Transporting Exotic Vehicles

Whether it’s a Lamborghini Aventador, Aston Martin, Audi RS6 Avant or a Bentley Continental, they rule the roads with their advanced features and stylish appearance. While they’re always a joy to drive, they’re a major investment and what happens if they ever need to be relocated to another destination?

As an owner of an exotic vehicle, you likely wouldn’t even dream about transporting it by driving it yourself a long distance. This not only adds wear and tear to the vehicle, it’s also inconvenient and puts an unnecessary number of miles on your car, effectively driving down its overall value. This is where an auto shipping company comes in to manage the shipment of your exotic car cross-country or even overseas.

However, the idea of transporting a high-end vehicle may lead to a lot of stress when you’re considering all of extra protection, care, security, expertise and precaution it will require in order to have it safely shipped to its new location. This definitely means that you’ll end up forking over more cash to have it shipped when compared to the average vehicle.

Before you start to stress too much, let’s examine all of the variables involved in the transport of exotic vehicles. We’ll help to shed some light on the shipping costs you can expect to pay as well as give you some peace of mind in regards to the safety of your exotic vehicle during its entire journey.

Why enclosed auto transport for exotic vehicles?

While you can certainly choose an open carrier to transport your exotic car, this method is not recommended to ensure the utmost safety and protection.

With enclosed transport, your car will be loaded and secured into its own fully enclosed trailer. Depending on your auto transport company they may offer both ramps and lifts for vehicle loading. Lifts are essential for handling custom, exotic vehicles or any other vehicle with a lower profile. Loading one of these cars by using a ramp can potentially damage the vehicle’s undercarriage.

Here are just some of the reasons why enclosed transport is the best option to ship your exotic vehicle:

• Protecting your investment. If you own an exotic car, you likely consider it to be an investment. Enclosed transport will ensure that it is completely protected from any elements that could damage the outer appearance of the car or negatively impact its value.
• Protection from snow. While you can certainly choose to ship your exotic vehicle in the summer months, if it needs to be shipped during a harsher, cold month it requires an extra level of protection. An enclosed carrier provides safety from damage caused by snow or excessively cold temperatures.
• Peace of mind. Having the peace of mind knowing that your expensive exotic vehicle is in a protected environment is the key to a stress-free relocation. Also, if theft is ever a concern, put your exotic auto into an enclosed carrier.
• Protection from road hazards. Being inside a completely enclosed container, your exotic car will not come into contact with any dirt, debris, pot holes or other possible road hazards that could damage its exterior.
• No risk of sun damage. Depending on the particular custom exterior of your vehicle, it may not be able to handle long exposure to the sun. In this case, transport in an open-air trailer should be avoid.
• Protection from rain. In addition to snow and excessive sun, your vehicle may not do well in rain storms. This is especially true for classic cars or exotic vehicles with custom exteriors. To prevent any damage caused by rain, choose the enclosed transport method through your auto shipping company.

How much does enclosed auto transport cost?

By nature, shipping an exotic vehicle in an enclosed carrier will cost you more. You can expect to pay about 25 to 50 cents extra per mile when compare to open transport. In most cases, you will pay anywhere from 10 to 30% more for an enclosed carrier for your exotic car than an open carrier.

Regardless, you can always save money on your enclosed shipment by scheduling with your auto shipping company in advance. Start speaking with companies and requesting quotes as early as possible.

What influences the cost of shipping an exotic vehicle?

Aside from the method of transport, a number of other variables will directly impact the price you pay to ship an exotic car. For example, depending on your particular situation, you may need to purchase expedited shipping. This is a great option if you need to speed up the overall shipping process. Although the cost for this service will vary depending on carrier, it will make your final costs higher. Also, if instead of picking up the car yourself you choose a door-to-door service, the overall shipping costs will rise.

Distance is another big factor in exotic vehicle shipping costs. For every mile it travels, it can cost you up $1.50. However, this price will go down to around $1.15 per mile when the distance is above 1000 miles. Whereas, if you’re shipping your exotic car from coast-coast, you may pay as little as 90 cents a mile. Prices will increase dramatically for international shipping and will depend on the distance between ports.

Keep in mind that instead of charging a per mile rate, your auto shipping company may charge a flat fee for exotic vehicle shipping. Always ask plenty of questions when you’re obtaining a quote for the shipment of your exotic car!

Questions to Ask When Shipping an Exotic Car

Partnering with a professional vehicle transport company is essential to ensure the security and protection of your exotic vehicle’s relocation. However, when searching the internet for the right company to hire, you should do your research and ask a number of questions. Here are some of the things you should find out when you’re gathering quotes from exotic vehicle shipping companies:

1. How much liability is covered by the auto shipping company?

If you’re using a shipping company instead of driving the exotic vehicle yourself, to get the most out of the experience, it’s important that the insurance is sufficient. Confirm with your vehicle shippers how much insurance they offer in the case of an accident during transport. Regardless of your car’s value, you should be able to receive ample coverage. Also, make sure that you’re aware of how much the deductible is so you can be fully prepared.

2. Does the vehicle shipping company provide reviews?

This is essential for verifying the validity and experience of your shipping company. You want to make sure that they have plenty of past satisfied customers with real experiences. Also, ensure that they have all of the necessary insurances and licenses to be shipping your exotic car.

3. How will your exotic vehicle be protected during transport?

Considering the value and condition of your vehicle, protection and safety during transport is paramount. This question should be the deciding factor in siding with an auto transport company. Again, since enclosed transport is always preferable for exotic cars, make sure that they offer this service.

4. How long will the shipment take?

Ask your auto shipping company about any potential delays and find out if the established delivery time is a window or exact date. Depending on the way they operate, your schedule and theirs may not match up. In these cases, shipping your exotic car early may be necessary to ensure that it arrives exactly when you need it.

5. Where will your exotic vehicle be picked up and dropped off?

Before you put your investment into the hands of a vehicle transport company, make sure you know exactly where it needs to be dropped off and picked up from. Or, if you’ve purchased door-to-door shipping, confirm the location. If your home is in an area that is not easily accessible by a transport truck, you may have to choose a different location.

Contact Us to Transport Your Exotic Vehicles

At Ship Vehicles, we pride ourselves in our ability to provide excellent service and quality protection for your exotic vehicles. Submit an online quote request today or call us at (888) 231-0113 to speak with a dedicated exotic vehicle shipping expert. We’ll walk you through the process and give the peace of mind knowing your exotic car is safe and secure in the hands of our professionals.