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 Phil74Camper
Son of Jim - Creator of Good
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| posted on July 29th, 2008 at 01:40 PM |
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Old Volkswagen Dealers
As per the previous thread, I've made a history of old Volkswagen dealers in Australia. By finding or borrowing as many of those little VW glovebox
dealer lists as possible, I've made up a spreadsheet of names, addresses and years.
My info on Sydney dealers is complete, from 1954-2008. NSW Country and interstate is not yet complete. I don't have anything yet from earlier than
1962. I'm also missing 1963, 1965, 1967, 1971-72, 1979-81, and 1983-89. If you have one of these booklets, please let me know!
For example, my closest suburb is Bankstown, Sydney.
Ashtons Car Sales were at 228 South Terrace from 1958-59. Robert Dewley Pty Ltd then took over the same site from 1960-1972 (then became a Datsun
dealer. Today it's a block of home units). Cloughs of Bankstown opened at 55 Canterbury Rd in 1973 and closed in 1979 (It was bulldozed and is now a
service station). R.M. Campbell, a former BMC dealer, took over at 256 Chapel Rd for 1982-83. They had a second site open in Greenacre, at 245 Hume
Hwy, in 1982 and it lasted until 1987. Finally Dale European Cars (Ford dealer) took on VWs at 206-220 Hume Hwy in 1994 and lasted until 2002.
If you'd like to know, tell me your town or suburb and I'll tell you where and when your VW dealers were.
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Phil74Camper
Son of Jim - Creator of Good
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| posted on July 29th, 2008 at 08:06 PM |
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These are what the Volkswagen Dealership listings look like. Their format and look changed markedly over the years.
Can anyone help me with photocopies for the years I am missing?
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thugbug
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| posted on July 29th, 2008 at 09:12 PM |
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I remember RMCampbell very well indeed as used to build buses for them in the mid 60`s in a little workshop located behind the then Ray Carey Power
Steering opp Stacey St. That little workshop is still standing today albeit hidden away behind a now defunct McGrath mitsu yard fence. (Ex Purnell
Bros). Memories of better times!! Then you could get 1 Gallon petrol for 30 cents! Great info list Phil74 Camper by the way.cheers
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Phil74Camper
Son of Jim - Creator of Good
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| posted on July 30th, 2008 at 10:52 AM |
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Wow, I didn't know that RM Campbell were also down off Canterbury Rd. I only became aware of them from their showroom up on Chapel Rd, opposite
Bankstown Oval, when they took on VWs for a short period. I can vaguely remember a Mini sitting on the showroom roof! I'm not sure who occupies the
building now, but I did notice the Goodyear Tyre place next door has closed down.
Have a look at the 1977 movie The FJ Holden, which was filmed at the All Model Auto Wreckers right next to where you mention (now an Officeworks).
There are lots of Beetles and Type 3s in the lot at the time. You also see the entrance and the Purnell Bros lot as the characters leave to head over
to the pub (now the Croatian Club).
The later RM Campbells lot up on the Hume Hwy is still there, but now its an Australian Fleet Sales car yard. Dale Ford at Bankstown stopped selling
and servicing VWs in 2002, but they still had some VW flags, and a large, lighted 'VOLKSWAGEN' sign, inside the showroom until last year. I wonder
what happened to it?
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Phil74Camper
Son of Jim - Creator of Good
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| posted on July 30th, 2008 at 11:19 AM |
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Here's some more information on Sydney VW dealers - I can do Sydney as my figures are complete. I'll be able to do the same for NSW country, and
other states, when I can find more of those little dealer booklets for the 1980s.
Sydney's first Volkswagen dealers:
None listed for 1953 (VWs were not sold in NSW until Easter 1954).
There were 6 dealers in 1954:
* Camperdown - Larke, Neave & Carter, 141 Parramatta Rd. Became a Lanock Motors in 1955. Now a Toyota dealer.
* City - Charlie and Lord, 199 Macquarie St. Closed 1963. Now the Westpac building opposite Parliament House.
