Johny, the founder, splits his time between Melbourne and Auckland, and runs New Zealand and Australia as equal markets — not one built first and the other bolted on. You get the same live account on the Japanese auctions, the same interpreted auction sheet before you bid, and a compliance pathway (SEVS, RAWS or ROVER) confirmed for whichever state you are landing in.
10% GST, a published fee schedule, and a compliance pathway confirmed for your state.
Australian GST is 10%, charged on the vehicle, our fee, Japan costs and freight — not the vehicle alone. Our fee is a flat ¥150,000 for cars under ¥3,000,000, 6% of the car price from there up, and 5% for supercars and exotics. Compliance runs through SEVS, RAWS or ROVER depending on your state, so that line is confirmed as part of your quote rather than quoted blind.
Importing goes wrong in the gap between the photos and the paperwork.
01
Professional interpretation
Every auction sheet, including vehicle grades, damage reports, inspector notes and repair history, is carefully translated and interpreted by our team, giving you professional insight and informed guidance before we place a bid.
02
Direct auction access
Gain access to Japan's live vehicle auctions and explore over 500,000 vehicles auctioned every month. Browse freely with no obligation, and commit only when you're ready to place a genuine bid.
03
Real enthusiasts, real people
Your import is handled by genuine automotive enthusiasts with over 9 years of industry experience, backed by our background running a dedicated car dealership. We combine professional expertise with a real passion for cars to deliver a seamless importing experience.
04
Handled end to end
We manage every stage of your import, including shipping, documentation, compliance and transport. You'll always know what happens next, with clear communication and transparent costs at every step.
The auction process
Six steps, and you know the cost before each one.
01
Register
Create a free live auction account, where you can view, manage and place bids on vehicles.
02
Authenticate
New accounts start as guest accounts, and bids placed without an active deposit are not treated as legitimate by the Japanese auctions. To activate bidding, a refundable deposit of ¥150,000 or 10% of the car price (whichever is higher) is required. This is not a fee — it is credited toward your vehicle when we win, rolls over to your next car if we miss out, and is refunded in full if you decide not to go ahead.
03
Bid
Bid with confidence within your budget. Our team reviews and interprets each auction sheet, giving you expert guidance before you bid. Prefer a fully managed service? Share your preferred specifications and budget, and we'll handle the bidding for you.
04
Payment
Once you win at auction, we issue you an invoice, which must be paid within 3 days.
05
Shipment
Once payment has cleared, we courier the vehicle's import documents directly to your nominated address via DHL, FedEx, UPS or DMS. Shipping typically takes around 3–4 weeks, depending on the shipping schedule and destination.
06
Receive your vehicle
Once your vehicle arrives at your destination port, you can manage the compliance process yourself, or our team can guide you through each step for a smooth, straightforward process.
Johny founded Urban Imports and splits his time between Melbourne and Auckland, so Australia gets the founder's direct attention, not a satellite office.
Most of our buyers come from someone telling a mate.
Very happy with the results thanks to their hard work and patience.
Johny helped me find a great deal on an imported s2000. Went above and beyond. Would recommend if you are looking to import a performance car - they know their stuff!
Jason Madrigal
Best experience I’ve ever had when purchasing a car.
The team is very professional and took great care of me. Jackie was able to provide me with a deal that had my best interest in mind. It is evident that the vehicles they import have been taken care of and well looked after by them, giving you the peace of mind to buy in confidence.
Benny Jekel
Awesome experience, great easy and fast customer service.
Purchased a mps3 in fantastic condition, helped me sort financing and had the car with a fresh rego, warrant and detail within 48hrs.
Michael Fajardo
The quality of the cars are showroom condition.
A couple of my friends have got their R34 Skylines and an Evo 10 from here, the quality of the cars are showroom condition. Their office setup is really cool too.
Liam Smart
Start here
Tell us the car, and where in Australia it’s going.
Four quick questions and you’re in the system — no obligation.