Thread: LR DEALERS IN THE SIII DAYS

Driving across Oz last Xmas the thing that supprised me was the amount of European dealers such as VW,BMW and Mercedes in rural NSW. Pat

Originally Posted by Beckford

I lived in Glen Innes from 1982 to 1996 and do not remember a Landrover dealership.

When I finished school I remember driving a series 1 on a farm just out of Glen Innes.

I was driving Landrovers through Glen Innes throughout the sixties, and I think I would remember if there had been one, as I had relatives living near there. But I can't remember one. I think there was one in Armidale, and/or Tenterfield.

John

Originally Posted by JDNSW

I was driving Landrovers through Glen Innes throughout the sixties, and I think I would remember if there had been one, as I had relatives living near there. But I can't remember one. I think there was one in Armidale, and/or Tenterfield.

John

I recall it was principally a truck and farm machinery shop with LR as a tertiary franchise. Can't remember the name though.

In my time there was definitely not a dealer in Tenterfield The area was well serviced by a first class dealer in Stanthorpe but if someone suitable could be found there would likely have been a dealer appointed.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

I was writing about full dealers only as in dealers appointed by LRA for new sales, warranty, service, spare parts. Not repair garages or sub-dealers.

From the preamble to the list, attached to National Service Centre Listing it states that, "Names followed by ** are official Land Rover Dealers. All others have been recommended by members through experience. "

There are three in S.A. - Port Lincoln, Millicent, and Adelaide. The two country ones are really good, I just bought a puma from Mac's at Millicent. Adelaide are a luxury dealers where as the other two are still more of a traditional dealership.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Confirms what I thought! I do not know for sure, but I would expect towns such as Wagga, Armidale, Tamworth, Gunnedah, Narrandera, Cowra, Parkes and many others would have had dealers forty years ago.

Mind you, it is not just Landrover - even companies such as Holden have far fewer dealers than they used to have. In part it is better communications and roads mean that buyers can go to the larger towns, but also the general impoverishment of rural Australia over the last sixty years has meant fewer and fewer new car buyers as the family farm has become less profitable and affords less flow-on to the towns.

But in the case of Landrover it reflects as well the deliberate move from a seller of utility vehicles to a seller of luxury urban cars. Why have dealers in the country when your target customers live in the wealthier suburbs of the capital cities?

John

Up until a few years ago, probably less than five, there was still a Land Rover dealer in Finley, it is now a Ford dealership.

Cheers, Mick.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

I was driving Landrovers through Glen Innes throughout the sixties, and I think I would remember if there had been one, as I had relatives living near there. But I can't remember one. I think there was one in Armidale, and/or Tenterfield.

John

My Mum lived in Glen Innes in the sixties so I will ask her if she can remember one.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Mind you, it is not just Landrover - even companies such as Holden have far fewer dealers than they used to have. In part it is better communications and roads mean that buyers can go to the larger towns, but also the general impoverishment of rural Australia over the last sixty years has meant fewer and fewer new car buyers as the family farm has become less profitable and affords less flow-on to the towns.

But in the case of Landrover it reflects as well the deliberate move from a seller of utility vehicles to a seller of luxury urban cars. Why have dealers in the country when your target customers live in the wealthier suburbs of the capital cities?

John

JD, the Trade Practices Act had a good bit to do with GM-H changes to dealerships. We had a three tier dealer pricing arrangement, Classes 1, 2, & 3. Metropolitan, Provincial, and country. Provincial got less discount than Metro, and Country got less than Provincial. Under the act it was no longer possible to have price differentials. Also taken into account was the cost of servicing small dealers who sold few vehicles. You have a Zone Sales Manager, a Service and Warranty Adviser, and a Parts rep on the road. Training classes needed to be held. Promotions and advertising etc. etc. A line was drawn in the sand. Dealers who sold less than x vehicles a year and had little or no chance of improving got the axe and could become spotters or sub-dealers buying from a major dealership who handled all the paperwork and so on.

Ford were on the ropes in the early-mid seventies, beaten on the race track, beaten in the showrooms. Head Office was considering ceasing Australian manufacture and going back to import on wheels and partial assembly. Ford Australia embarked on a ruthless slash and burn programme led by a new Marketing Director, one Keith Horner. Dealers were made aware in no uncertain terms that volume, volume, volume was required of them with profit a secondary consideration. Company stores were opened, dealerships taken over and run by Ford appointees (the so-called Dealer Development) with the former dealer principal a figurehead. At the end of Horner's campaign fewer than twenty dealers were left who had been Ford dealers before. A lot of the sacked dealers dated back to the "T" days but no sentiment was allowed, shape up or ship out. In the company stores and "development" dealerships sales staff were on the greasy pole system. A rep with poor figures for 2-3 months was sacked, and, in some cases, the rep with the worst figures each month was sacked. To achieve volume Ford went boots and all after the fleet business at next to no profit.Turned Ford Australia business around though.

Our Land Rover sales in Qld. zone in 1973 were probably 50%+ cab and chassis with dropside body. The recreational market was almost non-existent for new vehicles. The bulk of sales were to primary producers, govt. bodies and businesses who operated in circumstances requiring a 4WD.