Import a Honda Beat, Suzuki Cappuccino or Autozam AZ-1 from Japan to Ireland: what it really costs
The ABC of 1991 to 1998: Autozam AZ-1 (gullwing, mid-engined, 4,392 built), Honda Beat (mid-engined roadster, 33,600) and Suzuki Cappuccino (front-engined, rear-drive, about 28,000), all with 660 cc and 64 ps.
Ireland has no kei class, so the three little sports cars arrive as ordinary cars: 23% VAT on the customs value, €200 of VRT because they are over 30, and no duty with a Statement on Origin. The Beat and the AZ-1 are past the line entirely; the Cappuccino was built until 1998, so the last of them wait until 2028, at which point an under-30 Cappuccino pays 41% of a small valuation plus the €600 NOx default.
The honest number again: a good ¥1,900,000 Cappuccino lands at about €17,500 against a British average of £5,200, and a ¥1,400,000 Beat at about €13,900 against a British median of £6,250. The Japanese cars are the low-mileage, rust-free ones; the British cars are 30-year-old kei cars that lived outdoors. The AZ-1 is the exception where the sums balance, because Britain prices a good one at £18,000 to £25,000.
- Customs duty
- 0%
- With a Statement on Origin; 10% without one.
- VRT in the scenarios
- 0% to 0%
- of Revenue’s valuation, by CO2 band
- Landed, incl. fee
- €13,816 to €26,426
- across the scenarios and CO2 assumptions
- Exchange rate
- 180.94 ¥/€
- ECB, 18 Sept 2026, with the 2% buffer
Worked scenarios
Computed with the same engine as the calculator when this page was built. Prices and Irish values are assumptions. Open any row and replace the assumptions with a real car.
| Car | Price in Japan | Irish value | CO2 → band | Landed incl. fee | Open in calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 Honda Beat, 80,000 kmPetrol | ¥1,400,000 | €9,000 | 35 years old → vintage rate, €200 | €13,816 | Open |
| 1995 Suzuki Cappuccino K6A, 70,000 kmPetrol | ¥1,900,000 | €8,000 | 31 years old → vintage rate, €200 | €17,319 | Open |
| 1993 Autozam AZ-1, 50,000 kmPetrol | ¥3,200,000 | €22,000 | 33 years old → vintage rate, €200 | €26,426 | Open |
- 1991 Honda Beat, 80,000 km: A grade 4 Beat with a recent timing belt; price from the middle of the 2026 range, value from the British median. €200 VRT.
- 1995 Suzuki Cappuccino K6A, 70,000 km: A later K6A car, over 30 in May 2025; price from the 2026 typical range, value from the British average. €200 VRT.
- 1993 Autozam AZ-1, 50,000 km: A standard AZ-1 with the doors sealing; price from the 2026 range, value from the British market. €200 VRT.
VRT and the OMSP
Beats, AZ-1s and Cappuccinos built to 30 years before the day you register pay €200; a 1997 or 1998 Cappuccino registered before its birthday is 41% of a valuation of perhaps €8,000, about €3,300, plus the €600 NOx default. Small money, and a short wait.
Kei status means nothing in Ireland: no tax class, no concession, an ordinary registration on ZV plates if you want them.
NOx levy
None on a car registered at 30 years or more, as the engine and the secondary sources have it; we are confirming this with Revenue (V20). Registered younger, a petrol car with no NOx evidence pays the €600 default.
Without evidence Revenue charges €600 for petrol and hybrid cars, €4,850 for diesels.
Customs duty and origin
Japanese-built, so 0% customs duty applies with a Statement on Origin from the exporter, exactly as for a modern car. Heading 9705 adds nothing here: the duty is already nil, and Revenue charges the standard 23% VAT on a vintage car that will be driven whatever heading it is declared under.
Built in: Japan (Honda for the Beat; Suzuki at Kosai for the Cappuccino and, for Mazda, the AZ-1). All Japanese-built, so the EU–Japan 0% duty rate applies with a Statement on Origin.
