A year-by-year Australian Volkswagen history is now available, at the Club Veedub Sydney website.

It runs from 1941 to 2008, in ten parts. It also includes VW's year-by-year sales in Australia, by model. These figures have previously been published in Zeitschrift, and are sourced from FCAI documents. Please feel free to bookmark and use as a reference - there are lots of new VW enthusiasts out there who don't know the Australian story.

Please let me know if you spot any errors or omissions. Comments and additional info also welcome.

The link is:

http://www.clubvw.org.au/Australian%20VW%20history.htm 

sweet ..

Hi Lee,

Sorry, no, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries' figures aren't that specific. They used a simple 'model' reporting system that didn't take body or mechanical styles into account.

For example, in 1968 they said that VW sold '4,350 VW 1500s.' That obviously includes both manual and semi-auto Beetles, BUT it would also include Type 3s. There is simply no way to know how much there were of each - we only know the total for 'VW 1500'. Likewise, in 1971 VW sold 10,090 'VW 1600s'. Again, that must include Superbug manuals and semi-autos, AND Type 3s.

Sadly, it's impossible to say how many Beetles or Type 3s were sold; we only know about 'VW 1200s', 'VW 1300s', 'VW 1500s' and 'VW 1600s'. Even today, the FCAI's sales figures list the total for 'Golf' - 10,982 for 2007. They don't give any information on which models they were - CL, GL, Comfortline, Sportline, FSI, TDI, diesel etc etc.

One other thing to note about the FCAI's figures - they are Australian sales figures based on Australian registration data from the Bureau of Statistics. VW's own figures from the 1960s will be slightly different, since the Clayton factory also made CKD kits and complete vehicles for export. The FCAI's figures are purely Australian new registration figures.

If anyone is interested in looking at the original FCAI documents, you can find them in the NSW State Library (Mitchell Library). They produced a neat little series of annual books of Australian auto data from 1959-70, then the Black and White data book after that. Have a look in the catalog at:

http://library.sl.nsw.gov.au/search?/Xfederal%20chamber%20automotive%20indust...

Not all of them are in the Mitchell Library. I also had to search in the National Library in Canberra before I found them all.

Phil,

Great resource. I noticed that the site referred to a book 'Knowing Australian Volkswagens' from Bookworks - so I rang up to ask about it and they said they don't have it.
Do you know where I could get a copy?

Thanks,
Simon

Ebay there usuallly go for about $100 when u can find a copy

And that's way too much money for what is now a pretty ordinary book!

No, there was only 1,500 copies printed of that book, Knowing Australian Volkswagens, and that was back in 1994 (it sold for $25 then). It's way out of date now, and lacking a lot of info in many areas. I thought about putting out an updated version, but the Davies' book The Forgotten Story is so much better graphically. Also, there was royalties and sharing involved since my book had a co-writer, Dave Long, who I don't associate with any more.

I only have two copies myself - a pristine one and a 'working' one with loose pages. There is another copy in the Club Veedub library, which is available for free borrowing for members if you are interested.

Anyway our new Australian VW History site above has more info than that old book anyway - and it's free. Enjoy!

Hi Phil,

love your work but you refer to lanock motors are your sure its not meant to be Lennock motors?

Cheers,
Costa...

Hi Costa

Lennox were at Parramatta & Blacktown. Lanock Motors were at Camperdown, Five Dock, St Leonards & Waitara.

Steve

BTW i have some omssions that you may want to include:

Guy Harding came first in his class and set a record that im not still is yet to be broken at the Targa Tasmania in his 61 Beetle (i think).

Also im suprised nothing was mentioned about Muller and Muller being mentioned as they were a dealership that sold a lot of cars and now fix VW that is still around today.

Lee,
I dont have registration numbers but do have production numbers ( off the production line) from Clayton coveirng the Auto models 114032 and 114132 as below;

114032 Started Mar 69 ended Dec 70 1269 units

114132 Started Jan 71ended Dec 72 867 units.

I have production numbers for all models but no linkages to chassis numbers covering all the units produced in Clayton from Year 1 to 1975 apart from a 6 month period June 74 to Dec 74

Regards,
countrybuggybill

great work Phil...lucky to have a copy ..great read ..Know of a "mint" copy for sale for $!00!!

