Hi,
We are thinking about moving to Oz, but have one burning issue!
We own two BMW E30 M3's, both left hand drive, does anyone know if it is possible to import these?
We have been told that it is possible to take them to Western Australia, is this correct?
Thanks
Paul nd Jess

Yes it is possible to take then IF you have owned and used them for at least 12 months. Also they must be registered in different names, you couldn't import them both yourself. The problem is that being LHD they must be converted to RHD which is expensive.

Thanks Chris,

We have owned one of them for over 10 years now and the other has been woth us for 2 years, however is it not possible to import them as LHD? Do they HAVE to be converted as this would have a severe affect on the valuation of the vehicles?

I think only cars older than 30 years can be registered if RHD.

hmm, well they are both 23/24 years old, any ideas on where i could look to find out more information?

Well it seems you might be in luck, it appears that WA has it own set or rules (who would have thought). http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/media..._VS_IB_106.pdf

Thanks Chris!!

damn you NSW for not having something similar!!

what is bizarre though is why is a 15 year old vehicle fine? why not 1 year too? Its obviously nothing to do with the side that the steering wheel is on and more about good old aussie protectionism.

but thats a rant for another thread.

I would imagine that a LHD personnel import would be virtually unsellable in Oz once it is here and even if it was converted it would be a hard sell so I don't understand your concern about the valuation.

I gave up long ago trying to figure out the ridiculous State specific rules.

The market would be very small for anything other than for something old and historic but for a modern car which is literally legal only in WA the market would be tiny.

in this case yes as its a BMW, and is more common vehicle. But there is a definite market for converted "unique" LHD>RHD cars, specifically US models.

As a converter or someone authorised to compliance a particular model of converted vehicle, there is potentially enormous amounts of money to be made. Second hand ones do not have a a huge amount of initial depreicaition either. Certainly over the first few years.