Cost of importing a car?

[Guest snowy10]

On the subject of "to import or not" is there a web site in Australia which is anywhere close to the UK Auto trader?

 

Thanks

 

Snowy

[Metoo]

Hi bigAPE, can I be a total pain and ask you to work out shipping over my BMW X5 I have had a look at the figures and am not sure one the total cost.....the agent said it would be around £4000 including everything to ship our car over but these figures are way more. Ours in 2004 bmw x5 diesel sport it's worth around £14,000 in the uk it has 96,000 miles on the clock its manual.

 

Thank you very much as I really want to take it as it was a birthday present from my husband....also it has a private plate on it....would I need to re reg it here in the UK before I leave....thanks again for your help with this......Louise

 

If the car means a lot to you, take it, this type of car is worth taking as they are quite expensive in Australia and popular, maintenance should not be a problem, BMW's are very popular in Australia and have a large dealer network.

[stevie ellis]

Mmmm this has me thinking , i was wanting to take my mk2 escort with me for track days jist fun in general , its a 1980 , if i was to take it over in bits would it still be expensive and how would i go about it? thanks stevie

[furkew]

Mmmm this has me thinking , i was wanting to take my mk2 escort with me for track days jist fun in general , its a 1980 , if i was to take it over in bits would it still be expensive and how would i go about it? thanks stevie

 

Somebody just posted on britvics about importing a race car, so you might want to follow that thread as well, and see where it leads.

 

Importing racing car

 

No real answers as yrt, but every little bit helps.

 

As mentioned in the thread, importing a car for track days might actually be easier than a road car/bike becuase there are no roadworthy's or rego involved.

 

Hope you can bring it over, my grandfather used to service & maintain MK1's for the east african safari many many years ago, and I have always loved the old Escorts.

[furkew]

On the subject of "to import or not" is there a web site in Australia which is anywhere close to the UK Auto trader?

 

Thanks

 

Snowy

 

Drive.com.au

 

ebay of course

 

tradingpost.com.au

[Metoo]

Mmmm this has me thinking , i was wanting to take my mk2 escort with me for track days jist fun in general , its a 1980 , if i was to take it over in bits would it still be expensive and how would i go about it? thanks stevie

 

I am sure I have read somewhere you are not allowed to import a car in pieces, I think it would be a bit obvious when an escort shaped parcel went through the post!:laugh:

[stevie ellis]

Fair point , it wudna fit through the letterbox anyway, i better pull the finger out and get it back together then:biglaugh:

[stevie ellis]

Somebody just posted on britvics about importing a race car, so you might want to follow that thread as well, and see where it leads.

 

Importing racing car

 

No real answers as yrt, but every little bit helps.

 

As mentioned in the thread, importing a car for track days might actually be easier than a road car/bike becuase there are no roadworthy's or rego involved.

 

Hope you can bring it over, my grandfather used to service & maintain MK1's for the east african safari many many years ago, and I have always loved the old Escorts.

Thanks , i think al try and see if i can put it through as road car , its got full rollcage and forest arches mmm this is going to be more difficult than i thought:huh:

[furkew]

I found this which doesnt sound very promising

 

Import applications for rally/race use will only be considered where the vehicle will be used in

serious competition, generally at professional level. Where a particular vehicle model is readily

available in the Australian market, an Import Approval will not be granted unless there are compelling

reasons to justify why it is necessary to import a vehicle to compete in events in Australia. The fact

that a vehicle may be on an eligibility list for an event is not, of itself, a reason to justify the granting

of an Import Approval.

 

 

At a minimum, the following criteria must be met:

 

 

• Eligible vehicles for rally/race use are those homologated by the Federation Internationale de

l’Automobile (FIA). These vehicle models can be found listed at

http://www.fia.com/homologations/Voit_Pays.html.

 

 

• Under normal circumstances, applicants will be restricted to importing a single vehicle and acceptable

reasons will need to be provided to import another vehicle for rally/race use.

 

 

• Road vehicles for rally use are imported on the condition that they will only be used in the course of

competition, practice associated with competition and transport to and from a rally location.

 

 

• The applicant must lodge with their application a statement that the vehicle will only be used for rally

purposes together with a copy of a current CAMS R3 or higher-grade licence. For closed circuit racing

the applicant must lodge with their application a statement that the vehicle will only be used for closed

circuit racing purposes together with a copy of a current CAMS C3 or higher grade licence.

In addition, the applicant will need to provide evidence of a professional or high-level involvement in

rally/race sport, including:

 

 

• details of events in which the applicant has driven a rally/race car;

 

 

• details of specific events in which the applicant proposes to compete in the car for which the import

application is submitted;

 

 

• details of the rally/race club or organisation of which the applicant is a member and the length of

membership; and

 

 

• if the vehicle is a model available in the Australian vehicle market, justification for the need to import

the vehicle (cost of the vehicle in the domestic market will not generally be considered an acceptable

justification).