Costa

there were a few more VWs in the Targa before that time

but it was a great effort 4 sure

Lanocks Northside opening flyer

Hi Costa,

Yes Steve is right, Lennox motors were located originally in Parramatta (they were named after the Lennox Bridge across the Parramatta River). They were first located on the corner of George & Smith Sts (now an office building), then set up another branch at the south end of Church St, about where the motorway flyover is now. In the early 1970s these two were closed and a new Lennox showroom was opened on Church St at North Parramatta, near Fennell St. It closed in 1979. Lennox also had a second branch at Blacktown, on Sunnholt Rd.

Lanock Motors, on the other hand, were a division of LNC Industries, the NSW, and later Australian, VW distributors. 'Lanock' is an made-up name that combines the surnames of two of the LNC directors, Lane and Locke. LNC, by the way, stands for 'Larke, Neave and Carter', three of the founding members of the car dealership in Camperdown (1930s) that originally sold Chevrolets and, later, Rovers. When Lanock Motors was formed in 1954 to sell VWs, they swapped a workshop at Rushcutters Bay with LNC's Rover division. Rushcutters Bay became Grenville Motors (Rover), and Camperdown became Lanock Motors (VW). Lanock Motors later grew to become the biggest Volkswagen dealer in Australia.

That opening brochure is brilliant! I remember Lanocks at St Leonards from my earliest days as my granny lived in Reserve Rd, just around the corner, and we had to drive past every time we visited. I went there the week it closed in 1991; very sad. It's a Holden dealer now, but the layout and buildings are still the same.

Muller and Muller were not the first or longest VW dealer. The VW dealer in Lakemba was originally Ronstan Motors (where the Toyota dealer is now). They stopped selling VWs in 1968. 'Muller and Markwell' took over; they had been an independent VW workshop for a few years prior. In 1970 Markwell left the business and it became Muller and Muller. They became the last remaining Sydney VW dealer from the air-cooled era when McCallum Motors closed in 1992, but Muller and Muller lost the 'official VW dealer' status in 1996. Yes they are still around. Sydney's oldest existing Volkswagen dealer is Chatswood Classic Cars, which began in 1989. The longest existing VW dealer in Sydney was Lanock Motors Camperdown, which lasted 1954-1991 (37 years).

It would be good to document the VW history of Targa Tasmania each year since it began. I only mentioned Boris and George as the first; I know there have been others since. The VWs never get a mention in the papers! This sounds like a project for another day.

Hi Phil

As I understand it, Muller & Muller were at 1st a VW workshop and parts outlet only and later became a new car seller.

Steve

Hi Steve,

Yes you're right. Mullers were listed in the glovebox VW dealer list booklets after 1968 (and also in the phone books of the time), but they didn't specify whether a 'VW dealer' was a sales/service centre, or just parts/service. Even today, there is no VW dealer in south-west Sydney apart from Liverpool and Sutherland.

It's a simple matter to do a spreadsheet of all Sydney VW dealers over the years, as the Mitchell Library has all the old Sydney phone books on microfiche (going right back to the late 1890s!). You just start at 1954 and look at each year in turn. This I've already done, so I know where and when all Sydney VW dealers began and ended.

Country and interstate dealers are a different matter. NSW Country phone books are split into area code region, so there are about 8 books to look at for every year. I started to do this but got sick of it very quickly. And the NSW State Library doesn't have interstate phone books apart from the major centres, and even then not all of them.

I'll start another post about the histories of Volkswagen dealerships around Australia - it's very interesting. Here's some things to ponder - which Australian town/suburb has had the most different VW dealers over the years? Do any other cities or towns have any dealers today that were around in the air-cooled era (Sydney doesn't). What is the oldest existing VW dealer in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide? Or Australia?

When I lived in Gloucester in the late 60s there was a VW dealer there..
and I used to talk to the mechanics etc..
the owner was Bill Musserud and I met Him about 20 years ago at a Fiat New Holland conference - he was also a FIAT tractor dealer..
He is still there AFAIK but no longer sells VWs...
He probably stopped selling VWs around 1976 when VW Australasia finished up...

Cardiff Motors at Cardiff and also Hamilton [around Newcastle] were also big VW sellers in the early 60s - 70s
along with RH Taylor who had dealerships at Scone Muswellbrook Maitland and Newcastle

Lee

Hi Lee,

My VW dealer database is incomplete, but as for the NSW towns you mention:

There were three different VW dealers in Gloucester. Gloucester Truck and Machinery Co, 35 Church St, started sometime before 1962, ended 1967. Replaced by Mussared Bros, same address, 1968 to 1975. Mussared Bros then moved to Denison Street in 1976, and ended sometime between 1982 and 1990.