* City - Charlie and Lord, 146 Phillip St. Closed 1956. Not sure what's there now - Chifley Tower, Aurora Place?
* City - Lanock Motors, 177-179 William St. Lanocks' head office, and later the head office of both LNC Industries, and Volkswagen Australia. Closed
1973. Another office building.
* North Sydney - Larke, Neave & Carter, 50-80 Pacific Hwy. This was in the premises under the railway/tram line on the northern approach of the
Harbour Bridge, just in front of the Travelodge. It closed in 1956 and became a Rover dealer. It was an Alfa workshop in the 1990s but I'm not sure
what's there now - haven't been to North Sydney for a while.
* Rushcutters Bay - Lanock Motors, 78-82 Maclachlan Ave. 1954 only. It became a Grenville Motors Rover dealer as a business swap. Not sure what's
there now - who ever goes to Rushcutters Bay??
Maybe someone could visit these sites and post some photos?
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thugbug
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| posted on July 30th, 2008 at 11:24 AM |
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Clarification -we were in the old workshop. It was a smash repair/bus building w/shop. We built Austin/Morris buses for RMC who was as you say opp the
Oval and up on the Hwy. The wrecking yard you mention was not where Officeworks are but on the other side. AJChown Engineering was in fact where
Office is now along with a Fruit/vege outlet. Beside us looking from the front - a little old weatherboard house,behind was the wreckers whose crazy
guard dog used to get out and make a bee-line for our w/shop much to our disdain and panic! Up front and to the left of the house was Purnell Bros.
Ray Careys` power steering to the right of the house,of which we shared the driveway and were down the back of also known as Fairmont Power Steering
is located around in Moxham St albeit not owned by him anymore. I`ll have a chat with the guys up at Dales. I`m very good mates with both owners and
others there. cheers
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Phil74Camper
Son of Jim - Creator of Good
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| posted on July 30th, 2008 at 08:25 PM |
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Thanks Dave - the 1957-58-59 listings arrived in the post this arvo. I'm busy drinking a beer and updating the spreadsheet at the moment.
My earliest info is 1962, so we're still missing 1960-61, if anyone has them?
There are LOTS of early dealers from 1957 that were gone by 1962. It looks like VW went all-out to get as many service/sales centres going as possible
in the early days, and not all of them lasted. It took a while for the dealer body to stabilize. Even so, from 1954-2008, the average period that any
Sydney VW dealership existed (the only ones I have complete information for), is only 7.1 years. Not long!
By the way, Geelong holds the current record for the greatest number of different Volkswagen dealers in any town/suburb. My figures aren't complete
yet, but from 1957 to 2008, they have had THIRTEEN different dealers, all with different names and addresses, and never existing together. Toowoomba
has had 11; Dubbo only 8. Victoria Park, Perth, has had 7.
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Phil74Camper
Son of Jim - Creator of Good
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| posted on August 7th, 2008 at 01:08 PM |
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This is the list of Sydney VW dealers from 1968. Sadly, none of them still exist. Mullers are still there as a workshop, but they aren't a VW dealer
(and Markwell hasn't been around since 1970).
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darren-h
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| posted on August 7th, 2008 at 08:27 PM |
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Hi Phil, I have a 1967 booklet, the code on the back reads... 10m-rp11/66-vw5643
let me know if this is of any help to you.
67' deluxe
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Phil74Camper
Son of Jim - Creator of Good
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| posted on August 7th, 2008 at 08:52 PM |
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Hi Darren,
Yes, that's a weird one, none of the other editions I've seen have that code. Anyway, that one is 11/66 (November), which I have, and I used for the
1966 results. Thanks for offering anyway, I appreciate it!
I am missing whatever the next edition from 1967 might be!
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Dyno
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| posted on January 11th, 2009 at 01:52 AM |
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you need to keep in mind that in speaking to many of the locals who were involved with those businesses often mentioned stock being sold to the
incoming dealer from the outgoing dealer. worth a mention.
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