In aus.cars Jake Riffut <jr@hueyn.nospam.net.au> wrote:
> Is there anywhere on the Net where having you can search on a cars history
> if you have its:

> VIN (chassis) number
> Engine number
> Registration number

Aside from checking for stolen and money owing, probably not.

> I've been offered a car and I need to check if its a private import.

Start by looking for a compliance plate. If it was built after about
1970-1972 (depending upon brand) if should have a compliance plate.
If it is pre-7/1988 and has no compliance plate but has been
registered in Oz, it's probably been a personal import.

If the vehicle has an aluminium silver compliance plate, it is a
full-volume locally marketed vehicle (ie sold new here). If it has
a yellow plate, the plate will state that it is personally imported.
If it has a green plate, the plate will state that it was a
low-volume (grey market) import _or_ a make that didn't bring in many
cars per year. Lamborghini, etc. are likely to have green plates,
even if sold new in Oz.

If it has a plate that looks like a compliance plate but doesn't
follow the proper format, eg a plate that says "This vehicle was
rebuild by x" (the typo of rebuild instead of rebuilt is a quote from
such a plate), the car is a re-shell, and is registerable in VIC,
probably SA and QLD but categorically _not_ in NSW.

--
Athol
<http://cust.idl.com.au/athol>
Linux Registered User # 254000
I'm a Libran Engineer. I don't argue, I discuss.