A NEW start-up company has a bold plan to slash Australian airport parking prices — already among the dearest in the world — by becoming the go-between for private car owners who want to rent their cars to strangers while they’re away.

Leave your car behind at domestic or international airports in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane and earn up to $10 per day — and not pay one cent in parking — as long as you’re prepared to let someone else drive your car.

Ford, which wants to be a world leader in car sharing, is so convinced about the idea — originally knocked back by Channel Ten’s The Shark Tank — it has formed a partnership with the start-up Carhood.

The Ford deal does not provide free cars, but will see Ford owners earn more money than drivers of other brands if they leave their vehicles behind. Renters who choose to drive someone else’s Ford will get a 10 per cent discount on the rental charge.

Renting private cars through Carhood also works out cheaper than conventional rental vehicles, at about $40 per day, says co-founder Steven Johnson.

There is just one catch, apart from having someone else thrash your pride and joy: there is no guarantee your car will be rented out.

But on the plus side you end up with free airport parking as Carhood shuttles drivers to and from the airport. They’ll even wash your car while you’re gone.

Drivers who leave their cars for 30 days or more are guaranteed to get at least some money back (about $250 a month), but those who leave their car for just a few days have a “60 to 70 per cent chance” their car will be rented out.

The company takes photos of each vehicle before and after each booking, has insurance while it’s out on rent, and caps mileage at 200km per day (although the average use is 50km a day, the company says).

If you’re thinking of buying an old banger or ex-taxi to leave behind, you’re out of luck. Each car available for rent must be less than 15 years old and have travelled less than 200,000km.

So far about 7000 people have used the service, since February 2015.

“Obviously some people are nervous about (letting strangers driving their car), but once they try it, they’re sold,” says Johnson. “Most of our customers are people who’ve left their own cars in other states.”

What does Ford get out of the deal? More people will test drive their cars away from the pressure of a dealership.

Ford Australia boss Graeme Whickman says: “We’re moving away from just being a core provider of … cars and transforming ourselves to being a provider of mobility solutions, breaking down some of the pain points people have in the world (such as traffic congestion and parking fees).”

This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling