It's forbidden for the moment, but the Chinese will soon be able to import and run classic cars: prices could soar!

For a long time, China has had a paradoxical relationship with the classic automobile. On the one hand, a growing appetite for iconic cars, European brands and rare models. On the other, an almost insurmountable red line: on the mainland, the very idea of importing a used car (and therefore, by definition, a classic car) was seen as a risk. This has led to an almost absurd situation: collectors able to buy extraordinary cars... but often condemned to keep them as static pieces. In China, enthusiasts exist, as do clubs, but the road remains mostly out of reach. And yet, a shudder is turning into a concrete project. And this project has a name: Guangdong.

The unwritten rule: "garage yes, road no".

To understand the scope of the change, we need to go back to the original rationale. On the Chinese mainland, the import of used vehicles was for a long time virtually closed: the aim was to avoid the massive arrival of old, polluting cars that were difficult to control. While it was still possible to own a classic car via highly supervised circuits (exhibitions, events, collections), allowing it to run freely on open roads was the exception, the temporary or the local thing to do. In China, classic cars are made for museums and beautiful garages.

1000 Miglia Experience China 2025

If it's forbidden, how do you explain events like the 1000 Miglia Experience China 2025? The answer lies in one nuance: an international rally is not a classic private import. At the end of November 2025, the event took place in Guangdong, with an exhibition in Guangzhou followed by a 1200 km route through several cities in the province. The event was presented as a cultural and automotive festival, with a strong exchange dimension and an organization involving the local classic car ecosystem, notably the Federation of Classic Car China (FCCC). In other words: cars can be authorized to circulate within an event framework, with specific itineraries, authorizations, partners and controls... without opening the door to permanent registration for any collector. Collecting yes, driving only on certain occasions.

Guangdong 2027

The real novelty, then, is not that a vintage Ferrari will run for a few days under an organizational escort. What is new is the idea that, starting in 2027, a six-month pilot project could allow, for the first time, the import and registration of a strictly limited number of classic cars... with a right to drive much closer to normal use. Each car would have to pass a double technical inspection: first in the country of origin, then a second time in China. Above all, during the pilot phase, the vehicles would be fitted with a GPS tracker to follow their movements. For the time being, the opening will be limited to Guangdong, the region in southern China adjoining Hong Kong and Macao, which is used to international traffic and has been chosen as a laboratory.

Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes: an opening for beautiful pieces

If such a project sees the light of day, it will probably start at the top end of the market. Specialists expect to see "luxury" models arrive first, because they are the most desired, but also because they often have more traceable histories, higher restoration standards, and a value that justifies the effort. The local press clearly refers to this first wave of Mercedes, Porsche and Ferrari oriented cars. And this is where the subject becomes global: if China even partially opens up legal access to imports and the road, demand will impact on the prices of the most desired models. The law of supply and demand.

A closely-guarded scale

We need to remain cautious: we're talking about a pilot project, limited in time, limited in space, limited in volume. And if China has agreed to discuss it, it's precisely because the conditions announced are strict: reinforced technical control, GPS tracking, selection of vehicles. But for the first time, the idea that a Western classic car can be imported, registered and legally driven on mainland roads is no longer a fantasy for Chinese collectors. And if Guangdong succeeds, the rest of the country will follow.