Buying a car can be an expensive time and, when you’ve finally handed over the cash, you want to be able to drive off the forecourt straight away and go show off your new wheels to the neighbours. Well, spare a thought for Christine Barton who had to fork over another £16,000 and have her car shipped to Sweden for six months. Christine is in a wheelchair due to MS and, as such, needed special adjustments making to the car.

Whilst there are many custom cars out there on the market which allow for wheelchair access, they usually only allow disabled passengers to sit in the back and Christine only feels safe and comfortable when sat in the front of a car. Because of her busy work commitments with the various trusts and charities she’s involved with, travel is essential to Christine’s lifestyle- her old modified car was getting a little too old and so a new alternative had to be found. Ultimately, it was decided that something as important as this shouldn’t be dependent on money and thus one of the more expensive options was pursued; this is when the problems started.

The Chrysler Entervan was chosen because, as Christine has three different wheelchairs, a large vehicle was going to be needed. The Chrysler Entervan begins its existence as the Grand Voyager car.  Christine got hers for around £21,000, as VAT is not charged for purchases made for conversion. This might seem like a good saving, but then the hidden costs began to show up.  The major restructuring of the car is done in Sweden and, after all the necessary adjustments have been done, you’re left with a bill that is closer to £40,000. The charges are explained away by the fact that most people come to buy such modified vehicles after receiving very high compensation or insurance payouts after road-accidents. However, Christine had no such financial cushion to rest her hopes on, nor is she given all that much help financially from the state. If she had saved up her Disability Living Allowance then she may have been able to buy the car in around 25 years!

A cheaper alternative from FIAT is now on the market for around £20,000 but this came too late for Christine who had to endure months of delays and extra costs before she got her car but, as she has commented, it has been worth the wait.