What are the advantages of importing a car to New Zealand?
Posted on 26th August 2021
If you have ever considered buying a car from overseas and then privately importing it to New Zealand, you may have wondered whether it’s really worth it. Here are some of the advantages we have observed when it comes to buying a car offshore then getting it shipped to NZ.
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McCullough Featured in The New Zealand Herald
Posted on July 1, 2014 – Shipping Vehicles
One of our recent clients, Clive Lonergan, a well-known and successful real estate agent on Waiheke, was recently featured in The New Zealand Herald’s rubric Me and My Car on Monday April 28, 2014. Here’s the article: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/motoring/news/article.cfm?c_id=9&objectid=11243555
One of Clive Lonergan’s great loves is cars, from its very first one, a 1936 Austin 7, to Jaguars. But not any cars. He likes them fast and powerful. And red, bright red, like his Ford Mustang BOSS 302 Trackey.
A very unusual car, it is easy to understand why you would fall in love with it. In addition to its sleek lines and its neat Recaro racing seats, it is a 2-in-1 vehicle. Insert the black ignition key in, and you will get a very honourable 440 horsepower Ford Mustang. Now insert the red ignition key and, almost but not quite a Transformer, it reveals its true nature: a racing car. The red key activates the Trackey feature, hence its registered name, changing 200 components in the engine for extra power. The only drawback is that it can only be used on tracks in that incarnation and isn’t allowed on the roads, but it is still pretty amazing.
The Ford Mustang BOSS 302 Trackey is truly a car in its own league. With only 3,500 of them manufactured in 2012 worldwide, it is rather special and it is no wonder that Clive would want to use an experienced shipping company like McCullough to transport it from Miami in the US to New Zealand!
Clive Lonergan was looking for a one-stop-shop, a company who could look after all the aspects of shipping his car, from transport, entry fees and paperwork, insurance, compliance, port charges, Customs and MPI clearing, etc.., which is exactly what we specialise in.
The Ford Mustang BOSS 302 Trackey was being exported from the US, and, when considering a shipping company, it is crucial to ascertain that they are experienced at transporting freight between the countries of origin and destination, as each country has specific import and export rules. Having good business relationships with the port authorities involved can also help with communication and can make all the difference when issues arise.
There are many different levels of services offered by international freight-forwarders, from an all-included door-to-door option to port-to-port. Unless you are very familiar with the export and import procedures of the countries involved, it is always safer to go with the most complete service to avoid costly mistakes. It is stressful enough to part from your vehicle for an overseas voyage, the last thing you want is to wake up in the middle of the night realising you forgot to obtain that all-important piece of paperwork and that your car is going to be stopped at Customs.
Clive Lonergan very wisely chose an all-included service, and could relax in the knowledge that his very special car was in safe hands. From marine insurance to paperwork, procedures and fees required, we took care of everything, giving him peace of mind.
Whether you are shipping a collectible car or your trusted everyday car is the same to us. We will look after it with as much care to make sure that it arrives in the same condition as it left.
Believe it or not, your car is even more precious to us than to you, as our professional reputation is in the balance!
Importing a car into New Zealand is not difficult, but it is subject to very strict regulations and this is when professional knowledge is invaluable.
For example, bio-security, i.e. ensuring that no alien species is introduced into the country through shipments, is very tightly adhered to, not only as far as imported goods are concerned, but also their packaging. Vehicles are no exception, and they will be thoroughly inspected on arrival. All those places you didn’t even know existed in your car will be scrutinised for traces of biological material such as plants, mud, dirt, debris, insects, etc… Should it fail to pass, it will be cleaned at your cost and re-inspected, delaying the release of your vehicle. If it was shipped in a crate, it will undergo the same inspection.
Meeting road standards is another strict process. Unsurprisingly, only roadworthy vehicles are let loose on New Zealand roads! Very often, the documentation that you need to obtain to prove your car’s fitness for purpose comes from your country of origin, so don’t be lulled into thinking that you have plenty of time and you will be able to sort it out in New Zealand.
Regulations and fees also partly depend on how long you will be importing your vehicle for, your citizenship, and whether you are returning to New Zealand. GST, concessions, exemptions, it can all feel very confusing if you are not used to dealing with import-export business.
Shipping a vehicle requires putting a considerable number of puzzle pieces together. By using a company like McCullough, you won’t have to worry about any of that. While you will still have to take care of some paperwork, we will let you know in good time what is relevant to your situation and your vehicle, saving you going through pages after pages of governments’ websites and feeling none the wiser for it!
If, like Clive Lonergan, you want to import your car into New Zealand, whatever the country of origin, and want the safety of an experienced international shipping company, why not leave it all to McCullough? Our friendly and knowledgeable team will guide you through the process every step of the way, to ensure that you are reunited with your car as quickly as possible.
Get a free quote or phone McCullough on +64 9 303 0075.
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