Purchasing Australian Compliant Mercedes

[MikeformUK]

Many years ago you could purchase a Australian Compliant Mercedes from Germany drive it around Europe for a while and bring it back to Australia. Does anyone know if this facility is still available? I sent a email to Mercedes Australia but have not received a reply from them yet.

Thanks,
Mike

[ukdennis]

Mike,

Whether or not you could get an Australian-compliant car direct from Mercedes in Germany, you'd still have to comply with the Australian Personal Import rules i.e. you have to have owned and used the car for at least 12 months before you can import it into Australia.

[Jader1973]

Not sure if you can collect the car from the factory or not, but if they're smart they'll fit the compliance plates in Australia just before the car is shipped to the dealer (i.e. on wharf in Aus) so they don't have any obvisously old stock sitting about.

Of course, they may only deliver to order here, but I doubt it.

[suthol]

Jader1973 said:

Not sure if you can collect the car from the factory or not, but if they're smart they'll fit the compliance plates in Australia just before the car is shipped to the dealer (i.e. on wharf in Aus) so they don't have any obvisously old stock sitting about.

Of course, they may only deliver to order here, but I doubt it.

Not unknown, I had one of the original built in Belgium Vectra's that had a 98 EU build plate and a 99 AU Compliance plate, ordered in for purchase.

There was a hell of an argument come trade in time, because the dealer I bought it from claimed it was a 99 car which was technically correct but not the March 99 compliance and buy date which was the reality.

I had gone in to buy two new cars and after this performance told him to stick his cars up his arse and have owned Subies ever since.

Edited by suthol on Sunday 4th October 12:54