Adelaide & SA imports
See live Japanese auction stock, a translated condition report before you bid, and a written cost to land it in Adelaide — before you commit to anything.
Adelaide, at a glance
AUCTION TO COMPLIANT
~12 weeks
Search the live auctions
LIVE AUCTION DATA, UPDATED THROUGH THE DAYTHOUSANDS OF VEHICLESLANDED COST SHOWN BEFORE YOU BID
BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE
Adelaide’s used market is thin for a lot of practical models, and prices reflect that. Japan gives you more examples to choose from, with the condition documented before money changes hands.
LANDED VS LOCAL
Every car we shortlist gets priced against the Adelaide alternative.
Same year, similar kilometres, similar specification. You get the landed figure and the Adelaide figure side by side before you bid — and if the local car is the better buy, we say so.
BETTER VALUE
More car for the same budget
We compare the full landed cost against a comparable car for sale in Adelaide: same year, similar kilometres, similar specification.
KNOW THE CONDITION
You see the grading before we bid
Auction grade, condition notes, verified kilometres and the inspector’s sheet, translated. In-person inspection on selected vehicles where available.
BROADER SEARCH
You don’t have to settle
Instead of the handful currently advertised around Adelaide, we search across Japanese auctions for the right year, kilometres, grade and specification.
Is importing actually worth it for your car? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Tell us what you’re considering locally and we’ll compare it against what’s available in Japan — before you spend anything.
JAPAN VS. THE ADELAIDE LOT
A 2018 Toyota Alphard 2.5 S, similar kilometres, shortlisted the same week in both markets. One recent example — the gap moves with the exchange rate and what’s actually listed that week.
BUYING ON A ADELAIDE LOT
IMPORTING VIA JMS
Examples to choose from this week
A handful across local dealer sites
Hundreds crossing Japanese auctions
Condition evidence
Dealer description, inspection you arrange yourself
Independent auction-house sheet, translated before you bid
Kilometres
As displayed on the odometer
Checked against the auction house’s own reading
Price built from
Dealer margin, one asking price
Hammer price + shipping + compliance, itemised
This example, on the road
~$52,800
GRADE 4 AND ABOVE, UNDER 100,000 KM — ESTIMATED ADELAIDE LANDED COST SHOWN
Estimates only, based on comparable completed imports and freight to Port Adelaide. Every car gets a written landed-cost breakdown before you bid.
BEFORE YOU BID
What you pay is decided before the bid, not after it.
EVERY SHORTLISTED VEHICLE
Auction sheet review and translation
We translate the sheet in full and tell you what it means for this car — grade, verified kilometres, panel notes and repair history — before you set a maximum bid, not after.
SELECTED VEHICLES, WHERE AVAILABLE
In-person pre-bid inspection
Our inspector attends selected auction houses and checks physical condition against the sheet before you bid.
Not available on every lot. We tell you upfront whether it’s possible on a given car.
01 — CHOOSE
Find a car worth bidding on
Search the live auctions yourself, or tell us what you need.
02 · BID
You set the maximum
We translate the auction sheet, then bid for you up to your cap.
03 · SHIP
Japan to Port Adelaide
Export paperwork, vessel, customs and biosecurity. Position update every week.
04 · COMPLY
Compliant and ready for Service SA
Engineering and compliance at a licensed SA workshop, then handover.
IMPORTING TO ANOTHER CITY?
Browse live auctions yourself, or tell us your budget and what the car needs to do — we’ll shortlist and quote a landed-in-Adelaide cost before you bid.
Poor sheet, questionable repair history, or bidding past sensible money: we stop and wait for the next one.
Yes, importing takes longer than buying off a Adelaide lot this weekend. The reason to wait is a better-documented car, not simply the first one available nearby.
Estimated difference: $7,400Similar year, kilometres and specification — before choosing the car, we compare the Japan opportunity against what’s actually available in Adelaide.
Illustrative comparison from one shortlisted pair, not a quote. Landed cost varies with the exchange rate, the specific lot and shipping schedule — ask us for a written estimate on any car you’re considering.
