I built the car in Portugal but to get it road-legal I have to register it in the UK and then import it. So I sent the car to the UK where Steve from Aries received it. Steve prepared the car for IVA and took it. The car has passed first time! Mr VOSA Engineer showing the pass paper:


Now I need to wait for the registration. Then I'll have to decide between getting the car transported back to Portugal or flying to the UK and driving it back myself, on british plates.

Congratulations. Fantastic achievement. Looks good.

Well done, drive it back

[Edited on 4/7/15 by kj]

Looks like Nottingham centre. In good hands there.

Thank you all!

Yes, it is Nottingham. Aries is based on Ilkeston, pretty near by. Steve told me to put Derby as 2nd option of the IVA form. By the way, was pretty impressed to be able to apply for IVA through the web, pay with VISA and specify a representative, allowing me to apply from Portugal!

I want to drive it back. Some people in my closest family are worried about me doing the trip alone. I'm checking which is the most cost effective option hoping it will be "drive it back" to make it hard to convince people to do it differently.

Do note we are a family of 4, with only one tin top. We live on the city centre so we use public transportation daily. Our tintop is a small Honda Jazz 1.2 that will be 8 years next month and has just over 30.000 miles on the clock, half by me, half by my wife... The trip back is 200 miles from Nottingham to Portsmouth, 24h on a ferry to Santander and then 550miles from the North of Spain to Portugal. But since we usually do split driving for any trip above 150/200 miles. I understand the worries.
Our initial plan, 6 years ago, was for the wife to come and we would make a split driving vacation. But she can't come as she is still breastfeeding the youngest one.
(yes, the wife is one of those that dreams of split-driving route 66 on a classic mustang )