Bill Buckle Group

Buckle Motors Pty Ltd was established in 1927 by William G Buckle, with showrooms at 127 William Street, Sydney. Starting with the Triumph and Talbot franchises for NSW, they subsequently gained NSW franchises for both Armstrong-Siddeley and De Soto (Chrysler Corp) Vehicles. Then in 1949, Citroen was added to the group. In 1954 W.F. Buckle (Bill Bu... ckle Snr), having been involved in various forms of motor sport in Australia and the UK, began design and construction of a fibreglass-bodied sports car using Ford Zephyr components which he named the Buckle 2.5 Coupe. These cars held every hill climb and lap record for the GT class at circuits on the East Coast. Twenty-four were produced. In 1958 Bill Buckle Snr went to Dingolfing in Bavaria to convince Hans Glas that we could produce fibreglass bodies for Goggomobil cars, and obtained the rights for Australia. About 5000 cars were assembled from the German mechanical parts, with various style bodies, including the Dart, a light sports car designed by Bill Buckle Snr. During this time, the company also distributed Borgward, Goliath, Lloyd-Hartnett, Hillman and Humber vehicles. In 1961 the company was bought by Hong Kong interests, and Bill Buckle Snr formed Bill Buckle Autos Pty Ltd, trading in used cars on Parramatta Road. In 1963 the company purchased a LHD Chevrolet Corvette and converted it to RHD, which led to the formation of Bill Buckle Auto Conversions with premises in Orchard Road, Brookvale. Meanwhile, in 1963 a new showroom was occupied on the corner of Pittwater Road and West Street, selling used sports cars and US imports which had been converted. In October 1964 the Toyota franchise was gained, selling Tiara, Crown and 700. Auto Sun and Air Pty Ltd, specialising in sunroofs and air conditioning fittings, began in 1971. Bill Buckle Snr designed the glass Sportsroof which was received an Australian Design Award and was licensed and patented in several markets overseas. The Toyota brand gained in popularity from a monthly volume of 5-10 in 1964 to around ...Read More