Candlemas 2022 a right-hand drive English car arrived with a note taped to the wheel: do not start until the shop has seen the fuel. We did not start it. We opened the crate, checked for damp, and booked a morning when the bay was actually free.
Winter intakes teach patience. A car that sat in a London lockup does not owe you a first-turn start. It owes you a dry floor and a honest look at the lines.
We still use that day as the reminder that imports are not a poster on the wall. They are crates, dates, and a shop that has to be ready.
