Motor Trader March 2015

MAR 2015

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MOTOR TRADES ASSOCIATION OF QUEENSLAND

MEMBERS CLASSIC: 1968 FORD XT UTE

SHIFT YOUR

DEALERSHIP INTO

TOP GEAR

NADA UNIVERSITY COURSES ARE NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH AADA, INCLUDING: Service Department Operations Management Sales Operations Management I Sales Operations Management II

PHONE: 07 3237 8777 OR EMAIL: COURSES@AADA.ASN.AU WWW.AADA.ASN.AU

IN S T IT U T E O F T E C H N O L O G Y

Contents Official Publication of the Motor Trades Association of Queensland

Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/MTAQueensland

HEAD OFFICE Building 8, 2728 Logan Road, Eight Mile Plains, Qld 4113 P.O. Box 4530, Eight Mile Plains, Qld 4113 Tel: 07 3237 8777 Fax: 07 3844 4488 Toll Free: 1800 177 951 Email: publications@mtaq.com.au Website: www.mtaq.com.au EDITOR Jonathan Nash ART DIRECTOR Marco Ilinic INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS Ted Kowalski Michelle Chadburn POLICY Kellie Dewar, General Manager MTA Queensland ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Barry Browne 03 9807 9154 Email: barry@barrybrownemedia.com.au Emily Metelmann 07 3237 8784 Email: emilys@mtaq.com.au EDITORIAL Editorial submissions are welcomed but cannot be guaranteed placement.

For more information telephone the Editor 07 3237 8777

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SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including GST) Australia: $72.60 annually Overseas: $110 annually MOTOR TRADER PUBLISHING POLICY Motor Trader is the official publication of the Motor Trades Association of Queensland.

The role of Motor Trader is to inform members of current issues and legislation affecting the industry. As such it can be regarded as the business magazine for the Queensland motor industry. The role of Motor Trader is not to be in competition with the technical magazines already on the market. It will advise of new vehicles being released and of the latest technology incorporated into them; it will advise of latest technology affecting members in each of the MTA Queensland Divisions; it will keep members abreast of the latest in motor industry training and industrial affairs; and it will keep members informed of the latest technical aids available through MTA Queensland Member Services, which will assist members in staying ahead of the technological revolution presently being encountered within the motor industry.

The publisher reserves the right to omit or alter any advertisement and the advertiser agrees to indemnify the publisher for all damages or liabilities arising from the published material.

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10 02 From the editor

MTA QUEENSLAND ABN: 74 028 933 848

04 Policy/Viewpoint

CORPORATE PARTNERS

06 Divisional news 08 MTA Q&A

L.K. MOTORS: DANIEL STEPHENSEN Feature 10 AUSTRALIA’S MOST IMPORTANT CARS

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14 News

EVENT BRINGS SCHOOLS AND INDUSTRY TOGETHER 16 Members Classic TOXIC AVENGER: 1968 FORD XT UTE

MEMBERS ESSENTIALS 19 24 26 28

Training matters Member matters Member profiles Industrial relations

29 Investment matters MARKET WRAP 30 Motorsport 32 Industry insight BUSINESS INFORMATION YOU SHOULD BE GETTING! March 2015 Motor Trader | 1

From the editor

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JONATHAN NASH EDITOR

2 | Motor Trader March 2015

ELLO AND WELCOME to the March edition of Motor Trader.

Later this month, the National Gallery of Victoria is putting on a fascinating new show - Shifting Gear: Design, Innovation and the Australian Car. Celebrating the history of automotive design and engineering the exhibition will have many classic Aussie motors on show and will be an event all petrolheads would surely love to attend.

And the Shifting Gear show got us thinking here at Motor Trader about just what are the most important vehicles in Australia's past and which of those might appear on a 'greatest hits' list? And so, as our feature this month, we have departed from our normal format and with a certain amount of trepidation, we have put such a list together.

Why trepidation? Well, in a country like ours where cars are more, much more, than just a 'thing' that can get us from Point A to Point B, and tempers can run a tad high when discussing the Ford/Holden rivalry, a few of you may believe some vehicles on our list have no right to be there, and that we have clearly missed out others much more deserving of a place.

If that is the case, let us know what you think should be on the list.

We would love to hear from you.

If you can, keep only Australian-made cars, or cars that have had a real and substantial influence on the industry or our car culture, in mind. Have a look at our list from pages 10 to 13 and let me know your thoughts.

I look forward to hearing from you!

In our Q&A feature this month, we talk to Daniel Stephensen from L.K. Motors in Cairns.

An entrepreneurial 30-year-old, in just a few short years Daniel has built his business into a modern, cuttingedge workshop offering not only standard mechanical servicing but also high-performance services that include anything from a basic tune-up to a full performance rebuild.

Read more about Daniel and L.K.Motors on page 8.

In our Members Classic feature, we catch up with Brad Hudson from Hudson Panel Beaters who has owned his 1968 Ford ute for more than 20 years. After a decade-and-a-half as the business workhorse, the ute has been transformed into a monstrously powerful showpiece that has become a recognisable symbol for the business in the area.

Read more about Brad and the ute on page 16.

Also in this edition we talk to Seth Muller and his father Shane from Maryborough Motorcycles. Seth, a 16-year-old motorcycle mechanic apprentice at his father's business, is the current Queensland Junior Champion in Enduro racing - a motorcycling discipline that involves races that take several hours to complete and which take competitors through all manner of rugged terrain. It's a tough and demanding challenge. Seth also placed third in the national championship last year and the reward for his outstanding performances is a move to the 'pro' ranks and the sport of Enduro-X - a stadium-based version of Enduro that has a massive following worldwide and which will see Seth in competition against some of the very best riders in the world. He is a young man on the move - literally.

Read more about Seth on page 24.

As always, we will endeavour to bring you news and insight into the industry, information on the latest training opportunities and highlight members' interests with our regular features.

If you have a story worth telling, want to appear in a Member Profiles, or have a classic car, bike or truck you would like to see featured, then please don't hesitate to contact me.

Cheers,

Jonathan Nash jonathann@mtaq.com.au

Honda Genuine Plus

The Honda Genuine Plus Trade Loyalty promotion has been drawn.

We would like to offer our congratulations to our 3 Major Prize winners

We would also like to thank all registered HGP members and our dealer network for their continued support of the Honda Genuine Parts business.

Stay tuned for the next Honda Genuine Plus promotion, and make sure you enter to share in the great prizes on offer.

To check out the winners or get a chance to be a winner next time please visit www.honda.com.au/hgp

Policy/Viewpoint

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KELLIE DEWAR GENERAL MANAGER MTA QUEENSLAND

S I PREPARE Viewpoint, it is the aftermath of Cyclone Marcia with people, families, business, industry, communities and cities and towns in recovery phase after the onslaught.

Whether directly impacted or not, it is the common loss of power and communications that is difficult calling for community spirit, resourcefulness and resilience to confront the adversity of the day.

Our hearts go out to our Members and the people who have endured loss or suffered in any way.

In the coming days, Divisional Executive Andy O’Hearn and I will be calling Members to let them know that they have been in our thoughts and to ask if there is any assistance we may be able to deliver.

STATE ELECTION The Election is over and on with business. I have written to the Premier Hon Annastacia Palaszczuk and the Ministers who will preside over the Departments with which we interact on policy and issues to congratulate them on their commissions. In addition, I have written to the Leader of the Opposition Hon Lawrence Springborg and the relevant Shadow Ministers congratulating them on their roles in the Queensland Parliament.

We must never forget that the motor trades are an essential component of the State’s economy with some 14,000 businesses employing directly approximately 70,000 persons.

The automotive value chain is a strong commercial entity in most communities and is a contributor to social well-being through charitable works. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, 4 | Motor Trader March 2015

in her first media statements, indicated that the new Labor Government would work closely with industry and business in order to create jobs and grow the economy. We welcome the commitment.

I took the opportunity to write to all 89 Members of Parliament to both congratulate them on their election but also to mention that the motor trades form part of the economic fabric of their electorates.

MEETING WITH THE OFFICE OF FAIR TRADING (OFT) During the caretaker period, our regular meetings with Fair Trading did not occur so I was pleased when our first meeting was scheduled for later this month. The agenda will include reviewing the implementation of the Motor Dealers and Chattel Auctioneers regulations as from December1, 2014 and the Australian Consumer Law as it applies to second vehicles sold by registered dealers. It would seem the OFT may have to undertake an increased educative process to correct some inaccurate policy views.

In conjunction with the Royal Automobile Club Queensland, we will be discussing with the OFT the issue of a legislated national standard for fuel price boards. The Federal Government, following a meeting of State and Territory Consumer Ministers, indicated that work would commence on a national standard for fuel price boards for implementation in late 2014 or early 2015.

Our Service Station and Convenience Store Association of Queensland Division has discussed regularly the matter of a national standard for fuel price boards and is supportive of the measure. Both NSW and South Australia have legislated standards for fuel price boards that prevent the display of discounted prices that aren’t available to all motorists.

VEHICLE REGISTRATION DUTY VEHICLE DEALER EXEMPTION The Office of State Revenue has posted an information sheet

pertaining to when vehicle dealers can claim an exemption from duty on applications to register a vehicle or application to transfer the registration of a vehicle. This information is on our website and it a timely reminder for Members to refresh their memories when the exemptions apply.

The general understanding is that the Office of State Revenue is undertaking audits in some dealerships in regional centres. Also, it may be that this is an exemption that has escaped Member’s notice.

Either way, the Information Sheet is on our website for Members to study.

SOLAR ENERGY In the last month’s Motor Trader, members would have read a feature story about MTA Queensland forming a corporate partnership with Australian All Energy Solutions (AAES). As an indication of good faith and confidence in the system, the MTA Queensland Board, after careful consideration, made the decision to install the system as our source of power for the Sir Jack Brabham Centre of Excellence.

Our Business Manager and Group Accountant Kath Winkcup has advised me that the indications are that already it is proving to be a wise decision with the eight year buyback reduced approximately by half.

Members who visit the Association’s Eight Mile Plains head office cannot but notice the spread of solar panels across the roof. For Members interested in installing a solar system or wanting further details, the AAES contact details are on their advertisement on the back page of this edition of Motor Trader.

WOKPLACE RELATIONS MTAQ has partnered with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ), along with a number of other employer organisation, to make a combined submission to the current Productivity Commission inquiry into the operation of the Fair Work Act. Submissions are expected to centre around the issue of penalty rates and their negative effect on employment; the various aspects of the unfair dismissal legislation which are biased against employers and make it very difficult to defend against

frivolous claims; and the increasing reliance of employees to utilise the general protections provisions of the dismissal laws to circumvent the more rigorous obligations of an unfair dismissal claim.

