The Australian Falcon was never sold new in the UK, so most people here have never seen one up close. That tends to raise two worries: will it pass the tests, and can anyone look after it once it is here. The first is simpler than you might think, because it is a right-hand drive car from a country that drives on the left. My Car Import brings in hundreds of Fords a year, and an Australian one is not much of a stretch.
- Main sources
- Australia and New Zealand
- Steering
- Right-hand drive
- Shipping
- From £3,200, shipping only
- Time at sea
- About 6 to 10 weeks
- Usual UK test
- MOT, as every Falcon is now around 10 years old or more
Which Falcon
Ford Australia built the Falcon from 1960 until October 2016. Over that time it went from a simple family car to a big, powerful saloon, and the versions people want to import fall into a few groups.
| Feature | What it is | Testing today | Tax today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Falcons | 1960s and 1970s cars, including the early GT models | No MOT if over 40 and not substantially changed | 5% VAT, no duty |
| Later saloons | 1980s to 2016 family and sporty saloons | MOT, or none once over 40 | 5% VAT if built before October 1996, otherwise standard |
| XR models | The sporty Falcons, six-cylinder and V8 | MOT | Standard rate unless over 30 |
| FPV models | Ford Performance Vehicles, the high-performance versions | MOT | Standard rate |
| Falcon ute | Car-based ute, including XR and FPV versions | MOT | Standard rate unless over 30 |
Classic Falcons
The early cars, and above all the GT models of the late 1960s and 1970s, are the ones collectors talk about. Being over 30 years old they pay 5% VAT and no duty. Being over 40, they do not need an MOT, as long as they have not been substantially changed. Our guide to importing a classic car covers shipping and registering an older car properly.
XR and FPV
The XR badge marked the sporty Falcons, and Ford Performance Vehicles built the quickest ones. These are the modern Falcons most people ask us about. They are big rear-wheel-drive saloons that never had a UK equivalent, which is exactly why people ship them.
The Falcon ute
Like Holden, Ford built a car-based ute on the Falcon, in work, XR and FPV forms. It ships much like a large car. If you want to know how it is likely to be treated as a car or a van once it is here, our guide to importing a pickup truck covers that side, and the Holden equivalent is in our Holden and HSV guide.
The very last Falcons are right on the 10 year line. Production ended in October 2016, so the newest cars are only just old enough for an MOT instead of an IVA test. We check the build date on every car when we quote.
What to check before you buy
Before you pay a deposit
0 of 7 done
Plenty of Falcons have been tuned, and that is not a problem in itself. What matters for an MOT is that the car is safe and its emissions and lights are in order, so get as much detail as you can from the seller. Our guide to buying a car abroad safely covers the checks that apply to any car bought from far away.
Shipping from Australia or New Zealand
Falcons were sold new in New Zealand as well as Australia, and the shipping is the same price from either. From Australia a car goes in a shared container, or a dedicated 20ft container if you want one to yourself. From New Zealand it can go by RoRo, around 6 to 8 weeks, or container, around 8 to 10.
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Week 1
Collection
Our partner hauliers collect the car and take it to the nearest major port.
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6 to 10 weeks
At sea
The car crosses in a shared container, a dedicated container, or by RoRo from New Zealand.
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On arrival
Customs
As HMRC CDS authorised agents, we make the customs entry ourselves.
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At our site
Changes and testing
Our team fits a rear fog light if needed, then tests the car on our own MOT lane.
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Within 10 working days
Registration
Our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register the car and fit your plates.
From collection in Australia to registration here, allow around 10 to 16 weeks in total. Our guides to shipping from Australia and shipping from New Zealand cover each route in detail.
What it costs in tax
As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping from Australia or New Zealand starts from £3,200. That is shipping only, and excludes registration, testing, other services, import tax and any work the car needs.
A Falcon under 30 years old pays 20% import VAT and 10% import duty, worked out on the price of the car plus the cost of getting it here. A car over 30 years old pays 5% VAT and no duty, which takes in the classics and anything built before October 1996.
Moving to the UK with your own car? If you have lived outside the UK for 12 months and owned the car for 6, Transfer of Residence can bring it in with no VAT or duty. The import tax calculator will run your own numbers.
Getting it road legal
A right-hand drive Falcon needs very little to meet UK rules. The most common job is a rear fog light, if the car does not already have one. A speedometer in mph is only required on cars under 10 years old, which now rules out almost every Falcon.
Then it takes the test that fits its age: an MOT for cars between 10 and 40 years old, and none for cars over 40 that have not been substantially changed. Shipping a Car is part of My Car Import, so testing happens on our own site in Castle Donington, where we also run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain. Our guide to registering an imported car explains the DVLA side, and insuring an imported car is worth reading before you commit.
Questions people ask
Can I import an Australian Ford Falcon to the UK?
Yes. The Falcon was never sold new here, but it is a right-hand drive car and can be shipped, tested and registered like any other import.
Does a Falcon need an IVA test?
Almost never now. Production ended in October 2016, so as of October 2026 nearly every Falcon is over 10 years old and takes an MOT instead. We check the build date on the car to be sure.
What needs changing on a Falcon for UK roads?
Usually just a rear fog light, if it does not have one. It is already right-hand drive, and an mph speedometer is only required on cars under 10 years old.
How much tax will I pay on a Falcon from Australia?
Usually 20% VAT and 10% duty on the price plus shipping. A car over 30 years old pays 5% VAT and no duty, and Transfer of Residence can make it nil if you are moving to the UK and qualify.
Can you ship a Falcon ute?
Yes. Tell us the exact model and anything that changes its size, such as a canopy or roof rack, and we will price the right space for it.
Got your eye on a Falcon? Send us the details on the quote form and we will price the whole job, from Australia or New Zealand to your drive.
