Buying a Classic Ferrari Privately, Verified in Switzerland

Is it safe to buy a classic Ferrari from a private seller?

Yes, with an inspection. A car from long-term private ownership is often the better car. The risk is not the private seller. The risk is paying before an independent specialist has looked underneath.

A collector car carries two questions a watch does not: mechanical condition and originality. Both are answerable — before any money moves.

The pre-purchase inspection

An experienced mechanic inspects the car before purchase:

• Mechanical condition — compression and leak-down, the state of the body and chassis, paint-thickness readings that reveal past repairs.
• Originality — matching numbers checked against the factory records; where relevant, eligibility for the manufacturer's own certification.
• History — service records, ownership chain and documentation traced as far back as they go.

The findings go into the file, whatever they are. That record is what a buyer relies on, and what a future sale rests on.

How a live-video viewing works for a car

The car is shown over a private live video call, walked around in detail — engine bay, underbody, panels, interior — with the inspection findings explained on screen. The buyer sees the car before deciding, and can direct the camera. The viewing carries no obligation.

Bringing the car to you — or holding it in Switzerland

Most clients are not resident in Switzerland. The car is bought and verified here; what happens next depends on where it goes.

• Exported to you. The car leaves Switzerland, so Swiss import tax does not apply. The duties that apply are your home country's, handled with your own advisors. Maison Jade Club documents the export cleanly.
• Held in Swiss custody. Placed in a Swiss bonded warehouse, the car is not brought into free circulation, so import tax is deferred while it is stored.
• Imported to drive in Switzerland. For a resident who will use the car here, it is cleared into free circulation: an automobile tax of 4% (AStG) and import VAT at 8.1%, on a statutory value base.

Whichever route, the car travels with a specialist secure carrier such as Brink's or the seller's own transporter — your choice, fully insured — and Maison Jade Club handles it transparently from day one, declared value, route and clearance documented. A car of thirty years or more, kept original and used sparingly, can qualify as a veteran vehicle, with a lighter periodic-inspection regime.

Holding: the gain, at home or in Switzerland

For a client resident abroad, a later gain follows the home jurisdiction — handled with the client's own advisors. For a Swiss resident, how the car is held changes how the gain is taxed.

• Held privately, the capital gain on a sale is tax-free for a Swiss resident (Art. 16 para. 3 DBG) — subject to the same commercial-dealing line as any collectible.
• Held through a company, the gain is business income and taxable (Art. 58 DBG), with private-use questions on top.

Maison Jade Club does not advise on which to choose. A licensed structuring partner addresses it in the partner's own name, and documents the position from the first year — valuation and succession included.