Car import business celebrates 15 years of success in Milton Keynes

A car shipping business set up by two school friends is celebrating its 15th anniversary after transporting thousands of vehicles around the world.

Nick Roach and Kingsley Read set up ShipMyCar in 2006 and now operate from a 12,000 sq ft warehouse in Blakelands.

The company aims to simplify the often complex process of importing a car into the UK, and is now the UK’s leading full service importer of vehicles from countries including the USA, South Africa, Australia and Hong Kong.

It has recently launched an online car shipping calculator that prices the cost of moving a car to the nearest and most suitable port, all freight costs and marine insurance premiums, and then uses the age and origin of the car to work out import VAT and duty when entering the UK.

The ShipMyCar website will then use its 15-year-old database to provide the costs of testing and registering the vehicle, including any potential IVA, MOT and DVLA costs.

Nick said: "Importing a car into the UK is a nightmare - there are so many potential costs, headaches and dead ends.

"Our calculator is the only one of its kind on the market, using the data we have collated over 15 years to provide all the costs involved from start to finish, in a matter of seconds."

He said he and Kingsley were hugely proud to reach the 15-year milestone, with the company having grown out of a car valeting venture that was originally set up to fund a road trip to the USA.

"Brexit, Covid-19 and the recent congestion at ports around the world has certainly presented us with some unforeseen challenges, but new routes have also opened up and demand for car importing has remained strong.

"Like many businesses, the last couple of years have forced us to adapt and develop new processes in order to effectively maintain the high levels of customer service we pride ourselves on.

"Now at our new warehouse, we're in great shape to continue to grow the business and we enter the next 15 years with great optimism."