[Merv and Sharon]

In today's Age:

Australians can only personally import a vehicle if they have owned and used it while living overseas for an extended period.

The car must have been purchased abroad, registered in your name, garaged in proximity to your overseas address and owned for at least 12 months continually - and that ''qualifying period'' must have immediately preceded a permanent return to Australia.

Even then, however, there's no escaping the luxury car tax if it's worth more than $57,466. You can apply for a revised value to be calculated for the car if it's not new, but if it's above the threshold personal importers will still be slugged with the 33 per cent tax, as well as GST and customs duty.

One of the few exceptions granted by Department of Infrastructure and Transport rules is the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme, which, subject to approval, allows the import of certain vehicles not sold locally in an official capacity, such as Ariel's Atom sports car (above).

An ever-changing list of cars that can potentially be brought here is on the department's website (infrastructure.gov.au).

There is another option that allows any Australian to import any vehicle. The catch? It must be at least 22 years old - made before January 1, 1989.