Shipping a Classic Ford Capri from the UK to Australia

Ford Capris — particularly the Mk1 and Mk3 3.0S models — enjoy a strong following in Australia's classic Ford scene, helped by the country's own history with the locally-built Ford Capri variant and a broader enthusiasm for European-flavoured muscle coupes. Under Australia's Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme and the 25-year import exemption (vehicles built more than 25 years before the application date are exempt from full compliance requirements), UK Capris can be imported without needing to meet current Australian Design Rules, making them one of the more accessible classic imports for private buyers.

We ship Capris to Australia primarily via shared or dedicated container from Southampton, with occasional RORO bookings for running, roadworthy examples heading to Melbourne or Brisbane. Given many Capris being exported are project cars or partial restorations, container shipping is generally the safer and more common choice, taking approximately 32–40 days transit time to major Australian ports including Sydney, Melbourne, Fremantle and Brisbane.

The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry applies rigorous biosecurity inspection to every imported vehicle, checking for soil, seeds, insects and plant material in the underbody, wheel arches, engine bay and boot. Classic vehicles that have spent years in barns, garages or fields are particularly prone to failing initial inspection, leading to mandatory quarantine cleaning at the importer's expense — typically AU$300–AU$600 — and delays of several days to weeks. We steam-clean and detail every classic vehicle at our UK facility before container loading to minimise this risk.

Vehicles imported under the 25-year exemption still attract 5% customs duty and 10% GST on the vehicle's customs value plus freight and insurance (the CIF value), calculated by Australian Border Force on arrival. There is no luxury car tax applicable to most classic Capris given their typical import valuation sits well below the luxury car tax threshold. A concours Capri 3.0S might be valued around AU$30,000–AU$45,000 for duty purposes, resulting in combined duty and GST of roughly AU$4,500–AU$6,500.

Shared container shipping for a Capri from Southampton to an Australian east coast port typically costs £1,400–£1,900, with dedicated container shipments from £2,400–£3,000 for those wanting full control of the sailing schedule. RORO, where the vehicle is running and roadworthy, can be cheaper still at around £900–£1,200 but offers less protection for a car that may have spent decades off the road. Get an exact estimate through our cost calculator.