Headlight use in LHD Countries

[JurassicF]

Ii seems very likely that UK lights do not comply with Spanish (European) regulations but are permissible for use only whilst visiting, hence the JRL original statement after contacting Jaguar who came back with the following:-


“Driving abroad … would NOT refer to permanent homologation and registration of the vehicle in another market as there is no requirement to register a vehicle abroad to simply visit.”

Exactly this. UK headlights would not pass the Spanish ITV, nor I guess the equivalent French test.

[Tel]

^ +1

[steviegtr]

I thought you could not MOT a RHD car in Spain any more.

[JurassicF]

As long as it conforms to all the homologation rules, yes you can still ITV right hand drive cars here.
We have several in our Classic Car Club that are on Spanish plates, both historic and standard plates.

[daytona650]

As long as it conforms to all the homologation rules, yes you can still ITV right hand drive cars here.
We have several in our Classic Car Club that are on Spanish plates, both historic and standard plates.

Same in France. The important document is the full European certificate of conformity, which you need to obtain separately from the manufacturer - it is not the statements you get in the manual or receive with the car normally. Some RHD re-registered cars in France are now allowed to have official deflectors fitted to save cost however the beam at night is not as complete as proper LHD units.

I've re-registered 5 RHD cars and 3 motorcycles in France over the last 5 years and all of them have needed new LHD headlights. Some have needed new positions for fog and reversing lights - thankfully the F-Type doesn't need a different fog light.

At the time I moved over to France, I managed to have a conversation with the guy who designed the headlights on the F-Type (after lots of conversations with Jag Customer Service about the lights) and he confirmed they all have a small flick the right / wrong way (you can see it on a wall). They were going to change the wording in the manuals as a result of my conversations as I was seemingly the first to bring it to their attention on the F-Type (but mine is an early one).

The same is true for newer LED based headlights too - i have a RHD SEAT Leon with full LED that will need them changed.

[Philskill]

Yes seems fairly clear, as a temporary visit the lights are ok to use, but to permanently reside the car in the country such that it would need a local MOT, it would need converting properly.

[steviegtr]

I am still confused because I used to just about live in Majorca. I was talking to a local who was English & he had a Fiesta, RHD. He told me he would have to get rid of it as next year RHD cars can not be registered in Spain due to the amount of Deaths caused. This was something like 1995.

[JurassicF]

We still have a lot of Spanish registered rhd cars in our car club that pass the ITV.