timmy201 wrote:
as far as I can tell, a personal import is always considered a personal import, regardless of the year of the car. Follow this link through:
http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/vehicles/imports/quiz/Hmm... that 'quiz' is a little misleading or out of date I think.
Generally they won't process a vehicle as a Personal Import if it fits in an easier scheme. The Pre-89 is the easiest to process so if the import (car) is eligible, that is what they would use. Also, the amount of documentation required to satisfy the eligibility requirements for the owner/importer of a Personal Import is huge. The Pre-89 paperwork is far less.
Generally the Personal Import avenue is only used for later model vehicles where it is either too difficult to make it comply, it is too new to be eligible under any other scheme (RAWS etc), it is a Full Volume vehicle (i.e. supplied to the local market) etc. Basically, if there is no other way to get it in then the Personal Import path is the only one left... if you are eligible and can satisfy all the conditions.
In this case though, I don't think Dubguy was eligible for the Personal Import avenue due to the length of time he had been in Australia, etc. or something like that. So it was a straight Pre-89 Import.
Easy way to tell... I expect the Import Approval states it is issued under Regulation 17 of the Motor Vehicle Standards Regulations 1989. If it is a Personal Import, it would be issued under Regulation 13.