Exotic and High-Value Cars
Why they need more care, and more work
Experience matters with exotic cars
Exotic and high-value cars need more care than normal cars. At every step, from the auction to the ship, there is more work to do, and more that can go wrong.
We have been exporting cars from Japan since 2010, including many exotic and high-value cars. We know what is involved, and we plan for it. This page explains what to expect before you bid.
More work at every step
1. Buying
Auction houses charge extra fees for expensive cars, and for cars bought by negotiation. You can see these fees below.
2. Inspecting
An expensive car needs a careful inspection, because a mistake costs much more. But some auctions do not let us inspect these cars before the auction, or limit what we can do. For example:
- USS Tokyo: we cannot inspect cars with a start price of ¥20 million or more.
- USS Nagoya: for cars with a start price of ¥20 million or more, we can sometimes inspect, but only with an auction staff member next to us. We cannot do some things, such as start the engine. Arranging this takes a lot of time on the auction day.
3. Transport in Japan
Many transport companies will not carry expensive cars. Insurance for these cars costs them a lot, and many do not have it. Low cars, and cars with a long front, such as a Ferrari Testarossa or a Lamborghini Diablo, need special trucks.
4. Storage
Many modern exotic cars cannot simply wait in a normal yard. On a McLaren, if the battery goes flat, a window can come down and rain can get in. Some modern Ferraris have batteries that must be kept charged, and a flat battery can be complicated to fix.
5. Freight forwarders and shipping
Many freight forwarders will not handle these cars. We often have to make extra arrangements, or send the car to a different port or facility that will take it.
Transport in Japan costs more
About 1.5 to 2 times
the normal transport price, and up to 3 times for some cars
Transport prices go up for cars over ¥5 million. How much depends on the type of car, how exotic it is and how low it is. Ask us for the price for your car.
Extra auction house fees
Auction houses add these fees on top of the car price and our buying fee. They are added to your invoice.
Negotiation fee
When we buy a car by negotiating with the seller after the auction, including instant negotiation.
| Car price | Extra fee |
|---|---|
| Under ¥10,000,000 | ¥10,000 |
| ¥10,000,000 and over | ¥20,000 |
High-value car fee
From July 2026, all USS auctions add an extra fee for cars priced at ¥10,000,000 or more. It applies to auction wins, negotiations and one-click purchases.
| Car price | Extra fee |
|---|---|
| ¥10,000,000 – under ¥20,000,000 | +¥20,000 |
| ¥20,000,000 – under ¥50,000,000 | +¥30,000 |
| ¥50,000,000 – under ¥100,000,000 | +¥50,000 |
| ¥100,000,000 and over | +¥100,000 |
What our buying fee covers
Our buying fee reflects the extra care these cars need:
- Experience. We know which transport companies, ports and facilities can handle these cars, and how to look after them while they wait.
- More work. Every step takes more time and more arrangements, as you can see above.
- More tax paid first. When we buy a car at auction, we pay 10% Japanese consumption tax on the price. We can only claim it back after the car is exported. On a ¥20 million car, that is ¥2 million.
With an expensive car, a small mistake can cost a lot. We take the time to get each step right.
Shipping insurance. The shipping insurance has limits. If you are buying an expensive car, please read our Shipping Insurance page before you bid.
Looking at an exotic or high-value car?
Tell us about the car before you bid. We will tell you what is involved.