Insurance
Classic policies with agreed value and limited mileage; the British classic insurers know all three and the Irish ones will follow their lead. Values are low and premiums with them. Declare any tuning: these engines are often modified.
Generations
- Honda Beat (May 1991 to 1996): E07A 656 cc, 64 ps at 8,100 rpm, five-speed manual only, mid-engined; all over 30 by 2026.
- Suzuki Cappuccino (October 1991 to 1998): F6A turbo to 1995, then the K6A, five-speed manual or a rare automatic, three-piece aluminium roof; about 1,200 sold new in Britain. Cars built to 1996 are over 30 now; the 1997 and 1998 cars follow through 2028.
- Autozam AZ-1 (October 1992 to 1994): Suzuki F6A turbo, mid-engined, gullwing doors, plastic panels; the Suzuki Cara twin adds 531 cars. All over 30.
Before you bid
- Beat: the distributor, the timing belt and the roof; a Beat that has been sitting is a carburettor-free but not trouble-free car.
- Cappuccino: rust in the sills, rear arches and floor is the killer on British cars and not unknown on Japanese ones; the aluminium roof panels dent and the turbo and head gasket age.
- AZ-1: door seals and hinges, the F6A turbo, and plastic body panels that are hard to find; crash protection is what you would expect of a 720 kg car.
- All three fit in a shared container with room to spare, which is the cheap way to bring two or three over together.
- Japanese tyres often lack the E-mark the NCT requires: budget €300–600 for a set.
Where the numbers come from
- Japanese retail prices in September 2026: Beats from ¥500,000 to ¥3,580,000 with honest cars at ¥1,200,000 to ¥1,800,000; Cappuccinos from ¥650,000 to ¥4,000,000 across 90 cars, typical ¥1,400,000 to ¥2,600,000; AZ-1s from ¥2,000,000 to ¥3,800,000 (MOTA and kakaku; directional).
- British values: Beat median £6,249 (The Classic Valuer), Cappuccino average £5,200, AZ-1 £18,000 to £25,000 with the best above £30,000 (Octane). Irish comparables are almost nonexistent; the scenarios use British values as Revenue’s likely view.
- Google autocomplete in Ireland offers “honda beat for sale ireland” and “suzuki cappuccino for sale ireland”; the interest exists, the supply does not.
Questions people ask
How much VRT does a kei sports car pay?
€200 for any of them registered at 30 years or more: every Beat and AZ-1, and Cappuccinos built to 30 years before the registration date. A 1997 or 1998 Cappuccino registered earlier pays 41% of a small valuation plus the €600 NOx default.
Is a Cappuccino from Japan cheaper than a British one?
No. A good ¥1,900,000 car lands at about €17,500 against a British average of £5,200. What you buy in Japan is a car without 30 British winters underneath it. The AZ-1 is the one where Japanese and British prices meet.
Is the VAT 13.5% because the car is a classic?
Not for a car that will be registered and driven. Revenue lists vintage cars at the standard 23% rate and the brokers apply the 13.5% collectors’ rate only to a car kept off the road, warning of fines and confiscation for a wrong claim. Budget 23%.
Does kei status help with tax or insurance in Ireland?
No. Ireland has no kei class. The cars are taxed, tested and insured as ordinary vintage cars: €56 motor tax, the NCT every two years until 40, and a classic policy.
How long does the import take?
Typically 8 to 14 weeks from auction to Irish plates: a week or two in Japan for deregistration and export paperwork, four to six at sea, then customs clearance, the NCTS appointment and registration.
Price a real Beat, Cappuccino and AZ-1
Put a real auction listing into the calculator: hammer price, mileage and the CO2 figure if you have it. You get every cost line and a range, and you can send it to us for sourcing from there.
Other models
Rules version 2026-09-17. Estimates only; VRT is assessed by Revenue at registration. Page computed at build time; the calculator uses the exchange rate of the day.