Exporters

Roughly 18 percent of transactions through our network end up with an exporter as the buyer. These are licensed operators who acquire US-market cars for resale into European, Middle Eastern, Asian, and Australian markets. Their pricing logic and their buying preferences are very different from a private collector or a domestic dealer.

Who they are

Exporters in our network are typically US-incorporated companies (or US offices of international parent companies) holding the customs and documentation licensing required to ship vehicles internationally. Major destinations are Germany, UK, Switzerland, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia. The companies range from single-operator shipping shops to multi-million-dollar export logistics businesses.

Why exporters buy through our network

• Specific market arbitrage. A car that is plentiful in the US (a Cayenne Turbo S, a G63 AMG, a F-150 Raptor) may be in short supply or carry a price premium in the destination market.
• US-only specs. Some configurations are not sold in international markets and have a collector premium overseas (US-spec C8 Corvette in Japan, US-only Ford Bronco DR in Europe).
• Rapid sourcing. A confirmed buyer in Dubai needs a specific car in 14 days. Public auction timing does not work for international logistics windows.
• Title and lien clarity. Cars exported internationally cannot have outstanding US liens or unresolved title issues. We confirm title status before introducing.

What exporters buy

• Premium SUVs with international demand: G63 AMG, Range Rover SV Autobiography, Cayenne Turbo S, Bentley Bentayga
• US-spec exotics: Ferrari, McLaren, Lamborghini with US-only options packages
• American muscle: Hellcat Demon, Mustang Shelby GT500, F-150 Raptor R
• 25-year-rule classics destined back to Japan: BMW M3 E30, Toyota Supra A80, Nissan Skyline R34 (these are obviously not exports out of the US; they are 25-year-rule re-imports we route to specialty dealers, not exporters)
• Cars with reconditioning needs that the exporter can address overseas at lower labor cost

How exporter pricing works

Exporter pricing is built around: destination market retail price minus their margin requirement (typically 8 to 18 percent) minus shipping cost (typically 2,500 to 6,000 dollars for a car) minus US-to-destination compliance costs (variable, can be 1,500 to 8,000 dollars depending on country and emissions requirements).

On many cars, the destination market premium more than offsets the shipping and compliance costs, which is why the channel works. On cars where the destination premium is modest, the exporter offer typically lands below a domestic dealer offer and well below a private collector offer.

How we evaluate fit

When a car submission lands, we cross-reference its configuration against current exporter requests in our network. If there is a clear destination-market premium for the specific configuration, we route the introduction to exporter contacts first. If not, the car goes to the domestic collector or dealer channels.

We do not show every car to every exporter. The point of curated match-making is that the buyer's profile fits the car. A 1970s Alfa Romeo Spider has limited export demand. A 2024 G63 AMG has substantial export demand.

What this means for you as a seller

If your car has a strong international demand profile (premium SUV, US-spec exotic, American muscle with destination-market collector appeal), there is a real possibility your buyer match comes from the exporter channel. The transaction mechanics are identical from your side: a direct negotiation, a direct payment from the buyer (or their US-based escrow), and direct title transfer.

The buyer will arrange international shipping from their pickup location at their cost. Your role ends at delivery to the carrier.