NEW MOTOR VEHICLE SALES The bounce recorded in December for new motor vehicle sales did not follow through to January.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) January data (seasonally adjusted), 19,102 new motor vehicle sales were sold - a fall of 909 or -4.5 percent. On a year-to-date basis the decline was 1.1 per cent or 215 new motor vehicles. Nationally, for the month of January there was a 1.5 per cent decrease and on a year to date basis there was a slight increase of +0.2 per cent.

The respected Federal Chamber of Automotive Services VFacts shows that Queensland’s new motor vehicle sales remained steady with only a slight slip. Across the nation, SUVs again were popular with new motor vehicle buyers increasing by +6.9 per cent on January 2014 figures. Small and medium SUVs showed significant growth, up +17.9 per cent and +9.5 per cent respectively. It is interesting to note that SUVS now represent 33.7 per cent of the market.

Business sales appear to have steadied with sales down -0.5 per cent on January 2014 figures. Private sales were also steady, up 0.8 per cent.

Government purchases were down -4.4 per cent.

THE ECONOMY After fifteen consecutive months of holding the cash rate at 2.50 per cent, the Reserve Bank Board at its first meeting for 2015 determined from the intelligence it had at hand that the economic circumstances warranted a further reduction in the cash rate.

The Board decided to lower the cash rate by 25 basis points to 2.25 per cent, effective February 4, 2015.

Apart from the wide range of data and information that the Reserve Bank Board draws on to make its decision, industry surveys suggest that the current economic outlook for business is difficult. The most recent Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) small business survey suggests that the Board’s decision was correct. The survey found that small businesses are “bracing themselves for a tough 2015 and are feeling even more pessimistic about the outlook than their large business counterparts.”

The survey, which reflects actual performance for the December quarter and expected performance for the year ahead, shows that small businesses are gloomy on most key measures of activity. It was the fourth consecutive quarter where pessimists outweighed the optimists. Small businesses expect slides in profits, employment, overtime, investment and selling prices, while they expect rises in sales revenue, wages and other costs.

On the other hand the Westpac Melbourne Institute Small Business Index is more upbeat about the sector’s economic future than the ACCI survey. Whilst there was unfavourable fluctuation in the survey, over half of the small business owner respondents agreed that their business's financial situation was better that it was this time last year.

There is one group that are feeling pleased and that is consumers. The Westpac Melbourne Institute Index of Consumer Sentiment soared on the rate cut, cheaper petrol and a strong share market. The result was a surprise to the analysts of the data. It represented the first time since February 2014 that there was a majority of optimists over pessimists and the highest level of the Index since January last year.

The worrying aspect of the Consumer Sentiment Survey over the last two years has been the consistently high result for the Unemployment Expectations Index. This signals that consumers fear a substantial increase in the unemployment therefore feeling insecure in their jobs.

March 2015 Motor Trader | 5

Policy/Viewpoint ACCC SMALL BUSINESS REPORT

HOT OFF THE PRESS

REGIONAL VISITS

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has released its six-monthly small business report. Over 7,000 people have contacted the ACCC in the last six months with a small business or franchising-related complaint or enquiry.

The ACCC’s three free online education programs for small businesses, tertiary students and franchisees have been popular with more than 8,000 people completing the courses.

I draw Members attention to ACCC’s various law enforcement tools (on its website) to achieve compliance with the Competition and Consumer Act including several court decisions with relevance for small businesses.

Interestingly, misleading conduct and false representations remained the most widely reported small business issue over this six month period, with over 2000 complaints received.

The Report also warns small business to be wary of false billing scams which seemingly are common.

Often these are disguised as an outstanding invoice to get the business to sign-up for unwanted advertising or office supplies. Another approach involves sending invoices for the renewal of a non-existent domain name registration.

Literally, I was finishing Viewpoint when the details of an ACCI 2015 National Redtape Survey arrived in my inbox. Members have advised on many occasions that red and green tape is a costly impediment to doing business. In a nutshell, the survey found that “more than one in four respondents said they spent 11 hours a week or more on compliance, with almost one in two putting the annual cost of compliance at beyond $10,000.”

Further, nearly half of respondents reported that the impact of regulation had prevented them from making changes to grow their business.

On another matter, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has advised that the car finance provider, BMW Australia Finance Ltd (BMW Finance) has paid penalties totalling $306,000 after ASIC found it breached important consumer protection provisions relating to the repossession of motor vehicles. ASIC found that it failed or delayed in its obligations to provide customers with statutory information setting out their rights and the options available to them after a finance company repossesses a mortgaged vehicle or the consumer voluntarily returns that vehicle.

As said above, the ACCC has a number of website tools to help with issues relating to Australian consumer law.

Our North Queensland Representative Rod Pether has arranged a general meeting with Members in Townsville.

Divisional Executive Andy O’Hearn and I will be going to Townsville for these meetings which have been on our agenda for some time.

Over the course of 2015, the plan is to continue meeting with Members in the various regional centres across the State to both directly hear their issues and to provide current information on the services we deliver.

One of the findings from the visits last year was that some of our Bulletins, providing advices on new or changing industry policies, was being lost amongst the plethora of advises and information that a business receives on a daily basis. We are endeavouring to implement a system that may enable Members to identify the messages from us and to have currency on industry news and policies as it applies to their business. Updating any contact details will assist with our distribution of information.

I will provide the details of our regional visit schedule in the April Viewpoint.

In the mean time, take care and stay safe.

aware that Australian Consumer Law still applies.

There is also the need to comply with signage and advertising requirements when selling unwarranted vehicles under the new act.

For full details of requirements please refer to MTA Qld Member Bulletin of November 2014 - there isa link detailing all requirements of the legislation in regards to advertising or displaying unwarranted vehicles.

QMID

Divisional news Ian Cole

ARD Motor Dealer and Chattel Auctioneers Act 2014 effective December 1, 2014 As you are aware, the Motor Dealer and Chattel Auctioneers Act was introduced on December 1, 2014. One of the main changes was that Statutory B Warranty B has been removed.

Unfortunately, in my contact with members, it seems some are not 6 | Motor Trader March 2015

Changes to Road Rules for Motorcycle Riders As of February 1, there are changes to road rules in regard to motorcycle riders.

The changes were proposed in the 2014 Motorcycle Discussion Paper – Road Rules for Motorcycle Riders.

Please make yourself aware of these new laws as there has been some confusion in regards to the speed limit requirement for lane filtering for motorcycle riders.

News EX-MAZDA CHIEF TO LEAD MOTOR DEALER COUNCIL

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OUG DICKSON, FORMER Managing Director of Mazda Australia, has agreed to be the Independent Chairman of the Australian Motor Dealer Council (AMDC), pending a meeting between the Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA) and Dealer Council Chairs on March 17, 2015.

The AADA Board's motivation to invite Mr Dickson to take on this role underscores the importance AADA places on the AMDC and sends a clear message about AADA’s intention to unify Dealers and manufacturers, particularly in light of the changes Australia’s automotive industry will face when manufacturing ceases in 2017.

Mr Dickson will play a key role in the AMDC’s function to unite dealer Councils across the nation, whilst opening a new forum to share ideas and troubleshoot common challenges. The AMDC would also help form, and ultimately funnel policy issues to the top of the AADA policy

agenda. It will provide an important link between Dealers, OEMs and the AADA at this crucial point in time.

"We are delighted that Doug Dickson has agreed to take up this pivotal role," said AADA Chairman Ian Field. "Not only does his reputation for industry astuteness precede him but he brings a unique OEM perspective to the Council."

Mr Dickson is keen to adopt a longer term focus: ‘The franchised new car industry needs a strong, combined and independent voice to be heard

above the increasing clamour to wind back entitlements and protections granted while our industry had a strong manufacturing base. I find it encouraging that franchised new car Dealers, through a revitalised AADA, are adopting a longer term, more strategic outlook evidenced by the recent cooperation between the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and AADA. I am delighted to be part of the AMDC initiative and look forward to helping build strong and unified industry representation."

The road to forming the AMDC has been extensive through consultations and planning sessions and at the upcoming meeting in March, invited Dealer chairs and AADA board members will have an open discussion, and decisions will be made about the final structure and constitution. Nothing is currently determined, as the final decisions are to be made in consultation with the elected members of the brands.

MCLAREN DEBUTS NEW SUPERCAR AT GENEVA

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HE 85TH GENEVA Motor Show kicks off at the beginning of March and the world’s top manufacturers will be keen to show off some of their extraordinary machines. Perhaps none will be more extraordinary than the McLaren 675LT, which will make its world debut at the Show.

Offered as a Coupé only, the 675LT will be the most trackfocused, yet road legal, model in the McLaren Super Series. The sprint from 0-100 km/h takes just 2.9 seconds, with the 200 km/h barrier broken in 7.9 seconds. The 675LT will reach, the company says, a top speed of 330 km/h thanks to its 3.8-litre V8 Twin Turbo engine.

The first images of the car demonstrate a more aggressive look for the McLaren brand than has been seen before . . . but it is still a stunner.

One would expect no less.

McLaren 675LT

March 2015 Motor Trader | 7

MTA

QA &

MT: What products and services does L.K. Motors provide?

Dan Stephensen (centre) with his team at L.K. Motors

DS: We are a premium service centre as well as a high-performance centre.

50 per cent of our work is performance related, then comes fleet servicing and smaller groups such as retail and road worthies. We have the equipment and are able to service all vehicles under warranty - we are an alternative to a dealership.

On the performance side, we can give a vehicle anything from a slight tune adjustment through to an extensive front-to-back rebuild. That could include a new engine, gear box, diff, supercharger system and fuel system. I am now affiliated with Harrop Engineering, one of Australia’s biggest manufacturers of performance parts, and am a ‘Partner In Performance’ with them – one of only a few in the country.

The performance market is quite large here and I haven’t had a quiet time in six years.

MT: How did you get involved with the business?

DS: About seven years ago I started a business called Eight50 Automotive.

We were working out of a small shed with just one hoist and, as I got going, I realised that if you are going to do something you’ve got to do it properly.

So I looked around for an ongoing business and bought L.K. Motors.

That was six years ago.

To be honest, we hit the ground running - the shop was so old-school that when I did update and modernise it the ball just got rolling. It was a case of ‘when you build it they will come’

At just 30 years of age, Daniel Stephensen has accomplished more than many businessmen his age. After seven years of graft he has transformed his business, L.K. Motors, into not only the focus of the performance car community in Cairns but also one of North Queensland's premier workshops. and as quickly as I built it I had work.

Mechanics don’t always have the best reputation with the public and I wanted to change that. Very quickly I had the staff present themselves in uniforms and created a nice showroom with painted floors which are always clean. It is things like that which I find people want. It isn’t just the cost they find important - they want someone more professional, and it is the little things such as cleaning the windscreen, a bit of tyre shine, degreasing the engine bay, that they like to see too.

Customer service and satisfaction is very important - customers are investing their money in us to fix their car.

Our motto is Our customers are our number #1 priority and I try to have my business perform above any other by saying and sticking to that.

