Bill Buckle Toyota Brookvale

Buckle Motors Pty Ltd was established in 1927 by William G Buckle, with showrooms at 127 William Street, Sydney. Starting with the Triumph and Talbot franchises for NSW, they subsequently gained NSW franchises for both Armstrong-Siddeley and De Soto (Chrysler Corp) Vehicles. Then in 1949, Citroen was added to the group.

In 1954 W.F. Buckle (Bill Buckle Snr), having been involved in various forms of motor sport in Australia and the UK, began design and construction of a fibreglass-bodied sports car using Ford Zephyr components which he named the Buckle 2.5 Coupe. These cars held every hill climb and lap record for the GT class at circuits on the East Coast. Twenty-four were produced.

In 1958 Bill Buckle Snr went to Dingolfing in Bavaria to convince Hans Glas that we could produce fibreglass bodies for Goggomobil cars, and obtained the rights for Australia. About 5000 cars were assembled from the German mechanical parts, with various style bodies, including the Dart, a light sports car designed by Bill Buckle Snr.

During this time, the company also distributed Borgward, Goliath, Lloyd-Hartnett, Hillman and Humber vehicles.

In 1961 the company was bought by Hong Kong interests, and Bill Buckle Snr formed Bill Buckle Autos Pty Ltd, trading in used cars on Parramatta Road. In 1963 the company purchased a LHD Chevrolet Corvette and converted it to RHD, which led to the formation of Bill Buckle Auto Conversions with premises in Orchard Road, Brookvale.

The company flourished, converting Buicks, Cadillacs, Lincolns, Fords (Mustangs Thunderbirds), Corvettes, Firebirds, Camaros, etc. until about 1967.

Meanwhile, in 1963 a new showroom was occupied on the corner of Pittwater Road and West Street, selling used sports cars and US imports which had been converted.

In October 1964 the Toyota franchise was gained, selling Tiara, Crown and 700. Auto Sun and Air Pty Ltd, specialising in sunroofs and air conditioning fittings, began in 1971. Bill Buckle Snr designed the glass “Sportsroof” which was received an Australian Design Award and was licensed and patented in several markets overseas.

The Toyota brand gained in popularity from a monthly volume of 5-10 in 1964 to around 150 by 1975. Bigger and better display and service facilities in various properties in Brookvale were utilised, and a facility was established at Mona Vale for Northern Peninsula customers in 1974.

A new showroom for Toyota was built in 1992 on the current site at the corner of Pittwater and Harbord Roads, Brookvale.

In 1994 the company acquired the Subaru franchise. Bill Buckle Subaru is one of the top volume Subaru dealers in Australia with the brand new Subaru Showroom being completed in June 2005.

In August 1996 our service complex was built in Harbord Rd, Brookvale with a huge 35 hoist workshop and with customer-friendly facilities and amenities.

In 2004 the Volkswagen franchise was added to the Bill Buckle Group. Since then, this brand has achieved spectacular growth with the company opening its new-look premises in February 2007, on the corner of Federal Pde and Pittwater Rds.

In March 2008, the Bill Buckle Group was acquired by A.P. Eagers Limited Group, one of the fastest growing and most dynamic motor dealership groups in Australia. A.P. Eagers Limited Group was established in 1913 and currently owns 60 motor vehicle dealerships across Australia.

Most recently, in May 2013, the Bill Buckle Group opened the Land Rover and Jaguar franchises, currently trading as Northern Beaches Land Rover, Jaguar.

We are proud of our great reputation and heritage in Sydney automotive. We understand our industry and have experienced its changes over the years. We ensure that we change with them to delivery you the best automotive experience now and for years to come. That why The Bill Buckle Auto Group is the Smart Choice to service your automotive needs.