From my experience, not being a resident to the UK will preclude you from obtaining insurance on the vehicle. I have British friends who live abroad who wanted to purchase a car to keep here and insure it. I could not find an insurance company who would provide cover and as Howard says with the minefiled of red tape here now you would ahve to get a friend to purchase, tax and insure it with you being a named driver and then your friend sell it to you at the point the vehicle is to be exported.
