2. I very much doubt it. I would think it more costly to ship from the west than the east... mine was central.Thrascar will ship from anywhere but prices change depending on the location.
Actually it has nothing to do with the country of origin - the car has been classified as "item of historic interest", in other words, it's an item of value to bring in to the country, so should be encouraged. Imports per se should not be encouraged and hence taxes are levied, but an "item of historic interest" can be anything from a Ming vase to a DeLorean which will increase the value of the pound - it makes the country richer.
3. The fees you'll pay will be 5% duty. Not VAT etc as you are re-patronising the car.