Importing a TVR into OZ

[pemarsh]

I am looking to buy a TVR Griffith in the UK and import it into Australia, Does anyone have any advice or previous experience of doing this? Any help is very much appreciated.

Cheers

[ukdennis]

I assume that you are living in the UK and will be using it there for the next 12 months or so to comply with DOTARS personal import rules. If so it is pretty straight forward. This website gives you most of the info you need to know http://www.karmanshipping.com/

At the moment, they charge around £1,400 for a sole-use 20' container plus insurance. I am just about to ship a car back to Oz and this time I am going to try roll-on roll-off (similar to car ferries going between the UK and France). Much cheaper (£850 plus insurance) and is how almost all new cars get to Oz anyway.

The only other issue (see recent thead "Why do cars cost so much ...") seems to be that some States charge stamp duty for personal imports on first registration (eg NSW) and some don't (eg WA). This will add a couple of thousand $ to your costs potentially.

[kbear]

I have a 98 TVR Griffith on a boat on its way to Oz right now, should land this week!
So ask me in a few weeks but I’m expecting the following…

New seat belts with AS numbers
Rear number plate lights (current lights shine through from behind plastic plate)
Rear high level brake light
Suspension kit to lift head lights up to min ADR height
Strengthening seat runner mounts.

Re cost, I paid a similar amount to UK Dennis’ first quote and this included the clearance and delivery to my home address. Insurance was additional and I think they all charge it at around 2-3% of the car’s value.

It’s my 2nd car to import and it’s all straight forward. Just read (and re read) the DOTARs website, they have a great guide to importing cars and they are good at answering emails.

[pemarsh]

I am currently in Australia but I can not get a definitive answer on whether I need to have owned the car for 12 months in the UK. There is a scheme called SEVS (Specialist and Enthusiasts Vehicle Scheme)where the TVR is listed. I am not sure if its inclusion on the scheme means that you don't have to owned the car for 12 months. Does anyone know about this particular aspect??

Cheers

Paul

[ukdennis]

I'm no expert on SEVS, but I understand that you would need to import the car via a Registered Automotive Workshop which specialises in these cars, and they would be responsible for modifying it to comply, essentially, with all applicable ADR's. As opposed to a personal import, where only some basic safety-related ADR's need to be complied with. I don't know what the cost implications of full ADR compliance would be.

[deviant]

pemarsh said:

I am currently in Australia but I can not get a definitive answer on whether I need to have owned the car for 12 months in the UK. There is a scheme called SEVS (Specialist and Enthusiasts Vehicle Scheme)where the TVR is listed. I am not sure if its inclusion on the scheme means that you don't have to owned the car for 12 months. Does anyone know about this particular aspect??

Cheers

Paul

The SEVS listing is just a list of cars that are just eligible for import and compliance as a road car. It is not a list of cars that are currently being complied.

Once a car is on that list it is up to workshops to see if there is a business in getting the $50,000ish license needed to comply a given model. If there is a workshop out there complying TVR's then you will be able to bring a car in and have it complied by them.

[pemarsh]

kbear said:

I have a 98 TVR Griffith on a boat on its way to Oz right now, should land this week!
So ask me in a few weeks but I’m expecting the following…

New seat belts with AS numbers
Rear number plate lights (current lights shine through from behind plastic plate)
Rear high level brake light
Suspension kit to lift head lights up to min ADR height
Strengthening seat runner mounts.

Re cost, I paid a similar amount to UK Dennis’ first quote and this included the clearance and delivery to my home address. Insurance was additional and I think they all charge it at around 2-3% of the car’s value.

It’s my 2nd car to import and it’s all straight forward. Just read (and re read) the DOTARs website, they have a great guide to importing cars and they are good at answering emails.

Thanks for this.... One of the criteria for a personal import to OZ is that you have owned the vehicle for a min of 12 months. Unfortunately I don't meet this criteria as I have just bought the car. Does this cause a problem?

