Australian Import and registration question

Anthony Mathers · 10-10-07, 02:30 PM

Hello GT40 Enthusiasts! What a fantastic site and community you have here, some of the build diaries are amazing!

I’d like to become a GT40 owner, If anyone can help me I have some questions:

I’m an Australian living in the UK, I’ve been here for 7 years and I think I’ll be here for another 18 months or so before I return to Oz. I would love to own a GT40 replica, I can afford one over here at a stretch but there is no way I can afford to buy one in Oz. I would like to buy a second hand GTD or Tornado over here and import it to Australia (South Australia) when I return.

a. If I find a car over here and its registered as a 1970 model even though it was built in 2000, will I be able to skip the customs duty which is only applicable to cars less than 30 years old? I guess the real question here is; how do customs know the real age of a car?

b. I’ve been told individually Constructed Vehicles (ICON) need to adhere to the same design rules as general showroom vehicles at the year they are signed off as compliant. I think this means no carburetted ford V8s. If I can prove the car is factory built by GTD or Tornado will I get to skip this ICON status? Surely a factory built GT40 replica should be the same as say a factory built Caterham?

If anyone can help me it would be greatly appreciated.

Best regards
Anthony

ChrisL · 10-11-07, 11:02 AM

In the absence of any other attempt to answer this, I have a vague understanding that the age of the car is considered from the date of first registration. I might be way wrong though.

Doug Clark · 10-11-07, 06:14 PM

You might want to ask this question on: Oz Clubbies (Powered by Invision Power Board) I think that there's more experience of this sort of thing there.

Gregg · 10-11-07, 10:39 PM

Anthony, welcome to the forum. I do not have an answer to your question, but would suggest that you contact the licensing board in OZ for your answers. You have to satisfy the government, not a forum member. How would you feel if you relied on a forum member's representation, bought a car in the UK, imported it to OZ only to find out that you can not register it? My two cents. Good luck in your search.

With the current exchange rate, wouldn't it be cheaper to buy something in the US and import it?

TimOz40 · 10-12-07, 12:54 AM

You should be able to bring it in as a personal import???/
I know of Lotus' that have come in that way.

Trevor Booth · 10-15-07, 09:49 AM

A personal import is a vehicle that you have owned and operated outside of Oz for a min of 12 months check out Dotars Home Page and look for transport section or RVCS MENU You should be able to import without problems and duty. I would check with a customs agent in OZ

Anthony Mathers · 10-25-07, 10:31 AM

Hello,

Thank you for all the informative replies.

Gregg, your right, I won't be planning an import based on forum info alone. I was just hoping someone out there had already done this, or knew of someone who had or tried. I can't get a US import as I can't own it for 12 months first. Although the girlfriend would love a 12 month stop over in the states on the way home

Yes, I plan to take the car back as a personal import, but I think this just makes the importing part possible, it doesn't help with customs or local registration requirements.
If you look at the www.customs.gov.au website, being a personal import doesn't help you skip tax, I think it did in the past though.

Thanks Trevor for the info with RVSC, I will call up the SEVS (Special & Enthusiasts Vehicle Scheme) and see what they say about replicas.

best regards
Anthony