If someone rings here then we get back to them within a day, and if they are our customer then we keep them up-to-date and don’t just hit them with a bill.

MT: What do you think is the reason behind your success?

MT: L.K. Motors is clearly a well-known name in Cairns. Are you involved with the community in other ways?

MT: How important is staff training to the business?

DS: I do try to put money back into the community. We are involved with any car show or cruise here and I have put quite a lot into the drag strip that is in the process of being built. I also sponsor the Cairns Taipans basketball team in the NBL as well as the local A-grade local football club. I put my money into those. It makes me feel good. I always am looking to invest back into the community.

DS: Putting customers first and new, modern equipment are important, but really you’re only as good as your team. You can have all the money in the world, or the greatest equipment, but it all falls back on the ground work with the team.

I am very lucky that I have such a great team and that the customers see that. It’s a family environment and when customers see that the staff are happy - that they want to be at work and that they look smart - they recognise that. But it does take time to build that trust with customers.

Also, I ran a marketing survey for 12 months to work out where my traffic was coming from and what the business needed to grow. From that I realised it wasn’t advertising on TV or being on the radio or in local directories. So I pulled all that down and went to Facebook, to the web and to video. That’s what people want - the focus on cars - and it has really worked.

DS: I have recently stepped off the tools - stopped working ‘in’ the business to work ‘on’ the business.

That has enabled me have an overview from where I can see any issues and fix them so we work more efficiently.

Stepping away has meant I can see the areas in which we may be lacking – whether it be when we have to get an auto-electrician in for a sub-let job, or when my boys come to me for help – and I can document it and look

at getting training. We are electronic savvy here and we are getting training for air-con so the team can get their air-con tickets. I will also be looking at other things such as wheel alignment.

MT: What plans do you have for the future?

DS: We have many plans for the future - we are always researching the latest equipment and are passionate about working with the latest technology.

We have grown a huge amount in the past year and I would like to consolidate our position as the premier automotive workshop, outside of a dealership, in North Queensland and keep a steady 10-20 per cent organic growth.

We will diversify into more areas – wheel alignments, tyres, in-house auto-electrical – and we will keep adapting to the changes in the industry and striving to keep our customers as our number one priority.

MT: What do you do with your spare time, if you have any?

DS: I have worked very hard over the past few years and haven’t had much spare time. It can take a toll and I have to thank my staff and family for putting up with me.

My two-year-old daughter is the most important thing to me, and I get a huge buzz being involved with the basketball and other events in the community.

And I like to build cars! Now I’m not working on cars all day, non-stop, I am getting a bit of a buzz from building them, including a race car – a classic Commodore VH SLE. And yes, I will be racing it!

March 2015 Motor Trader | 9

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ROM MARCH THROUGH to July, the National Gallery of Victoria is celebrating the rich history of Australian car design with an exhibition called Shifting Gear: Design, Innovation and the Australian Car. The exhibition will have 23 of Australia’s most iconic vehicles on show alongside ephemera including photographs, models, sketches, illustrations and archival materials that explores the nation’s history of automobile design and engineering.

If you’re a car fanatic, then it’s the place to be.

The exhibition got us thinking even more about cars than we usually do here at Motor Trader and we eventually got around to pondering not only what the most important cars in Australia’s automotive history might be, but which ones would make it on to a 'greatest hits' compilation list.

But where do you start? What, after all, really makes a car 'important'? Well, firstly, there is much more to it than just price, volume of sales or fuel economy. Cars, at their best, appeal to the heart as much as they do the brain - which is why you are more likely to find a poster of a thunderous-sounding, gas-guzzling XY GTHO Phase III on the walls of bedrooms and offices across the country than you will a Mitsubishi Magna.

So, here is a list of cars we think have been important to Australia for reasons beyond the cold stats of price, sales and economy. From low-production ‘special editions’ to mass production family runabouts, from a rural workhorse to a unique, literally, racing car. We've even got a renowned 'failure' in our list.

Of course, the list isn’t definitive and no doubt there are those among you who will think we have missed a car or three that really warrant inclusion.

If so, let us know, we'd love to hear what they are.

Try to keep your choices to Australian-made vehicles, or vehicles that have had a major impact here, and let us know at publications@mtaq.com.au We look forward to hearing from you!

Queensland launch of the Holden 48/215 at Eagers Motors, Brisbane, 1948

Falcon XW GTHO

FALCON GT AND GTHO A LIST OF important Aussie motorcars can't be valid without recognising the Ford Falcon and, in our case, the GT variants of that venerable automobile.

After creating the special Police Interceptor Pack Falcon in 1967, supplying the boys in blue with a fourdoor V8 that could outrun the fastest sedan - read ‘getaway cars’ - of the time, Ford took what they had learned and, after sprucing up the interior and adding a few tweaks here and there, created a 'pursuit special' that found its way onto forecourts as the GT. And with that, the era of the Australian muscle car was born.

The GT legend gathered apace almost immediately with race-prepared models being the first Aussie-built muscle cars to compete at the Bathurst

500 that year, taking a one-two finish.

The GT would be further refined in 1969 with the introduction of the HO (Handling Option) variant - a model built with an eye on racing - and would reach its peak with the Bathurstwinning 1971 XY GTHO Phase III. At the time the limited-production Phase III was reputed to be the fastest four-door production car in the world.

Now revered as perhaps the ultimate Aussie muscle car, the Phase III's rather ungainly looks haven't stopped it from

“THE LEGEND OF

THESE OLD ‘SHAKERS’ CONTINUES TO GROW AS DOES THE PRICE.”

HOLDEN 48-215 Adapted from an American design, the first car 'made in Australia, for Australia' was an enormous success and was presented to the public to much fanfare by the Prime Minister, Ben Chifley, when the first model rolled off the production line.

The FX, as it became known, had a 2.15 litre, six-cylinder engine that was efficient and durable. It could carry six adults, was reliable and sturdy and was considered reasonably priced. Produced through to 1953, the FX became a source of national pride and more than 120,000 were built. Thanks to its special status as the 'first' Australian car, many examples of this venerable old vehicle still survive.

Image: State Library of Queensland

10 | Motor Trader March 2015

HOLDEN MONARO

becoming the dream car for many a petrol-head, or from posters of it adorning the the walls of man-caves across the nation. And the legend of these old ‘shakers’ continues to grow - as does the price. In 2007, someone paid $750,000 for a GTHO Phase III. Now that really is special.

NO LIST OF the most important Aussie cars would be complete without the iconic Monaro.

Rolling off the production line in July 1968, the HK Monaro was available in three models with a top-ofthe-range 327 GTS, packing a 5.3-litre Chevy V8 under the bonnet, the pick of the litter.

Aimed squarely at challenging Ford’s Bathurst-winning monster, the GT, the Monaro was a hit with the public as soon as it emerged from the factory and didn’t let the Holden fans down - a racing 327 won the Bathurst 500 in ‘68

FORD COUPE UTILITY "Please make a two-in-one car and truck, something I can go in to church on Sunday and carry pigs to market on Monday."

With those words, written by a farmer's wife to Ford Australia bosses in 1932, the seeds of the Utility vehicle were sown. Ford accepted the challenge, giving the job to one if its young designers, the 23-year-old South Australian Lewis Bandt.

Bandt's design - an enclosed and comfortable car-like cabin at the front with a tray at the back - was nicknamed the 'Kangaroo Chaser' by Henry Ford when it was shown to him in Detroit but the unusual vehicle soon became a global success, becoming an indispensable asset in rural

“IT'S HARD TO STATE QUITE HOW IMPORTANT THE MONARO IS TO THE AUSTRALIAN PSYCHE.” and a couple of months later picked up the Wheels magazine Car of the Year Award. A facelift came the following year with the HT model and there would be many more tweaks, developments and facelifts before production halted with the HX in 1977.

Holden would test the popularity of the model again in the late 90s, presenting a coupe concept at the Sydney Motor Show. The clamour

for the car was so great that production of the new Monaro began in 2001 before the model was again shelved in 2005.

It's hard to state quite how important the Monaro is to the Australian psyche. Petrol-heads across the nation acknowledge its importance, and the market thinks so too - a decent original model can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Another man-cave adorning favourite, even Ford fans would probably show some grudging respect to Holden's answer to the GT - Ford did, after all, respond with the development of the GTHOs. GM HOLDEN LTD, Melbourne (manufacturer) Holden HQ Monaro GTS, coupé 1971–77 (manufactured) designed by Leo Pruneau, Joe Schemansky, John Schinella and Phillip Zmood Private collection

communities. Of course, the 'ute' has evolved a little since its days as a farmer's workhorse/Sunday driver. All manner of models have been built, including some quite outrageously powerful versions that would probably make the lady who first penned the request to Ford faint with the vapours.

How powerful you ask?

Well, take the Holden-produced GTS Maloo - an absolute razor-toothed tyrannosaur of a ute packing a 6.2-litre Supercharged V8 under the bonnet.

The farmer's wife could hardly have dreamt that to her request of ‘something I can go to church in on Sunday and carry pigs to market on Monday’, could now be added ‘and drive like a lunatic around the track on Saturday.’

March 2015 Motor Trader | 11

CHRYSLER VALIANT CHARGER The late ‘60s and early ‘70s were the golden age of the Australian muscle car. Though dominated by Holden and Ford there was another manufacturer ‘muscling’ in on this prized market segment.

However, though the Chrysler Valiant Charger, first produced in 1971 with the VH range, did have V8 engines in its most expensive models, it was the six-cylinderpacking R/T (Road/Track) model, the E49, that really caused a stir.

Its 4.3-litre engine was the most powerful six-cylinder in the world and gave the Charger plenty of oomph to challenge the more muscular boys over at Ford and Holden.

Though it couldn’t muster a victory at Bathurst, the Charger was successful on the race track, scoring race wins and taking 3rd and 4th spots at the Mountain in 1972.

Though perhaps considered the poor relation of Aussie muscle cars there is one thing that, at least in our opinion, cannot be denied - with its neat lines and wicked styling it is far and away the best looking of all the four-wheeled steroid-chewers.

MOTOR RACING DEVELOPMENTS (BRABHAM), Milton Keynes (manufacturer) Brabham BT19 1966 Designed and engineered

by Sir Jack Brabham, Phil Irving and Ron Tauranac Collection of Repco Australia, Melbourne

BRABHAM BT19 OKAY, SO IT'S not a road car, there is only one, and if it were ever to come up for sale only those with the most bulging of bank balances could ever hope to afford it. But the BT19 is special, really special.

Sir Jack Brabham won the Formula One world championship driving it in 1966 - a feat which would make it a pretty special car anywhere. But its importance is in its unique status as a car not only driven to an F1 world Commodore VB championship by Sir Jack, but one that he helped design and build and which carried his name. Add to that the fact the car was powered by a V8 engine built by Australian company Repco, and that it put the great names of European Motorsport - including Ferrari, Lotus, Cooper and Maserati - to the sword in 1966 and it's easy to see why the BT19 is an important piece of Australian motoring history.

