The right car
 

After reading the "Sahara Overland" book a few questions still remain.
If I’m planning on going to Mauri/Mali to sell a car, what kind of Mercedes would be best? My first choice would be a 190d (w201) but since the 200d (w124) actually is cheaper would that be a safe choice too? And how about a 300d (w124), 6 cylinder? Or should you always choose for a 4 cylinder manual? Is it acceptable to bring an injection engine? Or should it always be carburetor powered?

Any of the Merc diesels will go down well over there, but if you're looking at petrol then carburettor would be preferable over injection purely from a maintenance perspective for your whilst travelling.

I'm looking a volvo diesel estates(740/940) as a possible option for my next road trip, again a fairly basic commercial unit that's durable - ideal for that sort of journey.

Hi,

I have just come back from a trip Amsterdam- Bamako and sold my car in Mali. Selling it was no issue at all, we got asked 50 times a day if the car was for sale.

The questions they tend to ask, give a good impression of what they want:

Is it a diesel? (they strongly prefer a diesel)
Is it a manual? (they want manual, an automatic breaks down too quickly)
Is there airco? (they want airco, but if there is none its still ok)
Is it a 4 cylinder? (They prefer the 4 cyl because it consumes less)
They dont want a turbo or an injection. They want carburators, because they are more reliable and easier/cheaper to fix.

They prefer the 190d, because 'everyone has a 190d', but a manual 4 cylinder 200d will sell just as good. Just to give you an impression: we bought our w124 for 1600 euro and sold it there for a 1000 euro more.

regards,

Obiahman

p.s.

I posted a vid on youtube
YouTube - Sahara Overland with Mercedes

or my blog with car pics
Obiahman Endeavours

p.p.s. I would not go for a different car then a Mercedes Benz. By no means a volvo, I don't think I have ever seen a volvo in Mauri or Mali.

Silly question but I guess they're only interested in left-hand drive vehicles?

Obiahman - Did you have any problems with paperwork, or have you burned some bridges and can't go back? Cheers.

What's the score with Carnets and payable duty etc when you sell a car or bike in these countries?

We drove around Morocco 3 years ago in a rental tin can - and enjoyed the place so much we are thinking of heading back there next April - for 4-6 weeks.

Like the above we will be looking to take over a old Merc - from Switzerland - and sell it once we are done in Morocco.

What is the situation with regards to tax, customs, duty etc when doing this??

How easy is it to fly back to Europe without booking too far in advance?

We are looking to do something similar in April/May next year - what are the implications in selling the car in Morocco - IE duty/tax to pay??

Thanks

As a non-resident you cannot sell a car in Morocco ... you'll have to take it further south!

Kira

Thanks for the insightful replies! It will have to be a w124 200d then as these are cheaper and can accommodate more luggage then the w201 190d. In my limited technical understanding of a car, diesels always have an injection system instead of a carburetor right?

Diesel
 

Yes, that's right. Linzi.

What I usually do
 

buy a MB 207, or 307, 407 or similar 209, 408. This a mini bus. lot's of space. Diesel of course. they go for bush taxis down there. And many in Europe are equipped as camping cars. Sleep inside. so don't need a hotel, tent. Just they don't go quick. Come by very cheap after summer in Europe.
http://www.thisfabtrek.com/journey/a...malienne-4.jpg

Legality
 

Hi Manfred, I'm guessing you're German: How does a non resident take a German registered vehicle out of Germany legally? What number plates, Fahrzeugschein etc please? I've long wondered about this. Linzi.

I've taken one to France on the 'temporary' plates which only have insurance for Germany for 5 days. I insured it on the spot with my French insurance company so that I could bring it home without worry.

The garage in Essen had the car ready for me in 36hrs. They dealt with the paperwork to get the car registered in my name for 100euros extra; to get the other plates (the ones valid for a year) it was 300euros. This was 2 years ago so prices might have gone up!

Kira

Hello,
in Germany there are special number plates for vehicles that will be exported ("Ausfuhrkennzeichen"), which you can get at the vehicle registration of the local county or city ("Zulassungsstelle).

What you need for them is proof of ownership (Fahrzeugbrief/Zulassungsbescheinigung), a yellow insurance card, TÜV (it's a technical check up, you should get the document with the proof of ownership), your passport and either the valid number plate of the car or documentation stating that it's currently not registered.

You can have a look at what's needed in Frankfurt/M. here: Frankfurt am Main: Lebenssituationen[_id_inhalt]=58357 (German/Should apply equally everywhere in Germany).

Have Fun on your trip!

Papers
 

Thanks Buebo that should help. I heard of people taking cars that had failed their TUV to Mali and wondered just how illegal that had been!! Very, it seems, Linzi.

Do you have a rought indicator of the amount of tax/duty is involved in getting a car into Mali/Mauritania to sell?

And how easy is it to fly out? IE on last minute flights.

Thanks guys.

I have located a nice E200 (W124) estate - manual - which is prime for export.

Getting the TÜV done is certainly not a bad idea before attempting a tour like that. German bureaucracy can be a bitch sometimes, but the TÜV is pretty reasonable (if you're not going for pimped up cars).

For the most part they check on the wear and tear of things like the lights, brakes and such. Also if you're get caught you might not only have to pay a hefty fine, in the worst case they can have your car towed...

Most quetions have been answered
 

I am Austrian. In Austria you don't need a TUV to have an Exportkennzeichen. 1 week to 3 weeks. Takes 15 minutes. It's insurance companies handing you the plate out and the carte grise. You need a Passport, contract stating u bought it, Typenschein (=Fahrzeugbrief). That's it. Took me a day to do it this year in Hamburg. And all others said about German procedures is right. Rgds

Linzi
 

Gruess Gott Manfred, sorry didn't catch your accent! Thanks for the help, have a great trip, Linzi.

Well, I bought a '87 Mercedes 200D in Germany last week. To get it to the Netherlands I used the kurzzeitkennzeichen instead of the ausfuhrkennzeichen (it's cheaper but only lasts 5 days instead of 15). It's not really clear if this is insured in the Netherlands but at least I got an insurance green card with it. Waiting on the Dutch license plates now!

Best Wishes
 

Good luck on your trip. I'd love to do the same myself. Linzi.

We sold a car in Bamako. It was very easy. The buyer took care of all taxes, duties, whatsoever. To find a buyer is very easy. If a tourist wants to sell a car in Bamako, word spreads automatically. It is definitely possible to sell at a higher price than in Europe.

The outward flight can be booked through the travel agency in the Sofitel Bamako. Seat availability seemed no problem. We took Air France. Price was same as in Europe, ca. € 700 return (one-way fares were not available in eco class).

P.S.: If you buy a used car in Germany from a dealer he will get you all the paperwork (export plates and insurance) on the same day. Again, very easy.

Hi Narayan, are you going on dutch export or normal license plates?

Greetings Cor

We want to spend a lot of time in Morocco - so I am currently looking at a car to take us to Morocco, around Morocco, and back again.

We will then use for other trips we are thinking about over the next few years.

I'm guessing the export plates are more needed to terminate the car in the Netherlands than they are needed to actually import the car in Mali. Rules in the Netherlands state that cars this age can be demolished by the owner by just sending a letter to the RDW. I guess that is the cheapest way to stop the Dutch tax and insurance and just go on the normal plates.

Maybe Obiahman has some thoughts on this?

Thanks narayan, i allreaddy tried to mail him, but i have not enough posts to send a PM. Obeahman, if you read this, can you mail me if you have the time?

Dutchcor

What did you find out Cor?