Importing Cars from the UK? Anyone done it?

[nightphotographer]

I made the stupid mistake of looking at how cheap nice cars are in the UK right now - for example Golf GTI Edition 30's for about $16,000. 07/08 Audi S3's for $20,000. Scirroco R's $30,000 - you get the picture.

Now I know it's not as simple as buying a car overseas and sticking it in a shipping container and driving it away at the other end - can anyone tell me the complete process and what costs are involved? I know you have to pay for parts to make it roadworthy in Australia (those silly clips behind the rear seats are one thing that comes to mind) - other than that what other expenses are there? And how much work really has to be done to make it roadworthy over here if it's already a model that sells here?

I am in the position where I could do a personal export from the UK - buy a car in my name, and get my dad to run it, service it etc for a year then send it over and I think that would save me a lot of money.

[jamesatfish]

I haven't imported a car from the UK (yet) but investigating the same options for my sister who is currently living in the UK on a permanent residency visa and who may be returning to Australia to live in the next 3-5 years.

Short story is that the most rigourous part of the process is proving the ownership of the vehicle. The vehicle has to be owned by and registered to the person who is living in the UK, and they have to hold it for at least a year. The Australian Government will verify ownership through registration documents etc, and will verify the owner resided in the UK during that 12 month period through numerous means including verifying bank/mortgage/title deed records to prove residency and checking their passport to confirm they spent the majority of that time in the UK.

You also need to prove the owner has permanently moved back to Australia, by showing things like title deed / rent payments on a property in Australia, enrolment of their children in an Australian school etc. Having a UK resident own the car for 12 months then try to import it to Australia whilst on a holiday here won't pass scrutiny.

Assuming you can meet the ownership requirements then the rest of the process is easy. There are plenty of reliable shipping agencies who will take care of the paperwork at both ends, the shipping and insurance etc. Complying the car for Australia is fairly easy as long as it's RHD - the aircon needs to be regassed and new tyres fitted in Australia (regardless of the age of either) and a few other criteria ticked off to comply as a Personal Import.

Of course you have to pay the relevant taxes upon import also including LCT, import duties and GST.

The car is fitted with a Personal Import Plate in lieu of a normal Australian Compliance Plate and can then be registered in any state.

Personally unless you're hunting for something particularly rare I don't think that cars worth less than 30K GBP are worth the trouble - there's not enough in the savings to justify the expense. If you're after something not available in Australia (Audi RS3), or something where there are significant savings to be made (Lamborghini Aventador at ~210K GBP versus $689K AUD) and you or a relative meet the criteria then that's a different story.

[djorkboy]

Personally, I think it's easier to stick to pre-1989 cars as there is no restriction. An immaculate Porsche 944 turbo for under $10,000 plus a few grand to get it to Australia, how could you go wrong?

[OEM G60]

I agree with jamesatfish, pretty much nailed it. I imported a Corrado from the UK when i moved here from the UK in '05. My guess is, by the time you've bought the car, paid for shipping, paid the import tax/GST, customs charges, compliance and then registration, it would probably work out the same as buying one in Australia, without all the running around and organising.

As jamesatfish said, unless it's something rare or not available in Australia, it's probably not worth the hassle.

Have a look at www.karmanshipping.com - i used them to get my car over here, their website explains the process of importing.

It is frustrating to see how much cheaper cars are over there though!

[wai]

A point to remember is that in the UK they salt the roads there in winter to prevent ice forming. It is referred to as "gritting" however it is salt with some sand thrown in for good measure. It is not all roads that get this treatment, however something to consider as cars can end up with salt in areas that might not be easily seen. You end up having to fix the rust.

It does not mean that all cars are bad, just that you have to be aware of this.

Then there is the issue of registration compliance once you get it here. There are changes in the vehicle certification system due shortly, so if you do go down this path, make sure you get something in writing from the RTA so that you can establish when you started your process as this will determine which system you fall under.

[ozgti]

I have. POst 89 cars are a bitch to import unless you've owned them for one year (as in, lived in the UK, paid insurance/rego/fuel receipts etc.) THEN you have to wait and see if they'll let your car in. I think if it's a vehicle not released here you are fine eg: Audi RS4 wagons and BMW 330 Tourings.

If it's a mainstream car, VW golf mk4, then you have a lot more trouble importing them.

If it's pre 89, you can buy it, and import it without having owned it for a year. That's how I got my Mk2 back. Also, if it's a pre 89 I think you can import 1 every 12 month period. (unless they changed the rules since 2009)

[OEM G60]

Also worth noting that unless your Dad has Australian citizenship or residency, you couldn't get him to send a car over...

[nightphotographer]

Jeeeez yeah it's a bigger minefield than I thought - but something to think about I guess when I inevitably move back there and then possibly back here again. RS4's are only $30,000 over there too, I wonder how much the RS3 will drop in price in the next couple of years haha. I actually still own a car over in the UK, but it's only a Polo 6N2 haha - definitely not worth the hassle!

[gareth_oau]

the rigmarole that the aussie government goes to protect our local industry is absolutely rediculous.

On the one hand they have the ACCC to enforce our anti-competitive laws, yet on the other hand they are blatantly against imoprted vehicles forcing us poor locals to cop it in the ass from Aussie dealers, and also deny us foreign cars that local dealers cant be bothered with

[Cookie28]

Just to clarify something... The RS4 wagon was available here... My dad had one...