What to Know About European Car-Delivery Programs

Some automakers help you turn buying a new car into a European vacation.

Ronan Glon | 

Jan 8, 2025 | 5 min read

Porsche

For years, automakers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche allowed overseas car buyers to purchase a new vehicle and pick it up at the brand's European factory. From there, owners took their new vehicle on a road trip across Europe before shipping it home.

Some of these programs have disappeared in recent years, but there are still a handful of ways to turn a new-car buying experience into a vacation.

Porsche

Visit Germany for Porsche European Delivery

Porsche buyers who want to pick up their new car in Europe need to travel to one of two locations in Germany: Zuffenhausen, a neighborhood of Stuttgart where the brand's headquarters and museum are located, or the Porsche Experience Center in Leipzig.

What buyers get to see and do depends on the location they select, but lunch, a factory tour, and a one-night stay at a hotel are included for both programs.

Porsche builds models including the 911, the 718 Boxster, and the 718 Cayman in Zuffenhausen. The factory in Leipzig makes the Panamera and the Macan. (Cayenne production happens in Slovenia now.) Buyers who choose to take delivery in Zuffenhausen will be able to visit the Porsche museum, while those who select Leipzig will have the opportunity to receive vehicle instruction on the Experience Center's track in a car similar to the one they just bought.

Porsche

Customers can then set off on a European road trip in their new Porsche. At the end of the trip, they're able to drop the car off at one of several locations in Germany or in France, Switzerland, Spain, or Slovenia. Porsche handles the process of shipping the car to the United States.

The time it takes for a car to reach its new home depends on where it leaves from and sails to. While Porsche doesn't provide an estimated timeline, shipping a car across the ocean can take weeks.

Porsche currently charges $2,500 for its European delivery program, and slots are limited. The program is open to buyers in the U.S. and Canada, and most models are eligible for European delivery; the Taycan and the Macan electric vehicles are notable exceptions.

Volvo

For Volvo Delivery, Enjoy a Visit to Sweden

Volvo's European delivery program starts in the company's hometown of Gothenburg, Sweden. Participants fly into the Gothenburg airport, where a brand representative greets them and drives them to their hotel. The following morning, customers head off to the World of Volvo experience center to take delivery of their new car, get a factory tour, and have lunch.

With the keys in hand, customers have the opportunity to set off on an adventure. They can drop off their car in Gothenburg if they're planning a loop, or they can take the vehicle to one of the drop-off centers scattered across Europe.

Various factors influence the shipping time, including the car's destination. Customers who ship their Volvo to a port in New Jersey, Maryland, or California will need to wait between six and eight weeks to get it. Shipping a car to Washington state can take between 10 and 13 weeks. Buyers will also need to wait an additional 15 business days for the car to clear customs and reach its final destination.

Volvo

Volvo vehicles including the XC40, XC60, XC90, V60 Cross Country, and V90 Cross Country are eligible for the European delivery program, though none of the fully electric Volvos can be picked up across the pond. The program is open only to buyers in the U.S. and, in order to participate, buyers must pay a nonrefundable $3,000 deposit that's later applied to the cost of the car.

Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz No Longer Offer Euro Delivery

While Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz once offered factory pickup options, that's no longer possible. Audi canceled its program in 2018, while BMW and Mercedes-Benz stopped offering European delivery in 2020.

Chevrolet

Delivery Programs in the United States

You don't need to fly across the Atlantic if you're looking for a cool way to pick up a new car, though. Several car companies offer unusual and appealing delivery experiences — such as museum visits or track time — in the U.S.

Porsche buyers, for example, can take delivery of their new car at the Los Angeles Experience Center in California or the Atlanta Experience Center in Georgia. Porsche treats buyers on both coasts to a personalized tour of the facility, a 90-minute stint on the driver-development track in a car similar to the one they just purchased, and lunch for two at the on-site restaurant. Buyers can then drive home or pay to ship their car to a dealer.

Chevrolet teamed up with the National Corvette Museum (NCM) to offer enthusiasts two delivery programs. One is called Museum Delivery: Priced at around $1,500, it lets buyers pick up their new Corvette at the NCM, near the factory in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The experience includes a guided tour of the museum, a personalized plaque that owners can put on the dashboard, and a personalized wall plaque. Corvette models delivered at the museum also receive a special decal on the driver's doorjamb.

The other program, called NCM Experience, builds on Museum Delivery with, among other things, a one-year membership to the museum and the opportunity to chat with a staff mechanic.

Ronan Glon

Ronan Glon is an American journalist and automotive historian based in France. He enjoys working on old cars and spending time outdoors seeking out his next project car.