Buying a car in Europe - pros & cons

Hello All,
I've been seeing some very nice cars for sale from European dealers lately.
I'm wondering if any of you have purchased a car from Europe and brought it into the USA.
How did it go, would you do it again, and would you recommend it to a novice?
I know there are a lot of admin. hoops to jump through, and that engaging an import company might be the way to go. There's also the 2.5% duty Customs charges.
Nevertheless, it might actually be cheaper than buying at auction, with a 12.5% buyer premium.

In particular, I see some nice cars from what appears to be a professional classic car dealership in Italy.
How hard is it to get a car out of Italy? It's Italy, you know.

I appreciate any input, and of course feel free to talk me out of this.
It might save me from a 6-figure size mistake.