Readers have asked us if Kit cars can be imported into Malaysia and this is what we found out.
Importing a used UK made Kit car into Malaysia using an Approved Permit (AP) is technically possible under very specific circumstances, but i do not think any AP dealers have done it to date.
The final say to a Kit car being imported in has to come from the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) and Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) who handle vehicle approvals.
1. MITI Rules: Mass Production vs. “Rebuilt/Replica” Bans
JDM Kei cars (like a Daihatsu Canbus, Honda S660, or Daihatsu Copen) are standard, factory mass-produced Complete Built-Up (CBU) vehicles. They have standard Chassis/VIN numbers issued by OEM manufacturers, clear export certificates and standard engine codes and this is why they are imported in used and with affordable prices.
MITI’s import guidelines (for Kit cars) explicitly ban replica and rebuilt vehicles under standard classic/vintage AP channels. Unless a kit car comes from an officially recognized low-volume car manufacturer (like Caterham or Morgan, which issue factory VIN numbers), home-built kit cars (e.g., a Westfield built in a UK shed using donor parts) are classified as “rebuilt” or “assembled” vehicles.
Did you know once upon a time this stripped out open wheel classic looking roadster was available for sale in Malaysia from HICOM-Potenza Sports Cars Sdn Bhd which was a subsidiary of DRB-HICOM Berhad.
2. JPJ VTA (Vehicle Type Approval) Homologation
Before any imported car can be registered for Malaysian roads, it must pass Vehicle Type Approval (VTA) by JPJ.
A custom-built kit car lacks or does not have at all, standardized crash-test data, factory safety certifications, or unified emissions ratings. Proving to JPJ that a one-off kit car complies with the Road Transport Act 1987 requires individual inspection, engineering reports, and custom approval, which is a bureaucratic nightmare.
3. Open AP Limits and Commercial Viability
Recon dealers operate using Open APs, which cost significant money and carry strict age limits (typically for cars between 1 and 5 years old). Car dealers use their quota of APs to import high-demand, quick-selling vehicles such as Toyota Alphards, Harriers, Porsche 911s, or popular Kei cars—that can be flipped within weeks.
Meanwhile, a Kit car has limited appeal to a very small niche of enthusiasts. Locking up a high-value Open AP slot on a UK Kit car that might sit in a showroom for months (or get rejected by JPJ during VTA) is an unreasonable commercial risk for a recon dealer. So, this is very understandable as AP dealers are thriving businesses that do not need added headache with a Kit car.
4. UK Logbook (V5C) Documentation Issues
In the UK, many kit cars are registered under Q-plates (indicating age or origin cannot be determined) or retain the donor vehicle’s registration (e.g., a kit car registered as a “1984 Ford Sierra” because of its donor engine from a Ford model).
Malaysian Customs and MITI cross-reference the foreign registration document (V5C) with the actual vehicle. A mismatch between the physical vehicle and the UK logbook triggers immediate seizure or rejection at Port Klang.
Is there any legal way to bring one in? Yes, but usually not through a recon dealer’s Open AP.