12 | Motor Trader March 2015

HOLDEN COMMODORE THE HOLDEN COMMODORE is as Aussie as it gets. Big, comfortable with a fair amount of style thrown in and enough models to cater for any taste, over its 38 year lifespan, the Commodore has been the country's sales king and, along with the Ford Falcon, the mainstay of the nation's long love affair with big sedans.

Introduced in 1978, it marked a new era for Holden as it sought to offer Australians a car with, as the company notes, 'European styling, prestige, drivability and greater fuel economy', Whatever . . . the truth is that the Commodore, for an awfully long time, was the car Australia wanted.

Every family seemed to have one, every politician swanned about in one, every company car fleet was stocked to the gills with them and race tracks were crowded with them as they battled with Ford across the country.

Over the decades Holden has churned out what seems like hundreds of models and variations of the Commodore and have used it to introduce advances in safety technology such as driver, passenger and side impact airbags, computer optimised restraint systems, ABS brakes and Electronic Stability Program (ESP®) as standard fitment, all 'firsts' for an Australian-manufactured car.

And yet, as popular as it has been, the 'Australian' Commodore will soon be no more.

With Holden packing in the manufacturing game in 2016, all that will remain will be the name, which will be transferred to whatever large car General Motors decides to bring into Australia as its replacement. It just won't be the same.

Leyland P76

LEYLAND P76

CHRYSLER AUSTRALIA LTD, Adelaide (manufacturer) VH Valiant Charger R/T E49, coupé 1971–73 (manufactured) designed by Dean Bond, Tom Campbell, Bill Chinnick, Bob Hubbach and Brian Smyth Private collection

HOLDEN TORANA When it was introduced in 1967, it has to be said that the Torana wasn’t very inspiring, based as it was on the even less inspiring British Vauxhall Viva.

A couple of years later, however, and things changed considerably. The third Torana model, the LC, introduced a 2.6-litre, six-cylinder engine which, in the GTR version, gave the lightweight car considerable grunt.

And it was this model that would be whisked away, would undergo some Frankensteinian surgery, and then emerge as the truly formidable GTR XU-1. With a host of sporty tweaks, the LJ XU-1 was placed in the hands of Peter Brock at the 1972 Bathurst race and the rest, as they say, is history. Brock won that year, and Torana’s were first across the line in ’75, ’76, ’78 and ’79 as well.

Those last two victories had Brock at the wheel again in perhaps the best Torana of all – the 5-litre V8 powered A9X SS – and a fair dose of salt was rubbed into Ford fans’ wounds when Brock won Torana A9X SS the ’79 race by 6 laps, setting a record on the last lap for good measure.

The last Torana was built in 1980 but the Torana story could so nearly have been even more spectacular.

The GTR-X concept was an awesome design and came painfully close to being produced. Sadly, however, it never quite made it over the line. It was an astonishing piece of work though – a futuristic-looking wedge shape wonder with a front end that looked knife-edge sharp and an interior as good as any supercar of the day. One can only Torana GTR-X imagine what sort of legendary, iconic status the Torana would now enjoy if it had made it onto our roads.

AN ATTEMPT BY British company Leyland to crack the Australian big car market, the P76 has become something of a byword for an automotive disaster in design, or finishing, or build quality, or development or . . . well, the list goes on. There are sniggers of derision, rolled-eyes of mockery and guffaws of contempt when the P76 is discussed.

However, these days, among those that follow all things automotive, the P76 is looked upon in a more favourable light.

Things started off so promisingly.

Designed from scratch - a departure from the normal Leyland practice of adapting a UK car to Australian conditions - work started on the car in the late '60s and it was launched to much fanfare in mid-1973. Available with V8 and six-cylinder engines, the car had an excellent combination of features including power-assisted ventilated front disc brakes, Macpherson strut and coil spring

suspension, side impact bars in all four doors and a boot so enormous it could comfortably carry a 44-gallon drum.

The P76's wedge-shape design was considered quite daring at the time and the car received plenty of plaudits from the motoring press. However, though the future looked bright initially, the P76 was plagued by delays brought on by industrial unrest, strikes and shortage in materials. Add to that there was talk of quality issues which, depending on what write-up you read, included dodgy seals which could leave the car with inches of water in the foot-wells during a decent downpour, loose-fitting doors, windows that fell out on bumpy rides and . . . well, the list goes on.

Just a year-and-a-half after its triumphant launch, the P76 project was shelved, with even Prime Minister Gough Whitlam calling it a 'dud'.

Viewed more favourably today, the saga of the P76's creation and demise is an eyebrow-raising history into what can go wrong.

March 2015 Motor Trader | 13

EVENT BRINGS SCHOOLS AND S AY THE WORDS 'career in the automotive industry' to a high school teenager and the chances are pretty good that they will immediately think of the word 'mechanic' in reply.

That is, of course, a shame, for though the mechanic trades are excellent career choices the industry does, in fact, have many and varied career paths on offer. From accounts to marketing, from parts interpreting to sales, from mechanic to dealer principal to business owner to auto electrician - and so on and so on - the career options within the automotive industry are legion.

To try and ensure that students are fully aware of the opportunities automotive has to offer, in February the MTAQ partnered with BUSY At Work to highlight and promote automotive to the Industry Relations Officers of local high schools.

Industry Relations Officers are the bridge for students as they look beyond school to the workplace, offering advice, guidance and practical help as students search for training, work experience and apprenticeships to help them enter the career they wish to follow.

To be able to give that sort of guidance regarding the automotive industry, Industry Relations Officers must be across the industry as it is today and so MTAQ Divisional Executive Ian Cole and BUSY At Work Career Advisor Julie Rogan organised an event that brought 20 of the officers from south Brisbane schools to MTAQ to highlight how things have changed.

The half-day event included a presentation from Business Development Manager Anthony Bonaccorso who explained the many training courses available though MTAIT, and visits to two MTAQ member businesses - Oldmac Toyota and Springwood Suzuki - allowing the school officers to get a flavour of what is happening in the industry by observing working businesses and asking questions of people directly involved in the industry, "We want to show that there has been great technological progress in the industry," said Mr Cole.

14 | Motor Trader March 2015

Tony Armstrong from Springwood Suzuki talked to the group about the motorcycle business

Business Development Manager Anthony Bonaccorso explains the training available through MTAIT

“WE WANT TO SHOW

THAT THERE HAS BEEN GREAT TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS IN THE INDUSTRY.�

"Within dealerships, for example, there is the potential for people who do an apprenticeship as a mechanic to move into sales, to become a finance manager, a sales manager, a service manager and, perhaps, to end up owning their own business."

Another aim of the event was to highlight that automotive was not what it once was, or rather what it was once perceived to be - a place

where students getting poor grades at school could be shuffled off to work.

"There has been a theme amongst schools that students who go in to mechanical, or many motor trade jobs, are the students who don't pass any subjects and have nothing else to do," said Ms Rogan. "In actual fact they need good maths and communication skills and it is important that the liaison officers have the tools to know what is out there and what is required."

"It is also important that our MTAQ members see we are active in trying to promote apprenticeships and to raise the bar," added Mr Cole.

"We want to find people who aspire to be an apprentice - to take advantage of the career paths that are available."

INDUSTRY TOGETHER

David Grice from Oldmac Toyota explained the new car dealership business to the group

The feedback from everyone involved with the day was positive.

At Oldmac Toyota, the group was shown around the state-of-the-art service and sales facilities by Fixed Operations Manager David Grice and Service Manager Peter Furlong.

"I was surprised at the turnout and there were a lot of questions - a lot of interest," said Mr Grice.

"There is a definite career path in automotive," he added. "For those who say 'I don't want to become a technician because I don't want to swing a spanner all my life', well, you may have to do that to reach the end of your apprenticehsip but for those who are really motivated they can go to a hi-tech diagnostic level pretty much straight away."

Tony Armstrong, from Springwood Suzuki, showed the group around his multi-faceted business which incorporates bike sales, servicing and a large aftermarket retail area.

"I think it has opened some of their eyes," he said of the group's visit to his business. "Now they will be able to talk to their kids and ask 'What do you want to do when you leave school?' And if the student says 'I like motorbikes,' they will be able to say "Well, you know you can do this, or this or that' - there's the administration side, the finance arm of the business, the spare parts interpreter, service advisors. There are many options."

“IT'S ALWAYS GOOD

TO VISIT INDUSTRY AND THEN LIAISE WITH STUDENTS AND GIVE THEM CLEAR INFORMATION AS TO WHAT TO EXPECT AND THE VARIOUS PATHWAYS ON OFFER.�

For Mark Alberighi, the Industry Relations Officer for MacGregor High School, the event was time well spent.

"It's always good to visit industry and then liaise with students and give them clear information as to what to expect and the various pathways on offer," he said. "And there are a lot of pathways in the automotive business that not everyone would be aware of the industry has evolved and there are lots of pathways open to both males and females.

"After today - particularly with MTAIT showing you can do certificate levels in all sorts of areas - if a female student comes to me and says she would like to work in automotive I can now show all these options that are available."

MTAQ and BUSY At Work will continue to promote the automotive industry to schools as a viable career choice by holding more events through the year.

QUEENSLAND BATTERED AS CYCLONE MARCIA BLOWS THROUGH PARTS OF NORTH Queensland face a mighty clean-up in the aftermath of the Tropical Cyclone Marcia which hit the state in late February.

A Category 5 storm packing winds of up to 295km/h, the cyclone made landfall near Yeppoon and Rockhampton on February 20, tearing through the area and causing massive destruction before weakening to a tropical low as it moved south. The cyclone would go on causing more damage as it moved - causing flooding in many areas including Gympie where the Mary River peaked at 16.6 metres, breaking its banks and swamping businesses in the lower CBD. However, it was in Yeppoon and Rockhampton that most damage was done. More than 1500 homes were damaged or destroyed across the region and State Emergency Services responded to thousands of requests for help.

Telecommunications have been unreliable across the area and more than 1800 power lines were downed, leading to more than 60,000 homes without electricity in the days after the cyclone had passed. Hundreds of energy company workers were deployed to restore power and Defence Force personnel had moved into the area to assist in the clean up.

The federal government agreed to release funds through the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery funding for the Rockhampton, Livingstone and Banana shires, meaning those affected by Cyclone Marcia could access payments of $180 per person or up to $900 for a family of five or more. In addition, residents who suffered damage to their homes are eligible for the federal government's disaster recovery payment of up to $1,000 per adult or $400 per child.

Advice on accessing funding can be sought from the Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349

March 2015 Motor Trader | 15

T

RAVEL WEST FROM Brisbane for a couple of hours, through the rolling landscape of the Lockyer valley and past the large country town of Toowoomba and you'll come across a pleasant little place called Pittsworth.