Documents required to be submitted with the application form:

 

 

• $50.00 application fee

 

 

• purchase documents

 

 

• copy of CAMS R3 or higher licence or CAMS C3 or higher

 

 

• evidence of participation in rallying or closed circuit racing and

 

 

• evidence of vehicles homologation,

 

 

• certified picture ID of the importer or responsible officer if a company (if you have not imported in the

 

 

last 12 months you will need to provide your ID again)

 

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/vehicle_regulation/bulletin/importing_vehicles/general/pdf/VSB10_09.pdf

 

 

[stevie ellis]

Thanks for the info fella, i wonder if i put back seats in they might pass it as a family car:biglaugh: Looks like it going on ebay . Any one want to buy a group 4 mk2 escort shell?

[Guest annsmith]

Hi,

 

Just wondering how much it would cost to import a car from Ireland to australia, 2006 ford focus worth €5900?

 

Thanks,

Ann

[Guest annsmith]

Hi,

 

Could you take a look at mine?

 

 

• Make: ford
  
• Model: focus
  
• Model Type: style
  
• Body Type: 5 Door
  
• Engine size: 2682cc
  
• Transmission: Manual
  
• Year of Manufacture: 2006
  
• Mileage: 8,000m
  
• Condition: Excellent
  
• What you believe the car is worth ? €5500
  

 

[Guest irishchicko]

Hi Guys,

 

I have been reading through these couple of threads on Importing your Car and wondered if you had read the article I wrote last year on Importing your Car to Australia. I had major trouble finding reliable and accurate information on the process and how much it would cost, so once I have completed the process I documented it all and wrote down all the costs for a complete On the road to on the road figure. I have even included an Excel chart which you can use to calculate your own.

 

I should state that these figures are based on the cost last year and are specific to importing to Victoria, however in the hundreds of conversations I have had about this and the countless rough estimates I have helped people knock up it appears that little varies from state to state regarding procedure and cost. The figures are not formal and they are provided only in the hope that they can help people figure this minefield out.

 

In general the answer is that it's not financially worth bringing your car over. It's a very costly/time consuming process and I can assure you the last thing you want to experience when you move out is more of Australia's famous "red tape". Of all the people I have spoken too only three could have made money (on paper) and even then their cars where classics and they could have made very little. The best you can hope for is the break even and in which case it's simply not worth the hassle.

 

if you do choose to use the Excel, then please note that as PI (Personal Import - known as a "Yellow Plater" or "Piss Plater" in the trade) your car will be worth less than other used cars of the same age, marque, etc. Also you will find it very hard (read impossible) to trade it in. You would have to sell privately and you should expect to get the lower end of the range for the same car on the private sale market.

 

Alternatively, if you supply the following information I will have a quick look for you:

 

• Make

• Model

• Model Type

• Body Type

• Engine size

• Transmission

• Year of Manufacture

• Mileage

• Condition

• What you believe the car is worth in the UK ?

 

So an example would be:

 

• Make: Toyota

• Model: Land Cruiser

• Model Type: LC4

• Body Type: 4 Door

• Engine size: 2982cc

• Transmission: Manual 4x4/4x2

• Year of Manufacture: 2004

• Mileage: 15,000m

• Condition: Excellent

• What you believe the car is worth ? £15,000. Usually £21,000 but the market is not good now

 

Hope this helps

 

Al

Hi BigApe,

 

I know now that this thread is 3 years old but just said I would chance my luck anyway.

make Audi

model A4

body type Saloon

engine size 2.0 TDI

transmission manual

year of manufacture 2008

milage 81000 MILES

condition excellent

approx value £19400

 

I would really appreciate if you could come back to me?

 

Thanks in advance

[toro01]

Hi Al,

 

I know this is digging up a somewhat aged thread, but igt is agreat thread, and I am looking at putting it into practise in the relatively immediate future.

 

Where my scenario is slightly different, is that I am looking at bringing a car over on the SEVS index/iist, and it would be under a company name, hopefully with a car dealer's license.

 

Can you please advise me on how costs would be different, and all that I need to account for where different to the personal import.

 

Note that I am currently in London, and would looking to bring my car/s back to Adelaide, or Melbourne and drive it.

 

Please feel free to pm me also.

 

Many Thanks,

AJ

[Iron Chef]

Hi Al,

 

I know this is digging up a somewhat aged thread, but igt is agreat thread, and I am looking at putting it into practise in the relatively immediate future.

 

Where my scenario is slightly different, is that I am looking at bringing a car over on the SEVS index/iist, and it would be under a company name, hopefully with a car dealer's license.

 

Can you please advise me on how costs would be different, and all that I need to account for where different to the personal import.

 

Note that I am currently in London, and would looking to bring my car/s back to Adelaide, or Melbourne and drive it.

 

Please feel free to pm me also.

 

Many Thanks,

AJ

 

Welcome AJ - there are already a couple of threads at the top of this section covering this for you