Blog | Car Dealers and Dealerships Near Me

ACCC gives all-clear to $2.3b auto dealer merger

ACCC gives all-clear to $2.3b auto dealer merger The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has given a conditional green light to a$2.3 billion merger of Australia's two biggest car dealership groups after a divestment of dealerships in the Newcastle region.The competition regulator said the buyout by AP Eagers of its main rival Automotive Holdings Group hadn't raised competition concerns in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane, where there were enough rivals to compete at a local level.

The ACCC, however, did have ''significant concerns'' about the Newcastle and Hunter Valley region, but a $54 million divestment of the Kloster Motor Group announced on July 5 by AP Eagers has appeased the regulator.

A divestment in the Newcastle region has been enough to satisfy the ACCC to conditionally allow a $2.3 billion auto dealership merg…

ACCC car dealer tricks

ACCC lifts lid on car dealer tricks The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has shone a light on some of the tactics used by car dealers and the inner workings of their business models, in an industry with ''opaque'' pricing.The competition regulator says dealers generally won't offer their best price over the phone, that no cars sell at the recommended retail price set by manufacturers, and most buyers will only travel a maximum of 35 kilometres out of their home area to make a purchase.

The ACCC's observations are contained in a 16-page document summarising its early findings as it scrutinises the proposed $2.3 billion merger between AP Eagers and Automotive Holdings Group to form a car dealership giant with 12 per cent of the Australian market and 229 locations.

The ACCC's assessment of a proposed big auto dea…

How to avoid the hidden costs of a new car

How to avoid the hidden costs of a new car When buying a new car, the list price is only a starting point – it’s essential to factor in running, warranty and car insurance costs to know what you’ll really pay. 1. Know what model you are after but be flexible with the specs Car dealers love buyers who have no clear idea what type of vehicle they are after. A good salesman can steer the buyer around the showroom and sell them a vehicle that has the best financial incentives for the salesman. Sales managers don’t like stock that hangs around too long, either, since its costs them money in terms of floor plan financing so not surprisingly they may be very keen to shift slow-moving models. You can make this work in your favour if you know the exact make you’re after and the dealer’s stock controller had a brain fade and ordered a bunch of cars with weird colours. If you’re flexible with the specification level, colour and options, you could walk away with a better deal in fina…

Drive-away pricing

Drive-away pricing vs. on-road costs: what to look out for

IF ONLY buying a car was as easy as paying the advertised price and then driving away. Unfortunately it’s not, and these are the costs to look out for.

Be careful of car pricing.Source:Supplied

“DRIVE away, no more to pay”? Well, you’d kind of hope so, wouldn’t you? Once you’ve driven the car out of the dealership you don’t really expect to pay for anything more than fuel and funding the lives of traffic-light windscreen washers.

But then, so many advertising phrases make little sense — “I bought a Jeep (in an upbeat tone), “I can’t believe it’s not butter (why not, that’s what it’s called?) or “Building better kids, one punch at a time” (from a martial arts-school ad) — but slogans like “drive-away pricing” and “no on-road costs” are right up there in the pantheon. They both sound simple enough, and covering “o…

Autosports spends $9M for Trivett Alexandria

Autosports spends $9M for Trivett Alexandria Autosports Group has bought Trivett in Alexandria for around $9 million Trivett Alexandia is made up of six luxury and super lux car dealerships The brands represented are Jaguar, Land Rover, Rolls Royce, McLaren, Bentley and Aston Martin. In the last financial year, Trivett Alexandria made $200 million in revenue. Autosports Group is up 7.98 per cent, trading for $1.76 per share at 13:19 AEDT Autosports has signed a $9 million agreement to buy rival automotive dealership Trivett in Alexandria. Trivett Alexandria sells six luxury and super luxury brands, meaning Autosport Group, which represents the likes of Lamborghini and Mercedes-Benz, will now have Jaguar, Land Rover, Rolls Royce, McLaren, Bentley and Aston Martin cars in its showrooms. Autosports Group is Australia's largest prestige and luxury automotive dealership group, with 37 retailers in Sydney, …

Car of the Year: Australia’s best new cars revealed

News.com.au tested the best new cars on sale for the 2019 Car of the Year test. Now seven top picks will represent their category in a fight for the overall prize.

