Imported Atoms to Australia

[samatom]

Hi to all i,m new to the Atom scene, as well as these computers.
Just a question has any one tried to import an Atom privately to Australia. I realise you have to use the car for at least 6 months over in the u.k. before you can import the car, has anyone attempted this succesfully yet?
Also is there anyone knows any information on bringing a car into Australia as an entry to the Targa Tasmania race were they let you have an estimated road use of approx. 50 days a year. 

[RedRaven]

Hi Samatom, welcome to the forum 

I think a couple have been imported to Sydney... I forget the name but a company has 2 Atoms there, for track use only at this stage.  Atom's aren't road-legal in Au yet... Open Wheeler Imports has passed them for NZ buyers and is doing so for Au too.

As I understand it, minimum ownership time is 12 months before you can import to Au.

Likely the Au Atoms will be 245's, able to take the supercharger otpions etc, but will almost certainly require the rollbar fitting as standard.  (You can see what the roll bar looks like in the gallery, American cars section.  Wing/spoilers also won't be allowed, although with the roll bar they may be allowed on the rear if they're smaller than the roll bar itself as viewed from the front. All subject to compliance with the ADR's.

Servicing and repairs may also be problematic... we won't be able to trailer/nip down to Somerset to have Ariel fix the vehicle!

However there doesn't seem to be anything official yet, so this might all change.

Whereabouts are you?  (Perth here)

[samatom]

Hi Red
Yeh I'm over in Brisbane, I believe the servicing for the is pretty much straight forward so hopefully there should not be to much of dramma there.
Have you heard anything about getting the Atom into Aus through the Targa Tas. race and still being permissable for limited road use?
I spoke to 'open wheeler imports' at present they dont expect to get Aus compliance till 07!! so we could be in for a long wait, then you've got the waiting list.
It might be time to go back to the uk for a holiday see what can be arranged, thinking maybe placing an order later this year with the factory is the go and see if open wheelers can import it, but either way I think it is going to be a long time till we see them on the roads in Aus!!  pitty

[Driver]

How's this scenario?l What if you ordered and paid for it today? Technically (and depending if Ariel says you own it immediately and you have the paperwork) you have what? A six month wait while they build it? So really you'd only have to garage it (delay picking it up in the UK if it's quicker, all of during which you "own" it. So by year end you could meet the  requirements and be down under driving your Atom. Right?

[Bruce Fielding]

Nice try, but the car can't be registered until it's been SVA'd, so legally it doesn't exist until then. When it's SVA'd it's built and we're six months down the line...

How about buying a scond hand one, renting it out to a trackday company for as long as you need, getting the income from it, then using the income to have the whole thing rebuilt when you want to take it to Oz?

Alternatively, bite the bullet and pay the taxes.

[Driver]

Just buy it, have it SVA'd or get a used one that already is, park it in a garage/storage lot for 6 months and then ship it. No wear and tear, no chance someone will wrap it up in some Armco.

[RedRaven]

Au import regulations are pretty tightly worded - the intent being to restrict imported cars to reduce impact on Au manufacturers, and to prevent safety violations.

Importing an Atom to Australia will be / is an expensive business.

Importing a Vehicle into Australia - Information here:
http://www.dotars.gov.au/transreg/vsb/vsb_10.aspx#6.01

Customs guide to importing a vehicle into Australia:
http://www.customs.gov.au/SITE/page.cfm?u=4781

Special mention must be drawn to the following points:

Importing a vehicle as a 'personal import' - you must have owned the vehicle for a period of not less than 12 months .  Your Au citizenship/permanent residency papers, passport pages, travel documents and vehicle registration information from the country of origin are all required to be sighted on application.  The short end of this is, no, no, no, noone can import an Atom (legally) by buying it from the factory and garaging it for a year.  Or buying a secondhand vehicle, same rules apply.  Its all easy except for the passport check.  Unless you also live in the UK for the vast majority of that time, the Au Customs officials will spank your hiney and ask for your wallet.

Penalties will cost up to AUD$13,200 per infringement. (ouch)
Notwithstanding any permenent hiney damage as a result of meeting our famously friendly wharf handlers. 

I imagine/predict Open Wheeler Imports will be applying/has applied for a Low Volume Import Licence.

Also, a potential Atom configuration must be on the Register of Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicles is required for low volume imports is mandatory:
Information from here:
http://www.dotars.gov.au/rvcs

One has been registered on SEVS, but I'm unsure if this vehicle was of a similar configuration/spec to potential import spec. It may be that this SEVS entry relates to the two Motoaction Sydney Atoms (which are not road legal, track only or static display).
http://www.motoaction.com.au/

In short, yes, expect to wait for quite a while 

Its also important to consider:

Atoms imported into Austrlia under any import scheme will attract:
- Customs Duty of 10%
- Luxury Car Tax (LCT) of 10% for every $1 of (customs defined) value above (I think the current threshold is;) AUD$57,200
- GST of 10%

Considering Au Atoms will need rollbars, comply with emissions specs etc and safety standards, and likely to be 245 minimum spec, the Luxury car tax is a certainty.

------------------

I'm heading back to the UK in July August, hopefully for a test drive, and if the UK guys are on a track day, attending that too and begging for passenger rides   but seriously, I'm also heading back to investigate a purchase direct from the factory.

[Driver]

Present coffin, insert last nail.

[RedRaven]

I'm still hopin', but it looks like 2007-8 will be the Year of the Atom for Australia.

Might even be possible to buy a secondhand Atom from NZ... the freight'd be chaeper.

[samatom]

I'd say  2008 if were not going to get compliance until 07  (if we get it) can,t believe the kiwis have them allready. I'm going back to the UK in June for the world cup i'll be taking a trip down to the factory for sure.

[RedRaven]

Heehee, yeah.  The Kiwis have similar road rules (as far as design and safety regulations go) that are pretty much lifted from the UK.

Although the UK design rules are pretty good, the Au ones expand on the UK spec and are consequently quite strict, especially where rollover protection, passenger safety cell requirements etc are concerned. I think we have a lower car injury/death rate than the UK, so the laws are succeeding.

Still, you do see Shelby replicas, the odd Super7 and stuff over here... although they may have been imported before the cutoff dates for the newer laws etc... dunno.

But, yep, I wrote 2007-8... hopefully it won't turn out to be 2078 

For now I'll just have to be content with having lifted Bruce's paper race car.  Rebirthed with a new coat of red paint too.