It's a small town of no more than 3000 souls, with a main street and an old hotel the like of which you have very likely seen on one of those TV travel shows.

The agricultural industry is big out here and it is a place where it is easy to imagine a rodeo being a natural form of entertainment.

Which it is, although Pittsworth has two kinds of rodeo - the one showing off the power of the four-legged horse, the other all about four-wheeled horsepower. For it is here that the Pittsworth Sprints take place - an annual gathering of petrolheads from around the country who, for a couple of ear-splitting days and nights, tear around the roads of the industrial estate on the edge of town, setting hot laps, fastest times and leaving as much rubber as physically possible on the road.

Brad Hudson is the track coordinator for the Sprints, the man responsible for looking after the course that winds its way through the industrial estate that is also home to his business, Hudson Panel Beaters.

Being involved with the Pittworth Sprints clearly marks Brad out as a man interested in speed and his 1968 XT ute confirms it - now fully-loaded with a 351 V8 stroked to a 383 it's not difficult to imagine a fair bit of tyre-destroying

16 | Motor Trader March 2015

burnouts in its future.

Restoring the ute to its current condition has taken a while - Brad got his hands on it in the early '90s and for many years the vehicle spent its life as a workhorse for the family and the business.

"It was bought from the Ford dealer in Pittsworth and the people who owned it lived right across the road from me," says Brad. "I’d seen it from brand new and remember seeing it pulling into their driveway.

"One day I saw a white car parked behind it and saw that it was coming and going rather than the ute. So, I went over and the owners said they had decided to retire it.

"They were the original owners and the ute was immaculate It had done only 36,000 miles from new and they said they’d be happy getting $100 for it! I bought it, reversed it out of their driveway and straight across the road to my driveway!

"We used it for fishing trips – I’d put the boat on the top and motorbikes in the back and away we’d go," adds Brad. "And I built toolboxes in the back of it and used it as our business vehicle for perhaps 10 years. It was my work vehicle for picking up parts and all that sort of stuff."

Originally fitted with a six-cylinder 221cubic inch engine, Brad changed the engine to a 250 cubic inch crossflow

MAKE: FORD MODEL: 1968 XT UTE ENGINE: 383CI V8 OWNER: BRAD HUDSON FAMILY-OWNED SINCE: 1991

XF engine after nearly 20 years. Then, a few years ago, he decided it was time to do some serious tinkering and spent a number of years accumulating the parts he would need.

"I slowly built the parts up until I had enough," says Brad. "I bought the radiator quite a while ago, the extractors I bought at a swap meet a couple of years ago – I've been planning it for a while."

Brad sourced the new engine - that monster V8 351 stroked to a 383, with a new C4 quick-shift auto transmission and 9-inch diff - partly to give the ute the 'grunt' it deserved.

"It always sounded a little weak with the six-cylinder," he says. "That’s what prompted me to put the V8 into it, so that it sounded like it looked - tough!"

Leaving the interior fairly untouched - "It has a bench seat and I wanted to keep that because it’s a three-seater," he says - Brad decided that the ute's colour needed an update, opting for an unusually-named, but legitimate Ford colour called 'Toxic'.

"We kept it the original blue for a number of years before deciding we wanted something 'out there'," says Brad.

"I liked the vibrant colour instead of the bland blue.

And I like the name ‘toxic’- it’s a little bit different."

'Different' just about covers it, and the public would seem to agree.

"It does get a lot of looks," laughs Brad. "At the traffic lights people do wind down their windows to take photos

DO YOU HAVE A PRIDE AND JOY IN THE GARAGE THAT YOU WOULD LOVE TO SEE IN THE PAGES OF MOTOR TRADER? Contact Jonathan Nash at jonathann@ mtaq.com.au or 07 3237 8721 and let’s see if we can share your classic with other members. with their phones. That's happened a number of times."

Interestingly, that's kind of the point behind the vehicle's look, and the ute is now as much a work vehicle as it has ever been, though rather than being used for lugging about material for the workshop, it has become a marketing tool, even becoming a major part of the business's logo.

"We use it to promote the business," says Brad." People see it and recognise it as coming from Hudson Panel Beaters."

Using the ute as a promotional tool is pretty clever, but it is extremely unlikely that it will be used for just that purpose.

"I want to take it to the track, to Willowbank Raceway perhaps, and give it a run on the quarter mile," Brad says with a grin. "And then there are the burnout comps."

Pittsworth sprinters beware.

March 2015 Motor Trader | 17

give yourself an Industrial Relations As a member of MTA Queensland you have access to industry-specific industrial relations advice and representation.

Save with our Corporate Partners

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Consumer Complaints MTA Queensland will assist Member Businesses to facilitate this process in the event of a consumer complaint.

Dun and Bradstreet is the nation’s foremost credit control and debt collection agency. Members are eligible for substantial savings on annual subscriptions.

Legal Advice Members can access professional legal assistance as part of their membership of MTA Queensland.

The Commonwealth Bank offers members some of the lowest EFTPOS charges in the country. Members have saved thousands with CBA.

Industry Awareness Members receive regular industry specific publications to keep you abreast of changes, legislative requirements, developments and initiatives in your industry.

MTAA Superannuation is the industry’s superfund. Our superannuation partner has over 200,000 members who enjoy excellent service and returns.

• The MTA Queensland logo provides an element of differentiation between you and other businesses and may just form the key point of difference for a potential customer.

• MTA Queensland actively lobbies Governments with the best interest of our members to reduce red tape and streamline process for business owners.

• Being a Member gives you input in the future productivity and profitability of your industry and the opportunity to positively influence it’s future through divisional and regional committees.

Staples is the leading supplier of a complete range of office consumables, bulk stationery and janitorial supplies.

Out of a need to provide high quality research, education and the expertise to design top-performing, cost-effective solar PV systems for the commercial and industrial sector, Australian All Energy Solutions (AAES) was created. Despite being in operation for just five years, AAES has grown from strength to strength as a reputable renewable energy supplier.

MTA Queensland, Building 8, 2728 Logan Road Eight Mile Plains Qld 4113 | 07 3237 8777 | info@mtaq.com.au | www.mtaq.com.au

20120064

Technical Information Service Your MTA Queensland membership gives you access to a vast technical library.

MEMBERS ESSENTIALS Contents 19 Training matters 24 Member matters 26 Member profiles

NEW PIONEER MOTORS SHERWOOD AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES STUBBERFIELD MOTORS

28 Industrial relations

T

HERE’S BEEN PLENTY of interest in the newly launched National Automobile Dealership Association (NADA) University courses with the first program to take place in Tasmania this month.

Specially tailored to the Australian market by industry experts - including AADA executives, representatives of NADA and the MTA Institute of Technology (MTAIT) - the courses offer dealerships the training to enable them to grow their business and improve financial performance.

From increasing retention in the dealership to evaluation of sales and F&I profitability, from developing specific plans for sales growth to identifying and utilising the key drivers for Digital Marketing Success, the three courses available - Service Department Operations Management; Sales Operation Management I and Sales Operation Management II – mean there will be nowhere else in the Australia where Dealers and their staff can improve their skills and knowledge in dealership management

and sales to such a degree.

NADA courses are extremely popular in the US where more than 16million new cars are sold each year and where the Association represents more than 16,000 new car and truck dealers, with 32,500 franchises, both domestic and international.

“We talk about receivables, collecting money, financial statements, sales, gross, expense, forecasting, staffing, pay plans, and then, at the end, we take everything we have taught and apply the potential remedies to a case study,” said Jim Phillips, Director of Custom Education Delivery at NADA, who was deeply involved with in the development of the courses. “If you take the courses, you will get better,” “NADA University is another step in the AADA’s plan to offer Dealers the greatest chance at business success,” said AADA CEO Patrick Tessier.

“This is a very positive move for the industry.”

If you would like to know more about the NADA courses go to www.aada.asn.au or email courses@aada.asn.au.

March 2015 Motor Trader | 19

E S S E N T I A L S

ON COURSE FOR PROFIT AS NADA TRAINING STARTS

M E M B E R S

Training matters

MTAIT WORKSHOP ADAPTED TO NEW TRAINING NEEDS

M E M B E R S

E S S E N T I A L S

Training matters

Motorcycle and Heavy Vehicle training areas have now been developed in the MTAIT workshop facility

T

HE MTA INSTITUTE of Technology (MTAIT) now has specific areas within its state-of-the-art workshop facility to accommodate Heavy Vehicle and Motorcycle training programs.

The development of these areas comes in response both to requests from clients to provide block training for apprentices, and to the logistics of heavy vehicle training.

"Most of our training is done in the workplace," said MTAIT Senior Trainer Marcello Riotto. "But we have identified training needs where we need to bring apprentices into our workshop.

"Heavy vehicle road transport training has certain modules that require training on big items such as

engines, gearboxes and diffs. Obviously, our trainers can’t mobilise that type of equipment out to the workplace so if we are unable to train there, we can do it here. So we have set up an area for heavy vehicle where we can accommodate those big training modules."

The motorcycle training area was developed not for reasons of logistics but to accommodate the requirements of MTAIT clients.

"One of our clients requested block training rather than workplace training," said Mr Riotto. "They wanted a more structured approach and we have reorganised things to accommodate that. We recognise that type of training is one that some clients like.

"The area caters really well for the enterprise - we have several bikes donated to us by one of our training partners and are starting to kit out the area with specialist tools and racking."

The ability to rearrange the workshop space was a consideration when the building was designed and constructed in 2012.

"The original concept of the workshop was to keep the area flexible," said Mr Riotto. "And this sort of flexibility means that if clients want to pursue block training here we can cater to that request.

"And whether it's in the workplace or in our workshop the training is top class."

STUDENT OF THE MONTH: PETERA HOOPER Petera Hooper, a third year Light Vehicle apprentice with Emerald Ford, is MTA Institute of Technology's (MTAIT) Student of the Month for February.

Petera's trainer, Peter Jaensch, hasbeen particularly impressed with his charge's work.

"Petera is keen about his studies and gets on with the task," said Peter. "He is a quiet achiever and gets the job done. When

his workshop foreman gives Petera jobs to do, he knows they are done properly and are done correctly.

"Petera has given outstanding commitment to his work and his studies," added Peter. "In the last round of assessing, he only had one incorrect answer, across both written and oral, in the three units he was assessed on - an achievement in itself."

Petera Hooper - MTAIT Student of the Month for Februar

y

20 | Motor Trader March 2015

INSTITUTE OF T EC H N O L O G Y

NEW G LIMITE OVERNME D PLAC NT FUN ES APP DING LY NOW

GET YOUR TRADE SKILLS RECOGNISED

Do you have trade skills and experience but no formal qualifications?

TRADE RECOGNITION Trade skills recognition is a way of gaining formal recognition of your skills and work experience. If you have not completed an apprenticeship in Australia or you have gained trade skills overseas, you can have your skills, work experience and trade qualifications nationally recognised.