David McCowen NOVEMBER 29, 2019

Seven cars made the cut as category winners for News Corp Australia’s Car of the Year finale.

Choosing the best new car in a given year is not an easy process. In previous years, the motoring team picked 10 finalists to face close scrutiny from a team of experienced judges. This year, a new structure better reflects the preferences of Australian motorists. Finalists need to have arrived in the past 12 months to be eligible — bestsellers such as the Toyota HiLux aren’t new enough to get a guernsey. There are no narrow-funnelled classes for luxury or electric cars — they have to beat the competition from a broader range of rivals to be declared a winner. We divided the best new cars into seven…

Sime Darby in Parramatta deal

Sime Darby in Parramatta deal Trivett dealerships pass over to former Peugeot distributor as it expands its dealer portfolio SIME Darby Motors, through Sime Darby Motors (Australia), has continued its transition from vehicle distribution in Australia into a dealer group with the purchase of the business assets of three car dealerships at Parramatta’s Auto Alley from Trivett. The transaction price for the deal was $112 million. The acquisition, which includes the BMW, Mini, Volkswagen, Jaguar and Land Rover marques in three dealerships, adds to Sime Darby’s existing Porsche Parramatta operations and now means the group owns the majority of Church Street’s dealerships. The company said the purchase would give it “greater scope to make a difference to the local community”. Sime Darby Motors represents all five marques in the other markets in which it operates. The managing director of Sime Darby Motors Australia and New Zeal…

Trivett sold for $116 million

Trivett sold for $116 million Vehicle importer and dealer group Inchcape has paid 78 million pounds ($116 million) for Australia’s largest prestige and luxury retailer the Trivett Group. The March 1 acquisition of 22 dealerships representing brands as diverse as Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo, Aston Martin and McLaren is believed to be part of a broader strategy to control more automotive dealerships in Australia. It will boost the Australian retail presence of Inchcape – which also imports Subaru into Australia – from the existing 38 outlets representing more volume-selling brands including Kia, Subaru, Mitsubishi and Isuzu. In announcing the deal in the UK this morning Inchcape group chief executive André Lacroix said the move was in line with expansion plans for the Asia Pacific region. "It was important for us ... to ensure what we've built will not only continue but prosper" ... Trivett Executive chairman Greg Duncan, pictured. Pho…

Malaysians snap up Parramatta Trivett dealerships

Malaysians snap up Parramatta Trivett dealerships for $112m Malaysian conglomerate Sime Darby has stamped its mark on Parramatta's "auto alley" after buying three luxury car dealerships from prestige car sales rival Trivett for $112 million.The triple swoop includes both the properties and businesses of Trivett on Parramatta's car dealership-clogged Church Street boulevard. Collectively, they sell BMW, MINI, Volkswagen, Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles. Sime Darby Parramatta swoop includes the BMW and MINI dealerships of Trivett Fairfax Photographic

The BMW and MINI dealerships are at 42-64 Church Street with the Jaguar, Land Rover and VW dealerships running from 14-18 Church Street.

The vendor Trivett, a subsidiary of London-listed car sales and distribution giant Inchape Plc, calls itself Australia's "largest prestige auto group".…

Brian Hilton Motor Group celebrates 50 years on Central Coast

Brian Hilton Motor Group celebrates 50 years on Central Coast Richard Noone March 14, 2017 - 11:39AM Central Coast Gosford Express Advocate

WHEN Brian Hilton began selling cars in 1967, seatbelts were an after market accessory, and 450,000 cars were sold in Australia. This year about 1.15m will be sold, and cars come with keyless entry.

Richard Noone March 14, 2017 - 11:39AM Central Coast Gosford Express Advocate Maria Viglianti checks out the 1972 Corolla on display during the Brian Hilton Motor Group’s 50th birthday celebrations at North Gosford. Picture: Peter Clark

IN 1967 seatbelts were an aftermarket accessory, there were about 450,000 cars sold in Australia and the average family sedan cost about $2000.

This year an estimated 1.15 million new and used cars will exchange hands with an average small car going for about $25,000 but featuring more mod-cons — such as rever…