Craig Taylor of Taylor Race Engineering recently compiled this useful information for anyone interested in shipping a car from the USA to Australia. Please see below:
Below, I have summarized my notes from the phone conversation with my friend and customer Jack Crone, who has delivered some 20 cars to Australia:
1. The buyer must apply for and receive a permit to import the race car through the customs bureaucracy.
2. To assist in most of the procedures (Including #1) at the Australian end, there are two chaps who can be useful:
A. Mr. Bruce Bailey
kdeat@iprimus.com.au
B. Mr. Gregg Leahy
Geezer’s Garage
www.geezers.com.au
0412 754 947 (mobile)
0755 282 801 (shop)
3. A bill of sale must be prepared, including
A. The price of the car
B. The price of spares included (taxed at different rate)
C. A statement that the car has never been registered for road use (E.G. no title).
D. The Seller’s name, address, and phone number
E. The Buyers name and locality (Ironically they do not require all of the information on the buyer.)
NOTE: it is important that the buyer sign a copy of the bill of sale and return it to the seller to provide verification of delivery for customs purposes.
F. A number of copies of the bill of sale will be required. When we ship from Taylor Race Engineering to Australia, at least three are required. In addition one copy will have to be provided to the expeditor and one to the buyer for signature and return to seller.
4. A shipping expediter must be chosen, usually upon the recommendation of the Australian agent used. Note: it is possible for the buyer to work with customs, but it is useful to have someone who has been through the process to help. Customs themselves will provide little assistance.
5. The Port of Galveston would probably be the best departure point. The expediter will arrange for the container, consolidating the shipment with other cars in either a 40’ or 20’ container. The containers are usually fitted with a “mezzanine” deck over shipped street cars for low cars and race cars.
6. The car must be spotlessly clean before shipment. Oil and brake fluid may remain in the vehicle. However, any rubber scraps or dirt of any type will result in the car being quarantined, with expensive delay as the result. Australian Customs will insist that the car be cleaned with a high pressure spray cleaner, which could be devastating for the car. For some reason they do not want “American dirt” contaminating Australia…
7. The spares must be packaged for shipment, and all spares must be identified as such. The bill of sale must show the car and spares separately, so if the package cost is $70,000 it must be broken down. As an example:
A. Race Car: $65,000
B. Spares: $5,000
The spares will be shipped in the same container as the race car.
6. The seller or his agent would deliver the car to the expeditor in Galveston, who would then take charge of the shipment.
7. The cost of shipment will probably be $AUS 4000.
8. There will be import duties, but I do not know the amount. I do know that vintage race cars have a lower duty than current cars.
9. The Expeditor should be able to provide shipment insurance.
