- In 1980, Australia had only 150-200 cars; Today more than 550, a huge jump led by imports and EV expansion.
- Local manufacturing ended in 2017, paving the way for Chinese and European brands to flood the market.
- Despite the abundance, many Australians feel paralyzed due to the choice, and the long -term support for the new brands remains a concern.
Australia is a country of only 26 million people, but you will not know that and it is going through a car agency in 2025. With more than 500 for sale, from Chinese EVS to $ 200,000, we can reach nearly half of the total car catalog in the world.
The question that we should ask is not “any one to buy?” But why do we even have this option a lot to start with it. This is definitely not how it was.
When Holden ruled the road
Return to 1980, and the Australian car scene looked completely different from the selective mix today of models. Local champions such as Holden Kingswood, Ford Falcon, Chrysler Valente, which formed a small percentage of 150-200 distinct models only, including imports from Europe, the United States and Japan, in this country.
That year, Holden sold more than 160,000 cars, as the marine dean took the crown as the best seller in the country. It was the time when Australian cars constitute more than 80 % of all vehicle sales.
You can calculate the number of foreign brands at his hands: Toyota, Datsun, Volkswagen, Peugeot, and BMW. The models were less. The simplest categories. I picked up a sedan, cart, or perhaps berries. Maybe Ut. It was simpler time.
Even globally, the number of car models was modest. The American market, which has a population of ten times the population of Australia, had about 300 to 400 options. Most buyers were very special for the brand, and the names like Torana or Falcon GT were carrying a weight beyond the specifications sheets, as it identified an era in the American muscles that are still romantic today.
Modern car market in Australia: the largest, broader and more strange
Fast forward until 2025 and the choice can be somewhat overwhelming. There are now more than 50 brands operating in Australia, and more than 550 different models when calculating engine variables and its movements. It is a significant increase of 65 brands only worldwide in 2010.
EV adoption rises sharply throughout the country, with approximately 100 electrical model today, compared to only fifteen years. Chinese imports were immersed, and we must say, which controlled, the market in Australia, with more reasonable alternatives that offer performance and reliability.
The ordinary buyer now chooses the new offers from Zekr, BYD, MG, GWM and even Jac. These names were not on local roads in the early first decade of the twentieth century. Australia has at risk of proving that its lands for China’s four -wheel drive vehicles, with models such as the JaCoo SUV worth $ 48,000 that prove that old brands no longer represent the best option in the growing market today.
It seems as if the luxury has become an increasingly increased actress. According to VFACTS data, Mercedes-Benz sold more than 36,000 cars in Australia last year, wandering Mazda in some suburbs. Audi, BMW and even Porsche (with Cayenne and Macan) have become daily drivers, not just dreams. In 1980, a Porsche car was a rare car from reliable bus service in Perth.
Why a lot of choice?
After Ford (2016), Holden (2017) and Toyota (2017) closed its domestic manufacture, the flood gates opened in Australia although the market has become import only within a few years.
Without protectionist policies or local loyalty to support local models, foreign brands were flooded. With the decrease in the development costs of the development of the right leadership, Australia is no longer a later idea of global platforms.
This is mixed with the love of this country for large cars, high -end vehicle spending (one of the highest rate More than 55 % Of all new car sales in 2024), it is no wonder that brands want a piece of Australian market.
But not all are good news
Selection paralysis is still real, according to the research from Roy Morgan32 % of the car buyers delay the purchase due to “overwhelming” options. The agents are struggling to store, serve and explain all mysterious SUVs or seven SUVs.
Australia now has more car models than Germany; A four -time population country and the local auto industry for protection. However, the values of resale, the availability of spare parts, and long -term support for some of these new expatriates are still not confirmed.
We have written about the future of cars on a large scale, as they got practical training with some of the most impressive new cars that were presented to the Australian market. What is clear is that Australia’s appetite is treated as a buffet – more options, more imports, and more brand. But it is definitely not an accident.
