Thread: Info about importing new cars

Dawg;

I found this info on Web;

importing a motor vehicle

As a private import, forget it. You need to have owned and used the vehicle regularly for a year before you can bring in anything remotely new.

My last chat with the DOTARS people didn't find any way round this when I explained the circumstances - i.e. Not available here here through LRA.

Info is here.

From my last chat with a dealer here when the new Defender came out in the UK, he was trying to get LRA interested in the 90 with no success. I think (Hopefully someone will know for sure) that for LRA or a dealer to do it, the car would have to be put through the approval process, which they're not going to do a one off. A private import gets round this requirement, but as I said, for anything new, you need to own it a year in the country outside of Aus where you live.

If only I'd checked how rare 90's were before we moved here, I'd have bought a couple to bring over!

Originally Posted by DirtyDawg

Gents ,
Since we can't get the new Def90 here I want to import one from the UK..can you special order them from LR Aus or straight from UK..point me in the right direction. TIA.

Send a PM to Ladas, he can tell it as it is.....

Come over here and buy one! I'll drive it around for a year for ya............

Can you buy one as a CKD kit from UK, build it yourself and register it as a kit car?

as above, you have no chance as a personal import unless you can prove ownership, and use for 12 months.

Unless you can persuade your dealer to get you one, you will be struggling.

Having brought mine over, its a bit of a paperchase, even if you meet the requirements it is still at DOTARS discretion.

Cheers
Pete.

Originally Posted by Psimpson7

Having brought mine over, its a bit of a paperchase, even if you meet the requirements it is still at DOTARS discretion.

I got the impression from talking to them that they are really only interested in stopping the p*** takers though - a genuine reason like not being able to buy one here shouldn't present an issue. If I ever have to go back to the UK for a bit, I know what I'll be buying two of the day after I land!

As I understand the rules, you have to own and use the vehicle overseas for a specific period. I thought it was 18 months but will stand corrected if this has been changed. So you have to be overseas for the period of "own and use". You also have to get DOTARS permission to import that specific vehicle, meaning you have to supply identifying numbers when applying. This adds a bit of difficulty if you are going overseas hoping to find a vehicle whilst there. I am thinking of a vintage, veteran, or classic vehicle, not a new or near new one.

Importing kit cars can be a PIA unless type approval already exists in Oz. If not, then you car will classed as an "Individually Constructed Vehicle", an ICV. It will have to comply with the ADR's in force at date of presenting for registration which is considered the build date. You will need engineer's reports, and according to Qld. Transport you may have to take it to Victoria for brake testing, and may have to have emission testing done. QT say the only people who can do this are Ford and GM-H.