Importing Automotive: Successful Vehicle Imports
Importing Automotive: Successful Vehicle Imports

Category: Guides and Advice

Guide to Transporting an Imported Car Brisbane to Melbourne

By Adam

The top nations to import a car into Australia is Japan and Korea, with the port of Brisbane being the most common point of entry for motor vehicle imports.  Importing a vehicle into Melbourne Australia involves obtaining a Vehicle Import Approval (VIA) from the Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities. Customs duty, Goods and Services Tax and where applicable Luxury Car Tax is payable to obtain customs clearance at the port of entry. Quarantine inspection is required by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources before it will be released for clearance.  This is half the battle of importing a car and the other half is car transport Brisbane to Melbourne.

Each year thousands of used cars are imported from overseas and there are several ways to accomplish this. It may sound surprising but any individual is able to organize a car import into Australia by meeting importing regulations. Of course there are businesses and agents out there that can handle all this for you but they also charge a hefty fee for their efforts. So if you are importing a car from overseas, then car transport Brisbane to Melbourne may be on your agenda.

Towing Your Car Brisbane to Melbourne

The simple fact that the car will not be registered on Australian roads as yet will require you to think of other options to transport it Melbourne. Loading it onto a car carrying trailer and towing it with a capable vehicle could get the job done. Except that the journey between Brisbane and Melbourne is a long one and could potentially take four to five days to complete. There are also safety concerns when towing a vehicle over long distances, you should make it a priority to begin your journey early in the morning so that there is plenty of daylight, have frequent rest breaks to prevent fatigue and be prepared to top up your fuel tank several times during the course of transit.

Find Out What Interstate Car Transport Costs

If you are not too enthusiastic about towing a vehicle over five days, the other option is to outsource it to a car transporter. It may be the more expensive option to transport a car Brisbane to Melbourne but will ultimately prove to be less of a hassle. You’ll have peace of mind knowing that your imported vehicle is taken care of and will be delivered to your door where you can concentrate on getting it registered. The cost of transport should already be factored in the cost of car import from the beginning so it should be no surprise. It pays to ring around, do your research online and compare car carrier services, it could ultimately make or break your car import budget.

What Are Some of The Myths of Buying Imported cars?

By Adam

Buying an imported car can often fill the void of a car owner who is in search of a particular style, look or feel that isn’t available in the local car market. Some car buyers and collectors are only after owning specific car brands and vehicle models that are not manufactured in Australia and can only be achieved by importing cars. Regardless of the reason for owning an imported car, there are some common myths about buying imports so let’s address them so you can make an informed decision when considering  to import or not.

It’s always costs too much to import cars

Importing cars follow a process and like anything there are associated costs involved when importing to Australia. This doesn’t necessarily mean that importing cars are always going to be more costly than buying one that is readily available in the local market. A majority of car manufacturers are already manufacturing cars outside Australia, countries like Japan encourage car owners to keep their vehicles up to date by taxing vehicles older than 13 years at a higher tax rate. Therefore cars in other countries may be significantly cheaper to secure, making it more affordable to import.

Parts for imported cars are hard to get

To be fair, a majority of car parts are not manufactured in Australia but overseas. The reason that local domestic brands have parts available readily easily is because a bulk of these parts is imported from overseas manufacturers to cater for the local market. Unless the imported car is significantly old you will not have issues finding parts aboard as manufacturers do still manufacturer parts. The cost of shipping parts can be offset by the cheap cost of raw material and labour compared to parts manufactured locally.

Local mechanics don’t repair imported cars

Maintenance and repair of imported cars is no different to any car that is domestically available. Of course there are benefits towards having a mechanic that specializes in the particular make or model of a vehicle however the main routine inspections and service intervals can be adequately looked at by any certified car mechanic. Oil change, brake maintenance, repairs on exhaust, belts and hoses are typical things that can be confidently carried out by your local mechanic.