[deviant]

Pemarsh...You absolutely MUST have import approval before the car ships. If not you will not even get it off the docks at this end and you will have to face sending it back to the country of origin or destroying it here.

As you are not eligable for the personal import scheme then you are going to need to start hunting for someone to do the compliance work for you...note that as a RAWS / SEVS import the compliance requirements are stricter than other import schemes.

[Nicholas Blair]

see here........

Importing a car to Oz

[7805]

Might be worth getting in touch with a company called International Motor Group, they are based in NSW and may be able to help you out in some way, they do a number of import products and probably well worth seeing if they are prepared to help.

As already pointed out though, dont ship the vehicle before you get approvals.

www.internationalmotorgroup.com.au

[Bob the Planner]

I didn't have any problems at all with the Tuscan as far as paperwork was concerned. The usual thing about needing a stream clean when it got here and an additional $400 but that is not too bad considering the prices they fetch over here - oh and the sales tax and duty to pay but all in all its worth it. All the import was handled by Crown Relocations and the registration by Complete Car Care (02 9621 2199) who got a temporary Rego inside a couple of weeks and it was all done and dusted with no hassle.


click for larger pic
with more pics here

[pemarsh]

After lengthy investigations I have found that it is impossible to import a TVR into Australia if you have not previously owned the vehicle for at least 12 month in the UK. The TVR does not meet Australian Design Rules (ADR). As TVR's have not been Type Approved in the UK (crash tested etc.) they can only be registered in Australia as a Personal Import. The good news is that I am the proud owner of a Chimaera 4L which I bought in Brisbane. It is a 1999 model and in superb condition with 36,000 miles on the clock.

[Colonial]

Bob the Planner said:

I didn't have any problems at all with the Tuscan as far as paperwork was concerned. The usual thing about needing a stream clean when it got here and an additional $400 but that is not too bad considering the prices they fetch over here - oh and the sales tax and duty to pay but all in all its worth it. All the import was handled by Crown Relocations and the registration by Complete Car Care (02 9621 2199) who got a temporary Rego inside a couple of weeks and it was all done and dusted with no hassle.


click for larger pic
with more pics here

Beautiful mate. I'll keep an eye out for it - I'm around Terrigal, but in newcastle a lot as well.

[MySaggy]

I am moving to Melbourne in October and want to take my Sagaris with me.

Is anyone able to import a car into Oz?

The reason I ask is that I have read that you have to have a long term working visa or be a resident. Is this true? I will be applying for residency once Im there but my employer is dealing with my visas and the best way of getting me out there so I do not know as yet what kind of visa I will be on.

[Bob the Planner]

You will probably be on a 457 visa like myself. No issue on importing a car as long as you have owned it (and can prove it) for more than 12 months. If it is more than 15 years old there are different rules but don't as me as I did not use this route. As it is a saggy it will not be over 15 years. AFAIK there is one Sag in NSW but don't know about other states.

Edited by Bob the Planner on Wednesday 29th July 11:43

[ariddell]

Yep, i brought why Chim in when i was on a 457 business visa too, so as long as you've had the car for 12Mths+ and your employer aren't trying anything dodgy with your visa (alarm bells should ring if they're asking you to nip to NZ for the weekend every 3 months or similar) then you'll be able to bring it as a personal import.

[MySaggy]

Thats great, thanks. We have owned the car for more than 12 months so hopefully as soon as visas are sorted we can start the process.

So theres only 1 other Sag in NSW???

Does anyone know of any car clubs local to Melbourne?? I know my other half would love to meet up and do some runs with any other Tivs out there.

[ariddell]

Yep, reasonably active group of TVR owners in Melbourne so events every couple of months.

http://www.tvr-register.org.au

[Grodecki]

Question, how do you get on with Speed Six servicing out there? I know the RV8 is a more common engine and as such people out there might know of it but is there any S6 specialists?

[kbear]

Grodecki said:

Question, how do you get on with Speed Six servicing out there? I know the RV8 is a more common engine and as such people out there might know of it but is there any S6 specialists?