A pimped 6.0 Litre muscle car named Best Corvette at a Super Chevy Show in the United States has been cleared for import – against Canberra’s wishes.
In a decision made yesterday, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal of Australia overturned a Federal transport department ban on the souped-up Chevrolet.
The department had knocked back an application by Corvette enthusiast Scott Bartlett to import the street machine, arguing that work done between 2006 and 2008 resulted in the creation of a new car.
On appeal, Mr Bartlett relied upon a regulation stating an application to import a nonstandard road vehicle must be approved if it was built before 1989.
When built in 1959, the Corvette had a 4.6 Litre V8 engine.
Between 2006 and 2008, it was fitted with a 6.0L V8 engine, six-speed manual transmission, steel tube frame chassis, new suspension, four-wheel disk brakes, new hand brake, power steering, custom air intakes, new steering wheel, electric windows, air conditioning, custom interior and wider wheels and tyres.
The petrol tank was relocated to the boot.
Despite the modifications, the tribunal ruled the car was built in 1959 and could be imported.
The tribunal considered the fact the car was instantly recognisable as a Corvette – as illustrated by its winning the Best Corvette award at a Super Chevy Show in 2008 – helped demonstrate it was the same car as built in 1959.
