Hey, I’m having thoughts on getting a import Copen. My Wife had a 2003 when we we’re DINKS but when kid came along that was sadly had to go. Had so much fun in that car especially in NT. Getting pulled over by the Cops so they could check it out, being chased by Darwin bogans in 4x4s (they didn’t stand a chance) and winding it out on the ‘open’ highway to 165kph. Anyway I’m sitting on a 1969 Morris Mini panel van project, that I’ve not done anything on in 10yrs except watch the value go up & up, Do I sell it and get a newer ~ 40-50K km Copen import but how practical is it to own one without OEM support in Australia (you suck Toyota) hmmm so many ideas . . . .
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Unfortunately you are not able to register an imported copen in Australia simply for the fact it was factory delivered here.
I went down this path a while ago and there is a stupid law that if it was locally delivered then a grey import cannot be registered (no matter the time after).
You may be able to get around this law potentially by importing a 2006-2008 L880k because technically these years where not delivered but I’d definitely be talking to an importer who knows there stuff before attempting
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Thanks mate, I was looking at something maybe like a 2015 model?
Newer model but still a Copen, yeah remember back in the 90’s all the apprentices I went to TAFE with getting Nissan Sylvias because they could be imported as not sold in Oz. At the moment I’m just spit balling, will keep an eye on the local market. A lady who works at the Bunnings down the road bought a new one same time as us, still has it, it’s spotless, there still around.
[quote=“King_Jam, post:1, topic:6545”]…being chased by Darwin bogans in 4x4s…[/quote]Ha, ha! I’ve never heard that one before. Doesen’t that translate to “Yobbo” in Britspeak?
Yeah, that sounds like a stupid law, barring grey imports for whatever reason.
They have a similar law in Switzerland for other reasons. The way to get around it is through residencey shuffle. In other words, one would take residencey in Germany, for example, and buy a vehicle there. Thereafter, that person would move back to Switzerland, while bringing that vehicle in as baggage. Though perhaps rediculous for most Swiss, this would be a more practical option for those of whom either take cross-border employment or for those taking residencey for taxation-evasive purposes.
I could, however, imagine that the costs of doing so between islands may be higher than a vehicle’s value?
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Yep 100% a Bogan is a Yobbo, up north they mostly drive these Pig Hunting 4x4s and I’m guessing somehow the sight of a 6ft+ bloke in a Copen would arouse strange & confusing feelings they could only suppress by trying to ram me with their bullbars, I’d lose them round every corner, let em catch, throw them off on the next bend, made for a fun drive home.
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best off speaking to an import place like Iron Chef etc about importing one, there was a few months where even the later models were not allowed as the laws had changed but after speaking to a GR Copen owner last month apparently they are allowed again, plus Iron Chef or similar can take car of all the compliancing etc involved to get it registered.
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Oh you can definitely import the newer ones, it’s specifically the L880k that is a drama
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