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Helen.Wallace wrote:

Hi,

I would like to import a Mini Cooper from the UK to Australia and would like to know what peoples experiences are on vehicle importing?

Is it worth my time, What companies you've had experience with and also rough prices.

Thanks

Welcome to the forum.

I have no direct experience but info comes from friends.The cost of transportation is high from UK to Oz. Cost $1500 to take a car from Oz to NZ so your cost would be more. Also once the car is here it has to be checked over by authorities for compliance, It has  to be registered, insured and issued with licence plates. You cannot sell the car for 2 years after it as been imported.

As Stumpy said it can be expensive. I recently imported my motorcycle using Pickfords along with all our household effects. As an add-on it cost GBP1,500 plus the insurance so a car would cost more now. We used them cos they were 2nd best price but had better arrangements for getting stuff to anywhere in Oz (Brisbane docks to Mackay,QLD in our case)

There is an age limit to what you can take - details are on the website for Australian customs.

On arrival you can try  to get it compliance tested near the port where it lands but you can not drive it on the road (except to the NEAREST testing station) until it has passed the test , has had its compliance plate fixed and has the road tax (Rego) paid.  That can take a few days or a couple of weeks.

Alternatively you can have it transported (at your cost) to your home and go to a test station near home.

Part of the compliance is that the speedo must read in kilometres but some testers might allow a good quality overlay. If not you will have to change the speedo if it doesn't have KpH on it already.

Unless you are in a big town or a city I would not want to drive a Mini Cooper on them as the road surface are pretty poor with affair few deep potholes.  Also the speed limit is 100KpH (62.5MpH) or 110Kp in places so you are not going to driving quickly.

Coopers are available in OZ but unless you are desparate to have it I would save the money and by ne of the small / quick Kia or Hyundi models second hand cheap in the cities.

Hope this helps but feel free to ask anything but do check the OZ web-site.