Since its inception, the Ateco Group, Australia’s largest independent automotive distribution company, has delivered 302,525 retail sales at the end of 2019, breaking through the 300,000 barrier. This result highlights that since the FCAI first started recording vehicles sales in 1991, the Ateco Group has outsold Audi, Jeep, Land Rover, Lexus and Volvo among other brands.
“I’m delighted that the Ateco Group and the brands we’re proud to represent have reached this milestone and, importantly, continue to grow,” said Neville Crichton CNZM, Executive Chairman of the Ateco Group.
“When we started back in 1985 our goal was to deliver a profitable business to all our partners, and we’ve done just that with multiple brands over the years.”
The Ateco Group, with offices in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, has a unique portfolio of brands from Maserati, RAM Trucks Australia and LDV Automotive, through to Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Jeep, Warn winches and additional property assets.
RAM Trucks Australia has, arguably, been the success story of the automotive industry in 2019, recording 2,868 retail sales to the end of December, an incredible increase of 296.7% over 2018. The brand also recently celebrated the building of its 5000th vehicle, having re-started local automotive manufacturing in Melbourne in late 2015.
“I’m particularly proud of our RAM Trucks Australia business this year,” says Crichton. “We identified early on that there was a market for these vehicles, so invested heavily in R&D to ensure the remanufacturing process at our facility in Melbourne was second to none – the results are now speaking for themselves.”
The Ateco Group has played a critical role in establishing many automotive brands in Australia over the years – from VW and Audi, to Kia and Suzuki – and in recent times has lead the roll-out of Chinese brands, with LDV Automotive recording 6,480 units to the end of December, a rise of 6.9% over 2018.
“Our dealer relationships have been critical in helping us establish new brands like LDV Automotive in Australia,” says Roger Zagorski, Ateco Group Managing Director.
“Now, as we enter our 35th year of business in 2020, the positive partnerships we have nurtured with OEMs and dealers alike will continue to deliver success, and we look forward to announcing new models and strategic partnerships shortly.”
The Ateco Group of companies:
Ateco Automotive Pty Ltd
- Headquarters in Sydney with branch offices in Melbourne and Brisbane
- Distributes LDV in Australia
The Ateco Group New Zealand
- Headquarters in Mt Wellington, Auckland
- Distributes Jeep, Fiat, Chrysler, Dodge, RAM, Alfa Romeo in New Zealand
European Automotive Imports
- Headquarters in Sydney
- Distributes Maserati in Australia and New Zealand
European Automotive Imports – South Africa
- Headquarters in Johannesburg
- Distributes Maserati in South Africa, owns Maserati retail businesses in Johannesburg and Cape Town
American Special Vehicles
- Imports, remanufactures RAM products to RHD and distributes for sale in Australia and New Zealand
Ateco Properties
- Headquarters in Sydney
- Manages properties in Australia and New Zealand
NEVILLE CRICHTON CNZM
Executive Chairman, The Ateco Group
Neville Crichton’s business and sporting careers are unique, with the New Zealand-born businessman developing and growing the Ateco group of companies into one of the largest independent locally owned car importers and, at the same time, carving a sporting career first as a racing driver and then as an internationally renowned ocean racing yachtsman.
Neville Crichton began his business life in New Zealand, working first with Ford before moving to the USA where his retail and wholesale interests included Ferrari, Mazda, Volkswagen, Audi and Rolls Royce. In 1985 he took over Ateco, a small general engineering and import business, and has, over the intervening years making it the right company for car makers wishing to independently grow and develop their Australian and New Zealand businesses. Brands that have sought Ateco’s resources and skills in past have included Suzuki, Volkswagen, Citroen, Ferrari, Audi and Kia.
Neville Crichton has also played a central and decisive role in creating New Zealand’s super yacht construction industry which, through his foresight and expertise has grown from literally nothing to a billion-dollar business that enjoys a worldwide reputation for design, quality and technology. He is a member of the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame. Alongside his impressive business career, Neville Crichton has also enjoyed considerable sporting success. This started as a car racing driver in Australia, New Zealand and Europe, but his real passion is ocean racing and with three generations of yacht carrying the ‘Alfa Romeo’ name, as part of sponsorship programme in Europe, he won 174 ocean yacht races in Europe, America and Australia including the Rolex Sydney Hobart, the Rolex Fastnet, the TransPac, the Rolex Middle Sea Race and every title that was available in the Rolex Giraglia Trophy.