NEWS
VALE: W.J BLANCHARD
CoolDrive Auto Parts Founder John Blanchard Senior passed away in December at the age of 87, following a long battle with illness John spent his lifetime working within the Australasian automotive industry, with his achievements recognised in 2019 when he was inducted into the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association’s Hall of Fame. His illustrious career began at his parents’ garage ABC Motors in Clifton Hill (Melbourne), helping his father as a five-year-old. That led to the ability to service cars by age 11 and then, after leaving school, a long career with the likes of VW, Kenworth, Land Rover, New Holland and Girling, before a stint overseas and then striking out on his own.
AUSTRALIA’S NEXT TOP MODEL: THE TOYOTA HILUX With the unpredictable year of 2021 finally closed, ACA Research takes a step back and looks at how new vehicle sales have performed
In total, there were 1,049,831 vehicles sold throughout 2021, representing a 14.5 percent increase to 2020. While this is just 13,000 less than 2019, it still lags the 2018 result by more than 100,000 sales, reflecting the ongoing impact of microprocessor shortages on global supply chains, and restricted access to dealerships through the pandemic. Despite this, there are some positive elements to take away, with a number of manufacturers recording strong results. It is no surprise to see Toyota again claim the top spot, with its 223,642 sales making up 21.3 percent of the market share. Mazda came in second with 101,119 sales at 9.6 percent market share, while Hyundai (72,872 sales) finished just 1,492 sales ahead of Ford (71,380 sales) in fourth place. Looking at the top 10 models sold, we can see a noticeable shift in consumer behavior. Four Utes made the top 10 in 2021, and by doing so, overtook the number of passenger vehicles in the top 10 for the first time in Australian Automotive history.
In the late ‘70s, John established Melbourne Auto Air with his wife Shirley, being one of the first people to import automotive air conditioning systems into Australia, and since then that business has grown exponentially. John remained an active contributor to the CoolDrive business where he was fondly known as “Senior” regularly attending the Box Hill Head Office or conducting a surprise visit to a CoolDrive branch. John was acknowledged for his meticulous attention to detail, high level of organisation and entrepreneurial spirit, and remained extremely proud that CoolDrive continues to be an Australian family-owned business. A lifelong motor racing enthusiast, John was also heavily involved with the Victorian Historic Racing Register for many years, as well as supporting the racing exploits of son John and grandchildren. John is survived by his wife Shirley, his children John and Jennie and his six grandchildren Tim, Adelyn, Jack, Harry, Simon and Sam. The team at the AAAA and Aftermarket Magazine extends its deepest sympathies to the Blanchard family at this sad time. 24
Australian Automotive Aftermarket Magazine February 2022
Most notably, as highlighted below, the Toyota Hilux continued its domination of the market, capturing the top position for a sixth year in a row. Just behind, ranking second for the fifth year in a row, was the Ford Ranger, with Toyota’s RAV4 Corolla claiming the third and fourth positions respectively. With that said, if the Ranger had managed just 2,523 more sales, it would have overtaken the Hilux and made it the first time in 26 years that a Ford claimed the top spot.
and wind down operations in Australia, the number of Commodores on Australian roads will continue to decline, but when will it be overtaken as the most popular vehicle on Australian roads? As seen below, we predict that the Toyota Hilux will become the most common vehicle in Australia midway through 2022, with the Toyota Corolla also overtaking the Commodore over the next 12 months. Looking even further ahead, by the year 2026, we expect to see the Commodore drop to sixth most registered vehicle in Australia, with the Toyota Landcruiser, Mazda 3 and Ford Ranger all overtaking it, and giving us a top five of Toyota Hilux, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Landcruiser, Mazda 3 and the Ford Ranger.
Figure Two. Source: ABS
So, what decisions can be made off the back of this? Based on these insights, mechanics may have a better understanding of the cars that are likely to turn up in their workshops, informing training needs, and investment in tools and equipment. Flowing on from this, manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers will have a better idea of the parts that will be needed to service these vehicles, and how production and supply might need to ramp up or down over time.
Figure One. Source: VFACTS
A clear absentee from the top 10 list is the Holden Commodore; a vehicle which is still the most common in Australia’s car parc – with 808,591 vehicles in 2021 (based on ABS data). It sits more than 50,000 ahead of the closest competitor in the Toyota Hilux, with 754,662 vehicles registered. Given GM’s decision to retire the Holden brand
Ultimately, the effective use of data is key, particularly now as the economy resets off the back of an incredibly turbulent couple of years. This column was prepared for AAA Magazine by ACA Research, the AAAA’s partners in the AAAA Aftermarket Dashboard which is delivered to AAAA members each quarter. For more information, visit www.acaresearch.com.au or contact Ben Selwyn on bselwyn@acaresearch.com.au
