

Send us the outline and we’ll come back with what we’ve seen work for vehicles like the one you’re after, and what documentation we’ll provide to support it.

If you’d rather start with a lender directly, LightStream takes vehicle loan applications online. They are our US finance partner, and buyers go to them directly — we don’t sit in the middle of the application. Their vehicle loans are unsecured, with no appraisal and no restriction on the age or mileage of the car by their own description, which is why they work for imports a book-value lender won’t touch. The application, the assessment and the terms are entirely theirs; we earn nothing from an introduction, and nothing about buying a car from us depends on using them. Either route is fine, and plenty of buyers do both.

What to know.

The landed cost is the real number

Financing an import means financing more than the car. Ocean freight, marine insurance, customs entry, duty, port fees and DOT/EPA compliance for a 25-year-rule vehicle all land before you drive it — and a lender wants the whole figure, not the purchase price, before it can quote sensibly.

A classic import is not a standard auto loan

Most US banks price an auto loan off a book value, and no book value exists for a grey-import R34 Skyline or a low-mileage European classic. Collector-car and specialty lenders do write this business, but they underwrite the vehicle as an asset — which is why the documentation on our side decides how smoothly it goes.

We supply what a lender asks for

Importify Cars provides the vehicle documentation a specialty lender needs to value an import: chassis and specification details, an independent pre-purchase inspection, and a clear invoice showing the landed cost. We do not lend, broker or assess — we make the asset legible to whoever does.

Want the landed cost before you talk to anyone about borrowing? Run it through our import cost calculator first — a lender’s first question is how much you actually need.

US import finance questions.

Can you finance a car imported into the United States?
Yes. Imported vehicles are financed in the United States every day, usually through collector-car or specialty lenders rather than a mainstream auto loan. The complication is not legality — it is valuation: a 25-year-rule import has no standard book value, so lenders underwrite the vehicle as an asset using its specification, condition and landed cost.
Why won't a normal auto loan cover an imported vehicle?
A mainstream US auto loan is built around a dealership transaction: a VIN already in the system, a book value to price against, and a car on a lot to repossess. A vehicle still in Japan at the point of finance fits none of those, so most banks decline it as a matter of process rather than of credit.
Does Importify Cars provide finance?
No. Importify Cars is a vehicle importer, not a lender, credit broker or financial adviser. We do not provide credit, assess applications, run credit checks or guarantee that finance will be available. We supply the vehicle and the documentation your lender needs, and our team can talk you through what we have seen work for cars like the one you want.
What can I borrow against, and is shipping included?
That depends entirely on your lender. Some will finance only the vehicle's purchase price; others will consider the full landed cost including freight, duty, customs entry and compliance. Because it varies, model the landed figure first — the Importify import cost calculator gives you the shipping and duty estimate to take to a lender.
How much deposit do I need for an imported car?
There is no single answer, because the deposit is set by the lender and the asset. Specialty lenders financing a collector vehicle often look for a larger deposit than a mainstream auto loan would, precisely because the valuation is less standard. The calculator on this page lets you model any deposit against any rate to see what it does to the repayment.
Is the calculator on this page a quote?
No. It is an illustration that uses an estimated interest rate you choose yourself, so you can see how price, deposit, term and rate interact. Importify Cars is not a lender and cannot offer credit — your actual interest rate and repayment come from your chosen finance provider after their own assessment.
Can I apply to a US lender myself instead of enquiring with you?
Yes, and many buyers do. LightStream (lending services provided by Truist Bank) is our US finance partner, and buyers apply to them directly through their own online application rather than through us. LightStream suits an import because their vehicle loans are unsecured — by their own description there is no appraisal and no restriction on the age or mileage of the car — which sidesteps the book-value problem that stops a conventional auto loan. Importify Cars is not a lender or credit broker: we receive no commission or fee for an introduction, we do not see or assess your application, and you are free to use any lender you like. Applying for finance is never a condition of buying from us.
What paperwork will my lender want from you?
Typically the vehicle's chassis and specification details, evidence of condition such as an independent pre-purchase inspection, and an invoice that itemises the landed cost rather than just the purchase price. Importify Cars provides all three as part of the import, which is usually what a specialty lender is missing when an import stalls.

Tell us what you’re planning.

Three quick steps. Rough numbers are fine — nothing here is a credit application, and we don’t run any kind of credit check. Or go straight to LightStream, our US finance partner — you’ll leave importifycars.com and land on their own application, which they handle from there.

Start a finance enquiry Apply direct with LightStream

Importify Cars is not a lender, credit broker or financial adviser. We do not provide credit, assess applications, run credit checks or guarantee that finance will be available for any vehicle. Any lending is a matter between you and your chosen finance provider, on their terms. LightStream is our US finance partner and an independent lender: applications, credit assessment, rates and terms are entirely theirs, we receive no commission or fee for introducing you, and buying a vehicle from us is not conditional on using them or any other lender.

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