Recognition of work or training (trade recognition) allows people to gain a certificate of recognition in Queensland in an apprenticeship trade, where: • A formal apprenticeship has not been completed • An apprenticeship or trade training has been completed overseas

PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY 1. Be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident of Australia and living in Queensland or a Refugee and Humanitarian Visa holder living in Queensland 2. Be a skilled or experienced individual without a trade qualification, whose experiences are such that it is reasonable to assume you could achieve two thirds of a qualification or more through RPL assessment processes in a priority trade 3. Be 18 years or older 4. Express a commitment to gaining the entire qualification

MTA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY OFFERS TRADE RECOGNITION FOR THE FOLLOWING QUALIFICATIONS • • • • • • • •

Agricultural Mechanical Technology Automotive Electrical Technology Automotive Body Repair Technology Automotive Refinishing Technology Heavy Commercial Vehicle Mechanical Technology Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology Mobile Plant Technology Motorcycle Mechanical Technology

The Queensland Government covers the majority of the cost for trade recognition other than mandatory fees determined by Government.

COURSE LENGTH Once an application has been received with all supporting documentation, MTA Institute of Technology will assess and respond within 10 working days.

Evaluation can be completed at MTA Institute of Technology’s Eight Mile Plains premises or alternatively on site at the applicants workplace.

ENROL Should you wish to obtain more information regarding trade recognition, please contact one of our friendly team using the contact details below.

RTO No: 31529

Address Building 8, 2728 Logan Road Eight Mile Plains Qld 4113 Postal PO Box 4530 Eight Mile Plains Qld 4113 Tel (07) 3722 3000 Toll Free 1800 884 137 Email training@mtaq.com.au

20130128

MTA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

E S S E N T I A L S M E M B E R S

Training matters

QUEENSLAND POLICE HIGHLIGHT THE 'KEY' TO VEHICLE SECURITY

M

ISTAKES . . . we all make them from time to time. Some are minor, a little embarrassing perhaps, but affect few people. Others though, it has to said, can be a bit more costly.

And so we highlight here an issue brought to MTAQ's attention by the Queensland Police. It is an issue that has already, no doubt, left a number of members a little red-faced but serves as a reminder to everyone as to what can happen from a moment's forgetfulness.

Here is a portion of the correspondence we received . . .

MIT TRAINER PROFILE

" . . . I am crime prevention police officer for the South Brisbane district, and I have noticed an emerging crime trend that is affecting motor dealerships in South East Queensland.

I was hoping that you may be able to communicate with your members what is occurring so that they can improve security practises to prevent further offences occurring. At this point in time, it appears to be the same male person targeting dealerships. The suspect is possibly working with others. Below is a list of offences that I am aware of that

ANDREW BELLARS

have occurred since the 31/1/2015.

It is likely other offences have occurred.

• 11/2/2015 – car stolen, keys left in ignition.

• 9/2/2015 – car stolen, keys left in ignition.

• 4/2/2015 – car stolen, keys left in ignition.

• 31/1/2015 – car stolen, keys left on bonnet during end of day lock up procedures.

It is important that car dealerships are more vigilant with key security."

Dealerships do, of course, move their stock around an awful lot. However, the key . . . sorry . . . the solution to securing vehicle stock from roaming thieves is, as the police officer describes - a little more vigilance.

What is your specialised area?

Vehicle modifications.

What is your background in the automotive industry?

Light vehicle mechanic and working on European vehicles.

When did you become a trainer for MTA Institute of Technology?

October 2002.

What geographical area do you service?

Logan.

What is the most satisfying aspect of your role as a trainer for MTA Institute of Technology?

Self-management and promoting and building business.

22 | Motor Trader March 2015

MTAIT TRAINERS NOMINATED FOR STATE'S TOP AWARDS Five of MTA Institute of Technology's (MTAIT) trainers have been nominated in the 2015 Queensland Training Awards.

Steven Hudspith (Agricultural, Heavy Commercial and Light Vehicle), Scott Gerkhe (Paint and Panel), Don Lerm (Auto Electrical, Light Vehicle, Motorcycle), Terry Palfrey (Auto Electrical, Light Vehicle, Heavy Commercial, Motorcycle) and Darryl Shiels (Agricultural, Heavy Commercial, Light Vehicle, Motorcycle) have all been put forward for the prestigious Trainer of the Year title.

Now in its 54th year, the Queensland Training Awards is the state's highest recognition of people and organisations who strive for best practice, success and innovation in training.

The nominees will know in May whether or not they have been shortlisted. Regional finals will take place before the State Award ceremony in September.

What do you believe is the most important aspect of training?

Building relationships and trust and imparting knowledge.

Why should someone consider a career in the automotive industry?

The work is technically stimulating and high tech, and you’ll always have a job.

What is the best piece of advice you can give to an apprentice starting out in the industry?

Take ownership of your training, personal development and area of specialisation.

When you’re not training, what do you like to do?

Personal development and spending time with my family.

WANT TO REDUCE THE ENERGY COSTS OF YOUR BUSINESS?

Y

OU CAN SAVE money and curb your expenditure through the benefits of solar power.

Australian All Energy Solutions (AAES) is planning to hold information sessions for Members of MTA Queensland to show just how much money can be saved by making the move to solar power.

All you need to do is bring your most recent power bill to the half hour session and AAES can show you how you can save.

If you would like to attend, please register your interest with Member Services (venue date and time will be dependent on registered attendees).

AAES is a QLD based renewable energy company that are the leading solar consultants and experts in solar solutions, and are proud Corporate Partners of MTA Queensland. AAES caters directly to the commercial and industrial community and offers the following:

•

Accessibility – they will come to you to discuss your solar needs

•

Expert advice – their consultants are specialists in their field

•

Customised solutions – based on information supplied by you

•

Case-by-case analysis – they create custom-made systems to ensure they will work for you

CAST STUDY: BRADY’S BODY WORKS LOAD DATA AND SOLAR CONSUMPTION NMI QB053313077

CONSUMPTION 59,200 kWh

AUG 2013 TO AUG 2014

DAILY AVERAGE ~ 220 kWh/day

SOLAR PV SYSTEM SIZE 15kW

AUG 2014 TO AUG 2015

THE TIME IS NOW FOR BUSINESSES TO SAVE www.aaes.com.au

1300 137 227

Proud solar power supplier to Gadi Electrical / Electrical Contractors No. 68790

20150212

COMPARISON: Energy drawn from the Grid from August 2013 to August 2014 without solar; and August 2014 to August 2015 with solar

SETH ON THE FAST TRAC

M E M B E R S

E S S E N T I A L S

Member matters

S

Seth Muller in action . . . the 16-year-old is taking on the world's best this year in the Enduro-X championships

24 | Motor Trader March 2015

ETH MULLER IS a young man on a career fast track . . . literally.

The 16-year-old MTAIT motorcycle mechanic apprentice not only fixes bikes, he races them too.

And he’s good at it . . . really good at it. Good enough, in fact, that he took out the Queensland title in Enduro racing for the J4 (junior) class last year and placed third in the 2014 AORC National Championship too. It was a tremendous achievement.

Seth’s reward for his accomplishment is a move into the upper echelons of his sport - from the junior class to the senior ‘Pro’ class - where he will test his skills against some of the sport’s big guns.

Not only will he be racing against the top senior riders in the country as he tries to repeat his success in state and national Enduro competitions, he’ll be challenging some of the best riders in the world as he takes part in the national Enduro-X competition.

For those who don’t know, Enduro is a class of racing that is something of a cross country marathon - taking competitors on long, winding routes through the countryside and across all types of terrains in a race against the clock.

It is an exhausting and exhilarating form of racing and one that Seth has excelled at.

“IT’S VERY INTENSE AND

DEMANDING ON YOUR BODY. YOU HAVE TO STAY FOCUSED – AS SOON AS YOU DO SOMETHING WRONG IT JUST GOES PEAR-SHAPED.” “Last year was my first year doing Enduro,” says Seth. “It’s very intense and demanding on your body. You have to stay focused because as soon as you do something wrong it just goes pear-shaped. It’s really about going as fast as you can for three or four hours without falling off !”

Enduro-X is a different style of Enduro racing. Staged on a man-made course in a stadium setting, it is a mix between Supercross and Enduro, designed to test a rider’s ability on a course containing obstacles including boulders, sand, mud and even wood sections made to resemble fallen trees.

“It’s just a man-made obstacle course really,” says Seth. “Logs, rocks, tyres, you name it, it’s in there.”

It’s a style of racing that has become increasingly popular and attracts big-name talent. In the national Enduro-X competition, riders including Toby Price (who took third

place at this year’s Dakar Rally) and American Mike Brown (a regular challenger for the world Motocross title) are Seth’s competition.

The three-event Enduro-X season kicked off at the beginning of February in Brisbane and, considering it was his first outing in such an event, Seth performed well, missing out on a place in the event’s final after placing just outside the top four in the ‘Last Chance Qualifier’ race.

“I got a shocking start into the first corner,” he says of that race. “I think I managed to scrape my way into seventh but I just missed out. Hopefully, next time, I can get into the final.”

It has, to put it mildly, been a sensational 12 months for Seth.

And yet it so very nearly turned out differently.

At the end of 2013, Seth broke his neck in a bike accident, and not long after that, on Australia Day 2014, a racing accident left Seth in hospital with three broken bones in his back.

The injuries would be serious enough to put most people out of action for months - and perhaps put them off the very idea of getting on a bike and charging through the rough and tumble tracks of Enduro.

Amazingly though, with tenacity and youth on his side, as well as a desperation to race in the AORC championship, Seth was back in

“OUR EXPECTATION IS

TO RACE THE YEAR AND GAIN EXPERIENCE – IT’S NOT THE SORT OF THING WHERE YOU CAN WALK STRAIGHT IN AND GET INSTANT RESULTS.” the saddle by the time of the first championship event just two months later.

“It took some time to get back after the injuries,” he says. “But I had to get back for the first round of the AORC. “I couldn’t really do much training because of my back but a friend, Peter Nichol, really helped out and kept me focused. I train with him still, for about an hour every day, in the gym or out on the bike.”

Training is a big part of any successful sportsperson’s career, and Seth squeezes in his training after he’s finished his day’s work as an apprentice at Maryborough Motorcycles.

Owned and run by his father Shane for the past 20 years, the shop has been a home from home for Seth for most of his life and is the base for his racing – both in terms of equipment and, of course, family support.

“We’re immensely proud of him,” says Shane. “He has ridden bikes since

March 2015 Motor Trader | 25

E S S E N T I A L S

Shane and Seth Muller at Maryborough Motorcycles

he was about three years old and has competed on and off for a while, but last year was his first real crack at trying to compete in a series and win it.

“Seth has come up living and breathing the bike shop,” he adds. “He tagged along and progressed to riding them and now into fixing them and racing them.”

