by Phil Matthews
1986
LNC Industries’ Chairman, Doug A. Donaldson, retires. He had worked for
Lanock Motors since 1954, starting as a car salesman, and became an LNC Industries
board member in 1963. He was later managing director of Volkswagen Australia
from 1968 to his retirement. He was to die of emphysema in 1991.
LNC Industries suffer increasing financial hardship, and Libermann begin rationalising and selling off their various divisions. The division called ‘Volkswagen Australia Pty Ltd’ is closed down. All future VW sales and service is to be handled by ‘LNC Distribution Pty Ltd.’
Through the CMC, Club Veedub Sydney initiates Vintage (Historic) Registration, for Volkswagens older than 30 years, on special Club VW plates in NSW. This is the first scheme of this kind for Volkswagens in Australia.
LNC Industries announces that no more shipments of new Volkswagens will be received.
For the first time since 1953, there is no Volkswagen stand at the Sydney Motor Show.
123 Volkswagens are sold – 123 Transporters.
1987
LNC Industries announce that they will relinquish the Australian Volkswagen
(and Audi) franchise, effective from 30 June, ending a 33-year association with
VWs. Parts and accessory support would continue until September.
The new distributor for VW in Australia is to be Ateco Holdings Ltd, owned by Neville Crichton, based at Marayong in Sydney. LNC’s former VW headquarters at North Ryde is sold, and eventually demolished to make way for a new industrial estate. An enormous amount of VW parts, equipment, signage and records are thrown out; Sydney VW enthusiasts rescue a tiny portion. LNC Industries is broken up, and by 1990 ceases to exist.
Lanock Motors is sold to the City Ford group of companies. Only the St Leonards and Camperdown branches are still operating, with all the other branches in Sydney and Wollongong long since closed down.
No VWs are imported; the only sales are clearing of old stock.
48 Volkswagens are sold – 48 Transporters.
1988
The first VW Nationals, Australia’s biggest Volkswagen show, is held at
the Hawkesbury Agricultural College (now UWS, Hawkesbury Campus) at Easter,
hosted by Club Veedub Sydney.
Ateco laid the foundations for VW’s relaunch by reorganising the remaining VW dealer network, casting off many former VW agents who were now Subaru, Honda, Nissan or Mitsubishi dealers. Most country dealers were closed down. New VW agencies were established in the capital cities.
A batch of current Transporters are brought in to keep the product available and to prepare for a major relaunch, which include for the first time the 2.1-litre engine and Syncro 4WD system. Trakka are announced as the ‘official’ camper converter, having purchased Sopru Pty Ltd (the former LNC-owned Motor Caravan Holdings Ltd).
The first modern Australian colour Volkswagen magazine, the bi-monthly ‘Australian VW Power’, goes on sale at newsagents.
82 Volkswagens are sold – 82 Transporters
1989
Ateco launches the ‘Volkswagen Is Back!’ campaign, with the relaunch
of the updated, modern T3 Transporter range. The T3 comes with the 70 kW 2109cc
wasserboxer engine and new front grille and rectangular headlights, and is available
in Panel Van, Kombi, and Caravelle versions. The Syncro 4WD version is also
available. Prices range from $19,995 up to $46,990. VW ads appear in newspapers,
magazines and on TV again for the first time in many years.
The VW Nationals is moved from Easter to February to better utilise the summer weather, but this proves an unpopular move. It is rescheduled for Easter in 1990 and beyond.
The T3 Pickup and Double Cab Pickup are displayed at the Sydney Motor Show. Ateco also announces that the Carat executive will be introduced, but this doesn’t eventuate.
The first Mk2 Golf 8V GTI and Mk1 Golf Cabrios are imported for evaluation and release, and are shown to the public for the first time at the Sydney Motor Show.
1,097 Volkswagens are sold – 1,097 Transporrters.
1990
Ateco Industries sells the Australian VW franchise to the large British-based
auto distribution group Tozer Kemsley & Millbourn plc (TKM). Ateco were
having difficulties with parts and service support, dealer contracts and new
model release. The much larger TKM paid $A25.5 million for Ateco Industries,
and the associated VW/Audi business. Former boss of Ateco’s Suzuki and
Madza divisions, Peter Reufli, is appointed Volkswagen/Audi General Manager.
‘Ateco Industries’ is replaced by ‘TKM Automotive Australia’ as the Australian business name, and the VW head office moved from Marayong to TKM’s Subaru headquarters at Wetherill Park, Sydney.
The T3 Transporter Pickup and Double Cab Pickups are released, with the 2.1-litre engine, with manual or auto trans. A luxury syncro version of the Caravelle is available, at $39,000. A luxury syncro 4WD version of the Double Cab is also announced – the Tristar – but only a handful of these arrive. Graham Lees uses one to compete in the Australian Safari, winning his class. The T3 Syncro is named Overlander Magazine’s 4WD of the Year.
The Golf Cabriolet and Golf GTI 8V are officially launched at a function at the Fairmount Resort at Leura, the first time either model has been sold in Australia. Both have the 1781cc engine, in 70 kW form for the Cabrio and 77 kW for the GTI.
The Passat B3 is displayed at the Sydney Motor Show, in both sedan and wagon layouts, together with a choice of collectable Australian-edition brochures, but it does not go on sale.
1,182 Volkswagens are sold – 107 Golfs and 1,075 Transporters.