Countach number one will be there so bring your cameras... Joe www.joesackey.com Image Unavailable, Please Login
I understand your situation. Austrailia is not the only country, with very hi importation taxes on vehicles. Would it work to bring in a beat up original project car ? With some countries, they will value a collector car very low, if it comes in as a beat up project. - ripped up carpets, primer grey paint, some minor missing parts, and a "non"-running engine. It may also be possible to confuse customs, by adding some bizarre aftermarket accessories, that have no place on the car. I am not suggesting buying a nice 288, and begin by sandblasting the paint. What may work, is to buy a good original 30 year old project, and purposely downgrade the car cosmetically. Customs would most likely value the car, with a very low value. This could work with older Daytonas, 330GTC, and LP 400/S1 etc... There are not many beat up contemporary (unhit) special cars. You simply restore the project car in Australia.
Why not buy 308 badges, get the vin number from a totalled one, placards, etc. and replaced them with the GTO ones. After you get the car in the country then switch all the stuff.
It has been done before. Contrary to popular belief Customs are not stupid and there is a high risk of getting caught. They employ specialist advisers who have access to all the latest market reports etc, etc. The official making the decisions won't be some dumb schmuck who looks at your car and scratches his head with bewilderment. The penalty includes forfeiture of the car, massive fines and jail time. Personally I prefer to sleep easy and stick to the rules.
I did not suggest doing anything illegal. I suggested finding a "non| running project, and adding some non-original accessories to confuse the customs official. There is nothing unethical about having primer grey exterior, some missing parts, a non-original aftermarket bizarre steering wheel, and some incorrect gauges.
I take the above to mean that you are attempting to lower the taxable value by making it look like an old beater. Understating or underestimating the value is also illegal and the results are the same. At the very least they will apply their own value and hit you with taxes and penalties on that. AND for the rest of your life, any time you import anything your name in the customs computer starts all sorts of lights and sirens. Who needs it?
importing a "project" car could be sometimes not easy at all the man that transport my car from Swiss had an hard time at the custom some months before with a derelicted ISO GRIFO: the car was a big rust piece with no glass, instruments, probably not even the engine...needs everything and more, he had the invoice for 10/15k euro , what then was the real market value for that car in that condition so he was not even tryng to fool anyone, just payng taxes on the real value the custom wanted him to pay VAT on almost the value of a good one!!!
It is not making the car look like an old beater. - In fact, it is already an old beater. It is nothing but an old beater, that needs restoration. Altering the car (wrong steering wheel, missing gauges, emblems, and trim etc...), is not illegal. How is a customs official, going to ascertain the value of some key missing components ? If they are going to dig (which you suggest), than they should be willing to deduct the value of the expensive impossible to find original components, from the overall value of the project. As far as collector car values ? Quite a few car trading publications, have very low market values on collector cars. I would be surprised, if any collector car trading magazine today, has a condition one (show) Lamborghini 350GT, at a value at or above 100K USD. The projects (aka...old beater) are probably appraised below 25K. A well known English collector car rag, had a condition one (show) Miura SV, priced at 100K Pounds Sterling in 2004. Most collector car published values, are rated conservatively. On the Vintage Lamborghini Garage, their were quite a few recent threads, that discussed how the 350/400GT was still appraised in show condition, for below 100K. ___________ Emilio It is good to bring a lawyer into the discussions, if customs officials do not correctly appraise the value of the car (on the low side of published values). Missing and incorrect components, must be deducted from the value of a collector car and or project.
exactly: sometimes you could even need a lawyer: that shows that passing trough some custom is not easy (in my case was pretty easy but "slow" ) you are absoluetly right on the magazine's value of classic lambo : many are more than DATED (70k euro LP400?? LOL )
what happens if a. it is actually a project needing lots of attention ? or b. you've genuinely bought a proper bargain (with good paperwork to prove what youve paid) - maybe the seller didnt know the current market situation or it was bought from a friend etc ?
I am not trying to create an argument with anyone here, just stating the facts and using my knowledge of actual cases. Customs DO employ outside specialist experts to come in and make determinations. Often the Customs department will disregard your stated value, regardless of documentation and replace it with their own market value. What you would perceive as being "fair treatment" has no place in the system. It is then up to you to fight it out with them later. For example- recently a full blown GT race car was imported, fresh from fighting it out the GT series in Europe. It should attract 15% for duty and GST. They unilaterally decided it was a road car and applied full taxes (see 288 GTO example earlier). The owner had to pay the money to get the car released for a race the next week. He then had to fight it out with them later. As I said- fair treatment has nothing to do with it.
you seem in control of the facts which is why i asked thats disgraceful (but somehow typical of most govts )
Well today is Concorso and I have not been able to break free from Canada to make it down for the Countach reunion. I hope everyone has themselves a great time and be sure to post lots of photos. Lucky for me I already got to see the prototype Countach Image Unavailable, Please Login
I was thrilled to be able to see this Countach, but upon approaching it initially something appeared different about the car. In my opinion the only less than perfect view of any LP400 is looking directly at the rear of the car from a distance or at bumper height up close. The Countach appears to be standing on tip toes with its 215/70 X 14 rear tires. The preproduction Countach at Concorso had 245/60 X 14 tires in the back and they made a huge difference. I believe in originality and correct specification, but the car looked great. I left the camera at the house so have no pictures to illustrate. Andy
Well here are a few I took of #1. Joe was no where to be found, too bad, I wanted to meet you in person Joe. Roy was there, very nice to meet you Roy and #36 was very nice. I still want it Tony Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
#36 and the Countach Judges Tony (left) John (right) Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