As for Seth’s day job as an apprentice, Shane seems as equally proud of his son’s efforts in the workshop as he is of his performance on the race track.

“He is going really well with his apprenticeship,” he says. “It’s difficult to have your dad as a taskmaster but he has stuck with it!

“He’s about to go into the third year of his apprenticeship and it is hard for him – he works with motorcycles all day, then he has to do his fitness training and then find some time to ride bikes. Obviously, we are away every weekend at competitions, so it has been tough.”

Of the move into the Pro ranks and the Enduro-X series, Shane recognises that the leap from the junior ranks is a huge move.

“It is a big step,” he says. “He’s never raced Enduro before as a senior or as a pro, so it will be a big learning curve.

He’s 16 and racing against guys in their 20s and older – it’s a different league.

“Our expectation is to race the year and gain experience – it’s not the sort of thing where you can walk straight in and get instant results. So that’s the plan – to get out there and get as much racing as he can with those guys to gain some experience at that level.”

And where will it all lead? At just 16 years old and already racing at the top level of his sport, the future for Seth seems, as the saying goes, so bright he's going to have to wear shades.

“I want to be doing this for a living," he says when asked about where his future lies. "I want to be a professional racer and make a living from it.”

MT suspects that is a goal he will achieve with some ease. We will keep an eye on his progress.

M E M B E R S

ACK TO A BRIGHT FUTURE

E S S E N T I A L S M E M B E R S

Member profiles

New Pioneer Motors

Sherwood Automotive Services

How did you hear about the Motor Trades Association of Queensland (MTAQ)?

What is the best thing about working in your industry?

Just from being in the industry.

Location: 519 Sherwood Road, Sherwood QLD

Nothing stands still.

How has being an MTAQ member benefited your business?

What is the best piece of business advice you have ever given or been given?

Wage information and legal advice.

Work hard and keep customers happy.

Trading since: 1989

What has been your proudest business achievement to date?

What would you say to someone thinking about joining MTAQ?

MTAQ member since: 1990

To have been operating all these years.

It's someone on your side.

Type of business: Motor mechanics Number of employees: 3

Stubberfield Motors

26 | Motor Trader March 2015

Type of business: New, used, service, parts and finance

What is the best thing about working in your industry?

We have been a member of this valuable service for many years.

The people and being able to help.

Number of employees: 67

How has being an MTAQ member benefited your business?

Trading since: 1988

The exposure and relationships.

MTAQ member since: 1988

What has been your proudest business achievement to date?

Holden Grand Masters in past years.

What is the best piece of business advice you have ever given or been given?

Grow your gross at a greater rate than you grow your expenses.

What would you say to someone thinking about joining MTAQ? The benefits are numerous.

Sherwood Automotive Services

Stubberfield Motors Location: 108-112 Redland Bay Road, Capalaba QLD Type of business: Car sales Number of employees: 5 Trading since: 1989 MTAQ member since: 1989

How did you hear about the Motor Trades Association of Queensland?

What is the best thing about working in your industry?

Trade knowledge.

A love of motor vehicles and people.

How has being an MTAQ member benefited your business?

What is the best piece of business advice you have ever given or been given?

Confidence in a big organisation, support, legal and motoring advice.

Always listen and listen always.

What has been your proudest business achievement to date?

Celebrating 25 years of business in 2014.

What would you say to someone thinking about joining MTAQ? What are you waiting for!

March 2015 Motor Trader | 27

E S S E N T I A L S

Location: 62 Gordon St, Mackay QLD

How did you hear about the Motor Trades Association of Queensland (MTAQ)?

M E M B E R S

New Pioneer Motors

E S S E N T I A L S M E M B E R S

Industrial relations

Workplace Health and Safety obligations – control of hazards

TED KOWALSKI INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS MANAGER

W

ORKPLACE HEALTH AND Safety legislation requires the owner of a business (called a duty holder in the legislation) to identify reasonably foreseeable hazards that could give rise to risks to the health and safety of, among others, employees and members of the public accessing the premises. Having identified a hazard and any attendant risks, the duty holder must eliminate those risks so far as is practicable, and, if it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate the risks, minimise those risks so far as is reasonably practicable.

CONTROL MEASURES The legislation identifies a range of control measures that must be implemented where it is not reasonably practicable to totally eliminate risks. One or more of the following steps must be taken: • Substitute (wholly or partly) the hazard giving rise to the risk with something that gives rise to a lesser risk – eg., purchase a less noisy compressor to the one that is currently in use; • Isolate the hazard from any person exposed to it - eg., fit guards to a dangerous piece of equipment;

• Implement engineering controls – eg., install exhaust fans to remove unsafe gases and dusts • Implement administrative controls – eg., limit the time any one person is exposed to noisy equipment • If a risk still remains after implementing the above measures, provide suitable personal protective equipment.

MAINTENANCE OF CONTROL MEASURES Having implemented control measure/s a duty holder must ensure that the control measure is maintained so that it remains effective and remains fit for purpose; suitable for the nature and duration of the work; and is installed, set up and used correctly.

REVIEW OF CONTROL MEASURES The duty holder must review and, as necessary, revise control measures so that they remain effective. Such a review must be done if it becomes obvious that the control measure is ineffective in controlling the risk; when there is a change to the workplace or any aspect of the work environment; or there is a change to a system of work, a process or a procedure.

MTA QUEENSLAND WELCOMES THE FOLLOWING NEW MEMBERS Business Name

Principal/s

Address

Email

Division

Fitzroy Towing

Gary & Jodi Agius

330 Leichhardt Street PARKHURST Q 4702

admin@fitzroytowing.com.au

NACA

NQ Fuel & Maintenance

Raymond & Catherin Lowth

9-11 Caldwell St GARBUTT Q 4814

manager@nqfm.com.au

AED

Procheck Automotive

Shane & Cassie Hewitt

3/3 Bronwyn St CALOUNDRA Q 4551

cassie@procheckautomotive.com.au

AED

28 | Motor Trader March 2015

Investment matters

MARKET WRAP

W

ITHOUT QUESTION THE key factor impacting the market at present is the oil price, which has suffered from a severe fall. We note on fundamentals the oil price seem oversold. While the US oil shale has created new supply, and demand has softened a little with more efficient cars, the major oil fields in the Middle East are still in decline.

Significant reserves must be found to replace these, and if a low oil price reduces capital investment then the oil price will normalise quickly.

At these low prices there are significant economic implications including: • The oil price fall has a significant impact on global growth. At spot prices it adds around 1.5% to global growth.

• US manufacturing remains strong and will be assisted by low oil prices.

• It transfers wealth from producers of oil to consumers of oil.

• It is negative for the Australian terms of trade and feeds into Australia via a tighter fiscal environment and a lower A$.

The fall in the oil price has also triggered concern regarding deflation, especially in the Eurozone. This can be seen in the fall in bond yields.

Additionally, anticipation of quantitative easing has driven money into high yielding defensive equities. The market has been focused on the deflationary aspect rather than the potential stimulus provided by the lower oil price and we see this as providing an opportunity in those stocks that benefit from the lower oil price.

In addition, a valuation opportunity is emerging in growth stocks. The current market has been favouring defensive yielding stocks

29 | Motor Trader March 2015

“THE OIL PRICE FALL HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON GLOBAL GROWTH. AT SPOT PRICES IT ADDS AROUND 1.5% TO GLOBAL GROWTH.”

like property trusts, but we see greater value in higher growth stocks. For example, the yield on property trusts is 4.6% versus a bond yield of 2.6% with little growth and some concerns with occupancy levels. Yet when the market values growth stocks, they are tending to use around 5% as a risk-free rate rather than 2.6% (which has an enormous impact on valuation).

So the market is assuming that the low bond yields remain when they assess the valuation of defensive high yield stocks, but that the bond yields bounce substantially when assessing the value of growth stocks.

Equities continue to look like reasonable value, especially in comparison to low bond rates. The PE of the market is at 15x and the grossed

up yield on our portfolios is about 6%.

The fall in bond yields has opened up the value differential with equities and we continue to see money drifting out of bonds and term deposits into equities. We have previously thought that the PE on the market would be unlikely to increase, but we now think that it is possible given the low bond yields driving money flows into equities and resource earnings remaining subdued, but as the market anticipates a bottom then PEs should rise.

DISCLAIMER This document provides general information only and is not intended to be a recommendation to invest in any product or financial service mentioned above.

Investment in a Dalton Nicol Reid individually managed account can only be made on completion of all the required documentation.

Whilst Dalton Nicol Reid has used its best endeavours to ensure the information within this document is accurate it cannot be relied upon in any way and recipients must make their own enquiries concerning the accuracy of the information within.

March 2015 Motor Trader | 29

Motorsport

RICCIARDO GOES HUNTING FORMULA ONE GLORY D ANIEL RICCIARDO WILL continue on what seems an almost inevitable march to superstardom and World Championship glory this month as the 2015 Formula One season kicks off with the Australian GP at Albert Park.

Though this country has had a number of outstanding drivers in the world’s premier motor racing competition, it is Ricciardo who looks the most likely to become Australia’s first world champion since Alan Jones in 1980 and only the third since three-time champion Sir Jack Brabham. It has, as the saying goes, been a long time between drinks.

The pre-season hype got underway in earnest at the beginning of February as the teams revealed their new cars and testing got underway at the Jerez circuit in Spain.

Unlike the other teams, Red Bull played their cards close to their chest with the new RB11 rolling out onto the track boasting an unusual ‘dazzle’ livery similar to those used to camouflage prototype road cars.

Ricciardo seemed pleased with the performance on the first day of testing.

“I got a few laps under my belt,” he said.

“So the first impressions are good. A good first day, there are some positive signs there.

The livery’s cool. It’s a testing specification for us but I think it looks really good. Maybe I need a matching helmet.”

Ricciardo’s stunning full debut season in 2014 - which saw him win three Grand Prix and be the only winner of a GP outside of the all-conquering Mercedes team of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg – has him marked as the driver to watch in 2015.

Speaking shortly after the close of the 2014 season,

Ricciardo’s drive to win was clear: “I won’t settle for anything else now. Once you make one step you want to keep making more.

I’m sure Mercedes are going to very quick again next year, but the gap’s there for us to close. Hopefully we can do that.”

In perhaps a little taster of the competition that lies ahead for the F1 season, at the beginning of February Ricciardo appeared on the hit TV show Top Gear in the UK and promptly smashed Hamilton's two-year-old record in the top-rating show's 'Star in a Reasonably Priced Car' segment.

The segment, which puts stars of stage, TV and screen - as well as the occasional race driver - into an ordinary Suzuki Liana and then asks them for a fast lap around the Top Gear race track, saw Ricciardo beat Hamilton's time of 1:42:9 by seven-tenths of a second.

So who knows, if the RB11 is reliable and quick and can get Ricciardo close to his rivals, then come the end of November 2015 the thirst for a new Australian motorsport hero may well be quenched.

