Hi All,

This is the second installment of my on-going struggle with the UK tax man.

I'm bringing my Type 2 back home to the UK from Perth (I simply couldn't leave her behind). UK customs are trying to charge me a fortune in excise duty and VAT (it's charged on vehicle price + shipping + insurance).

They have informed me that if I can "PROVE" the vehicle is a collectors item, it will be exempt from the VAT.

For this they require, production figures and an estimate of the number remaining on the road, plus any emotive and convincing arguments to strengthen the case. This includes unique characteristics. My Kombi is a 1973, 1800cc in its original state (no mods). As far as I know it was Australian built?

Now I'm only a six month owner of a VW, so my knowledge is, quite frankly, (sh#t) very limited. My van is now somewhere past Singapore and I'm running out of time before it lands in the UK.

I'm hoping you guys can help.

Phil74Camper has provided some great info on my earlier post, however customs have since moved the goal posts and now want more than simply the production stats.

Any thoughts, quotes, figures, blags, yarns much appreciated.

Cheers

Slim

IT doesnt have to b 100% correct, i mean how hard wil they dig to prove it
make it sound more rare and special !
It was one of ???? made in Australia where there would only b ???? many left in this original and pristine condition. As there was such a small market for VW in Australia and due to its wet tropical climate most have rotted away blah blah blah.
yeh yeah i know it aint all tropical but hey !
its either non tropical or tropical and it rains heaps in any populated area of australia!
hope this helps or gives u an idea !
:bounce

Hi Slim,

Yes I remember your other post. Sorry I couldn't be any more specific with my Australian production figures, but detailed year by year stats do not exist.

OK, a few things to tell the UK Customs:

1. Your Kombi was built in Australia, not Germany, so it will be practically unique once it lands in the UK.

2. There are not many left in Australia. VW sold 77,000 Kombis in Australia between 1955 and 1979 - it would be surprising if 10% of them still exist, particularly early ones like yours

3. Australian camper conversions were done locally, by a VW-approved contracting company (Sopru) and sold through VW dealerships. They were not made by the Melbourne VW factory, making yours even more unique in the UK.

4. Yours should have an Australian compliance plate, illustrating its differences from the UK models - such as the Australian glass and the metric speedo.

5. If you can locate an Australian Campmobile brochure even better - it was written and printed by VW Australia at North Ryde. I know Dave Becker has one to sell - I saw it at the Nationals.

6. Australian pop-roofs go straight up - not like the side-opening Devon conversions that you see in the UK.

That's all I can think of at the moment - good luck!

Phil74Camper,

You've only gone and done it!!!

It's official my 1973 van is a CLASSIC, I have the documents from HM Customs to prove it!! Ha ha!

As such she gets into the UK for 5% of total costs (purchase + shipping + insurance), without this classification they wanted 29.2%!!

The ship lands on the 11th May and I can pick her up on the 13th.

Thanks very much for all your help Phill.

Cheers
Slim

:party

No problems Slim, glad I could help!

Send me back a bosomy young English girl and we'll both be happy!

Cheers

FWIW the first VW I ever drove was my parent's '72 Kombi camper, which had the side flip pop top same as the one advertised in the for sales section at the moment. It was converted by Dormobile in Brisbane back in it's year of manufacture.

Almost never see this model of kombi (square air vents, but low front indicators and round bumpers) and almost never see the side flip dormobile roof either...

we eventually sold it to backpackers in sydney back in the late 80's. Wonder what ever happened to it....