Cardiff Motors were at 454 Main Rd, Cardiff, from sometime before 1962, up to 1967.

Cardiff Motors Hamilton were at 71-75 Tudor St from 1968 to at least 1982. By 1989 they had changed to Regal Motors. In 1992 they moved to 67 Tudor St, where they stayed until at least 1999. In 2004 a new dealer called Hunter City Volkswsagen began at 49-57 Tudor St. This became Kloster Volkswagen in 2007.

Scone's VW dealer was T.H. Evans and Co at 68 Kelly St, from before 1962 to 1964. In 1965 they were replaced by Hunter Valley Machinery Co on the corner of Muffett and Sherwood Sts, which ended in 1978.

Muswellbrook's VW dealer was Auto Service on Maitland Road from before 1962 to 1963. In 1964 they were replaced by Hunter Valley Machinery Co at 104-106 Sydney Rd, which ended in 1977.

Maitland's VW dealer was R.H. Taylor & Co at 503 High Street Maitland West, from before 1962 to 1968. They moved to 555-557 High Street in 1969 and lasted until 1978. A new dealer, George White Motors, began at 317-323 High St in 1979 and ended in 1994. There was also a VW dealer at Mayfield, Ron Bowers Motors, who lasted from before 1962 to 1978.

Newcastle's first VW dealer was Lawton Motors, who began at 780-786 Hunter St sometime before 1962, and ended in 1963. They were replaced by R.H. Taylor at 484 King St in 1964. They moved to 474 King St in 1966. They ended some time after 1982 (I have no information on VW dealers from 1983-89). There was a short-lived VW dealer called Hunter City Classic Cars at 49-57 Tudor St, 2001-2002.

There was another R.H. Taylor dealership at Stroud, on Cowper St, but they closed by 1964.

Does anyone have VW dealership listings/booklets from before 1962, 1971-72, 1979-81 or 1983-89? I am missing these years...

Love your work, sensational stuff for all the history buffs

Great thread.

Phil

Ive just copied n posted to you 3 issues

one prior to Aug 1957 as it has an Oval on the cover
may 1958 issue
feb 1959 issue

the next copy i have is dated Sep 1962 let me know if you need a copy of that one

the ones from the 80s all have the "" VW badge "" on the cover
issued by Volksagen Australia a Division os LNC there NOT dated stamped
however Swantons is listed in all of them as being in Hudson st

Thanks Dave, that's brilliant. '57-'58-59 will fill in a lot of gaps. Maybe someone on the forum might have '60 or '61 in their collection?

I already have 1962, thanks, but not 1963, '65 or '67. I suppose Sept '62 is CLOSE to '63, but let's see if someone else has a '63 list.

Yeah I thought the '80s ones would be quite difficult to find, due to the miniscule number of new VWs sold (Transporters only 1983-88). If you can copy them for me, I might be able to work out when each one is through the small changes each year.

Swantons doesn't make sense. According to the Sydney White Pages, they moved from 10 Hudson St to 67 Forest Rd in 1977. They were certainly there by late 1981, as that's where I bought my red Beetle. Maybe LNC Industries got slack in updating their dealer lists; not surprising as they were slack in everything else VW-related in the '80s too.

Hi Phil

I worked at Swantons, service and parts were in Hudson Street, new & used cars sales were in Forest Road. In about 75 or 76 they moved service & spares into Forest with new & used cars after renovations.

Steve

no it was much later than that

Swantons was listed in the 1976 White Pages as being at Hudson St, same with the July 1976 VW dealership booklet.

In the 1977 White Pages, Swantons are listed at 71 Forest Rd (only). However, they are still listed at Hudson St in the June 1977 dealership booklet (which Phill Lander passed on to me).

The June 1978 dealership booklet is then updated to Forest Rd. Unfortunately, neither source lists Swantons as having two sites at once. I suspect LNC Industries was simply slower to update than Telecom was.

How long did the changeover process take, Steve? I know first hand that everything was at Forest Rd by 1981.

I fear that it will be impossible to establish a definitive record - but we'll try!

Thugbugs first show ! - Mullers at Lakemba,1974. yay. great info Phil74Camper.

Hi

I cant remember the exact dates, but I left Swantons to work at Cloughs of Bankstown in 1977, the move to Forest Road was completed by then.

Steve