Motorsport calendar 2015 FORMULA ONE 2015 Round 1: March 12-15 Round 2: March 27-29 Round 3: April 03-05 Round 4: April 17-19 Round 5: May 08-10 Round 6: May 21-24 Round 7: June 05-07 Round 8: June 19-21 Round 9: July 03-05 Round 10: July 17-19 Round 11: July 24-26 Round 12: Aug 21-23 Round 13: Sept 04-06 Round 14: Sept 18-20 Round 15: Sept 25-27 Round 16: Oct 09-11 Round 17: Oct 23-25 Round 18: Oct 30 - Nov 01 Round 19: Nov 13-15 Round 20: Nov 27-29

Australia (Melbourne) Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) Bahrain (Sakhir) China (Shanghai) Spain (Catalunya) Monaco (Monte Carlo) Canada (Montreal) Austria (Spielberg) Great Britain (Silverstone) Germany (TBA) Hungary (Budapest) Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps) Italy (Monza) Singapore (Singapore) Japan (Suzuka) Russia (Sochi) United States (Austin) Mexico (Mexico City) Brazil (Sao Paulo) Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina)

V8 SUPERCARS 2015 Feb 07-08 Sydney.com V8 Super Test, Sydney Motorsport Park Round 1: Feb 26-Mar 1 Clipsal 500 Adelaide,

Adelaide Street Circuit Mar 12-15 2015 Formula 1, Australian Grand Prix, Albert Park Round 2: Mar 27-29 Tyrepower Tasmania Super Sprint, Symmons Plains Raceway Round 3: May 1-3 Perth Super Sprint, Barbagallo raceway Round 4: May 15-17 Winton Super Sprint,

Winton Motor Raceway Round 5: June 19-21 Skycity Triple Crown Darwin, Hidden Valley Raceway Round 6: July 10-12 Castrol Townsville 400, Reid Park Round 7: July 31-Aug 2 Coates Hire Ipswich Super Sprint, Queensland Raceway Round 8: Aug 21-23 Sydney Motorsport Park Super Sprint, Sydney Motorsport Park Round 9: Sept 11-13 Wilson Security Sandown 500, Sandown Raceway Round 10: Oct 8-11 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Mount Panorama Round 11: Oct 23-25 Castrol Edge Gold Coast 600, Surfers Paradise Round 12: Nov 06-08 ITM 500 Auckland,

Pukekoe Park Raceway Round 13: Nov 20-22 Phillip Island Super Sprint Round 14: Dec 04-06 Sydney 500, Sydney Olympic Park

MOTO GP 2015 Round 1: Mar 29 Round 2: April 12 Round 3: April 19

Qatar, Doha/Losail Americas, Austin Argentina, Termas del Rio Hondo

Round 4: May 03 Spain, Jerez de la Frontera Round 5: May 17 France, Le Mans Round 6: May 31 Italy, Mugello Round 7: June 14 Catalunya, Catalunya-Barcelona Round 8: June 27 Netherlands, Assen Round 9: July 12 Germany, Sachsenring Round 10: Aug 9 Indianapolis, Indianapolis Round 11: Aug 16 Czech Republic, Brno Round 12: Aug 30 Great Britain, Donington Round 13: Sept 13 San Marino & Riviera di Rimini Round 14: Sept 27 Aragon, Motorland Round 15: Oct 11 Japan, Motegi Round 16: Oct 18 Australia, Philip Island Round 17: Oct 25 Malaysia, Sepang Round 18: Nov 08 Valencia, Ricardo Tormo-Valencia

FORMULA E 2014/2015 Round 1: Sept 13, 2014 Round 2: Nov 22, 2014 Round 3: Dec 13, 2014 Round 4: Jan 10, 2015 Round 5: Mar 14, 2015 Round 6: Apr 04, 2015 Round 7: May 09, 2015 Round 8: May 23, 2015 Round 9: June 6, 2015 Round 10: Jun 27, 2015

Beijing, China Putrajaya, Malaysia Punta Del Este, Uruguay Buenos Aires, Argentina Miami, USA Long Beach, USA Monte Carlo, Monaco Berlin, Germany Moscow, Russia London, UK

WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP (WRC) 2015 Round 1: Jan 22-25 Monte-Carlo Round 2: Feb 12-15 Sweden Round 3: Mar 05-08 Mexico Round 4: Apr 23-26 Argentina Round 5: May 21-24 Portugal Round 6: Jun 11-15 Italy Round 7: July 02-05 Poland Round 8: July 30 - Aug 02 Finland Round 9: Aug 20-23 Germany Round 10: Sept 10-13 Australia Round 11: Oct 01-04 France Round 12: Oct 22-25 Spain Round 13: Nov 12-15 Great Britain

FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP (WEC) 2015 Round 1: April 12 Round 2: May 2 Round 3: June 13-14 Round 4: Aug 30 Round 5: Sept 19 Round 6: Oct 11 Round 7: Nov 1 Round 8: Nov 21

Silverstone, UK Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium 24 Hours Le Man, France Nurburgring, Germany Circuit of the Americas, USA Fuji, Japan Shanghai, China Bahrain March 2015 Motor Trader | 31

Industry insight

BUSINESS INFORMATION YOU SHOULD BE GETTING F INANCIAL INFORMATION IS vital to running any business.

Larger businesses have the luxury of teams of accounting staff to steer them in the right direction. Smaller businesses have to rely on themselves and advice from accountants and consultants. Advice from government organisations will focus on statutory requirements e.g. tax and compliance.

Here is a general list of what most businesses should be getting as a minimum.

1. Profit and Loss Statement a. Current Month and Year-To-Date – with comparison to last year and budget. Particular attention needs to be given to the gross profit figure i.e. sales less direct costs, as this is a vital number impacting net profit i.e. after overheads are deducted. To achieve this Cost of Goods (direct costs e.g. service labour, products for sale etc.) need to be separated from Overheads (indirect costs e.g. rent, admin wages etc.) in your ‘Chart of Accounts’. b. Current Month and Year-to-Date – each with percentage of sales column. c. If a business operates multiple divisions, branches or sells various types of products/services, it’s vital to know which of them are profitable. Your ‘Chart of Accounts’ needs to be set up to achieve this or you may need to use separate software from your general accounting system. d. Sales Analysis – i.e. who is buying what, so that you can use the information to improve sales.

2. Balance Sheet a. Year-to-Date with comparison to last year. Balances for Receivables, Payables, Stock, Work in Progress etc. should be reconciled to separate reports/ledgers to ensure they match and investigate if not. Items such as PAYG and GST should be reconciled monthly to ensure figures

32 | Motor Trader March 2015

are accurate and transactions are handled correctly.

3.

Accounts Receivable Balances (also referred to as Debtors List) – shows what customers owe you and for how long. You want to minimise those outside agreed trading terms 4.

Accounts Payable Balances (also referred to as Creditors List) – shows what you owe to suppliers and for how long. You want to maximise time taken to pay without damaging supplier relationships.

5.

Stock/Inventory Report – showing stock on hand at end of each month.

Also report on slow moving or obsolete stock, so you can decide what to do with it.

6. Work in Progress - showing work in progress but not yet invoiced to customers. Objective being to minimise WIP and get jobs invoiced ASAP to speed up cash flow.

7. Job Management Reports a. Job profitability b. Comparison of budget/quote versus actual results. c. Labour productivity report – showing what percentage of time was billable. To maximise billable time to increase sales.

8.

GST Report showing either accrual or cash basis – depending on which one your business reports. The amount due or refund should be factored into your cash flow forecast mentioned below.

These are general minimum reporting.

Here are more that will give you greater insight into your financial results.

1.

KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) – around five or six numbers you need to know are trending right to produce your desired results.

Examples of monthly KPIs might be: a. Number of customer enquiries b. Number of quotes produced c. Sales conversion rate d. Number of items produced e. Number of billable hours worked

2. C ash Flow Forecast – showing what will be your monthly cash balance for the future.

3. Staff leave entitlements to ensure you don’t get hit with a big surprise when you can least afford it.

4. Superannuation report to ensure payments are up to date, as business owners can be held personally liable for non-payment.

5. Break-even analysis – helps you to know what sales you need to achieve and set targets accordingly.

6. Sensitivity Analysis – ‘What If Scenarios’ – showing ‘What would be the impact on profit and cashflow if sales increased or decreased by a given percentage’.

7. Rolling Forecast – if you’ve set a budget this allows you to see the Year-To-Date results plus the budget for the balance of the year and what will be your results for the whole year if budget is achieved.

8. Ratio Analysis - Ratios are a useful way of measuring the relationship between two numbers.

Example = Current Ratio calculated as follows: Current Assets (e.g.

Bank, Accounts Receivable, Stock) divided by Current Liabilities (e.g.

Overdraft, Accounts Payable).

1,000,000 divided by $10,000,000 is .1 The Current Ratio for this business is .1 The easiest way to explain ratios is as follows: For every dollar of bottom we have $x of top.

This means for every dollar of current liabilities we have 10 cents of current assets to pay for it. When you consider that Banks look for a Current Ratio of at least 2, a business with a Current Ratio of .1 would really struggle to get funding.

To make sure this year is your best in business, check out our eBook ‘3 Unbeatable Ways to Create Your Best Year in Business’ at: http://info.cfooncall. com.au/3-unbeatable-ways-to-create-your-best-yearin-business .

M

ER

A SUP A T

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A range of investment options Award winning industry leadership BOOST YOUR $UPER Win $5000 into your super by rolling over or contributing

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mtaasuper.com.au Motor Trades Association of Australia Superannuation Fund Pty Ltd (ABN 14 008 650 628, AFSL 238 718) is the Trustee of MTAA Superannuation Fund (ABN 74 559 365 March 913). You should consider whether 2015 Motor Trader | 33or not MTAA Super is appropriate for you. The MTAA Super Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) can be obtained by calling us on 1300 362 415. You should consider the PDS in making a decision. * All fees are below the Industry Average and received a “Leading” trend assessment. Source: Latest SuperRatings Benchmark Report

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*The above figures are based on a 30kW solar system, financed over 5 years for a SAC Large User tariff classification.

AAES is one of Queenslands leading solar brokers and experts in solar solutions.

We cater directly to the commercial and industrial community, to team up with clients to reduce ongoing and spiralling energy costs.

With the rising cost of electricity and ever increasing financial burden on small businesses, solar is now a very attractive alternative for reducing your grid dependency on electricity and taking control of spiralling energy costs.

Proud Supplier to

To find out how you can offset your energy costs with solar, call us today on 1300 137 227.

Gadi Electrical | Electrical Contractors No. 68790

Australian All Energy Solutions PO Box 6109 Upper Mount Gravatt, QLD 4122 1300 137 227 www.aaes.com.au

DMS 1401080

Depending on the tariff you are paying, solar can have a significant impact on your bottom line.