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The Ford Ranger just had its worst month since the current generation launched in 2022, and it's not because buyers have...
05/09/2026

The Ford Ranger just had its worst month since the current generation launched in 2022, and it's not because buyers have lost interest.

August deliveries fell to 2,440 units, down over 50 per cent on the same month last year and enough to drop Australia's usual best seller to fifth place. Toyota HiLux nearly doubled it, delivering 4,833.

The cause: a recall covering close to 14,000 Ranger double cabs built between late November 2025 and July this year, after side curtain airbags were found to potentially interact incorrectly with B pillar trim on deployment. Dealers were told to hold affected stock, meaning vehicles sitting on lots couldn't be handed over to customers all month.

Ford has been upfront that this is a delivery timing issue, not a demand issue, and expects a strong recovery once repairs begin from mid September.

A couple of takeaways for the market:

→ One recall can reshape a monthly sales table even for the strongest seller in the country
→ Dealers carrying Ranger stock have had a tough August through no fault of their own
→ Watch September and October closely, this looks like a bounce back story rather than a genuine shift in ute buyer preference

https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/ford-ranger-sales-hit-four-year-low-amid-airbag-recall

The Pajero is back, and it's wearing a Triton's underpinnings.Mitsubishi has revealed the 2027 Pajero, the first new gen...
05/09/2026

The Pajero is back, and it's wearing a Triton's underpinnings.

Mitsubishi has revealed the 2027 Pajero, the first new generation since 2006, now built on the same ladder-frame chassis as the Triton ute. It's a genuine off-road icon reborn, with Australian pre-orders opening October this year and local arrival expected December.

The design nods hard to the original: upright, boxy proportions, a relocated spare wheel now tucked beneath the body, and an optional Dakar-inspired hexagonal grille.

A few things worth noting:

→ 2.4L turbo-diesel producing 150kW, paired with an 8-speed auto and Super-Select II 4WD across seven drive modes
→ Built in Thailand alongside the Triton, a shift away from previous Japan production
→ Rear disc brakes now standard, an upgrade over the Triton's drum setup
→ Dual 14.3-inch touchscreens, a 12-speaker Yamaha sound system and semi-aniline leather on the options list

Expect it to line up against the Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X, GWM Tank 500 and Toyota Prado, at a price point above the old Pajero Sport but not a major step upmarket. With hybrid variants and a wider Pajero lineup already flagged, this looks like the start of a genuine comeback for the nameplate.

Watch this space.

https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/2027-mitsubishi-pajero-revealed-off-road-icon-reborn-as-triton-ute-based-suv

Big week for dealership consolidation in NSW.Peter Warren Automotive Holdings has secured conditional ACCC approval to a...
04/09/2026

Big week for dealership consolidation in NSW.

Peter Warren Automotive Holdings has secured conditional ACCC approval to acquire Wakeling Automotive Group's new car dealerships, but there's a catch: eight sites across Campbelltown and Smeaton Grange have to be sold off first.

The ACCC's concern was straightforward. Without the divestment, Peter Warren would have controlled 25 of the 34 new car dealerships in Sydney's Macarthur region, spanning sales, servicing and repairs for brands including Kia, GMSV, RAM, Isuzu UTE, GAC, Volkswagen and Suzuki.

A few things worth watching here:

→ Regulators are paying closer attention to regional dealership concentration, not just national market share
→ Eight sites now in play means fresh opportunities for other groups looking to expand in Sydney's southwest
→ Peter Warren posted $14.5 million underlying pre tax profit on $2.49 billion revenue for FY26, so this remains a group in growth mode despite the conditions
→ Expect leadership moves at the divested sites as new owners bring in their own structures

Consolidation in Australian dealership networks isn't slowing down. The question is how much scrutiny each deal attracts as groups get bigger.

https://www.businessnewsaustralia.com/articles/peter-warren-automotive-forced-to-sell-eight-dealership-sites-to-secure-approval-for-wakeling-acquisition.html

GAC International has just restructured, folding Australia and New Zealand in with the UK under one regional leader.Anno...
04/09/2026

GAC International has just restructured, folding Australia and New Zealand in with the UK under one regional leader.

Announced at GAC Australia's inaugural dealer conference in Sydney, Aries Zhao has been appointed president of the new UK and Oceania Region Centre, and chief executive of GAC Australia, effective immediately. Cheney Liang stays on as COO of GAC Australia, while previous local lead Kevin Shu moves to a role across other GAC International markets.

Zhao on the logic behind it: "The joining of the Oceania and UK regions represents a natural fit for our global right-hand-drive strategy."

A few takeaways:

→ GAC now has 46 appointed dealerships across Australia
→ GAC Burwood and GAC Dandenong each topped 300 retail sales in H1, named the network's leading dealerships
→ Grouping right-hand-drive markets together points to shared thinking on safety, quality, tech and customer expectations
→ GAC Group VP and GAC International chairman Jack Chen called Australia "a key strategic market for GAC's global expansion"

Another sign that Chinese OEMs are getting serious about how they structure and scale their right-hand-drive operations, not just their product lineups.

https://autotalk.com.au/industry-news/gac-aligns-australian-and-uk-operations-under-new-regional-structure

Beijing just told its own car makers to pump the brakes on overseas price wars.Three Chinese government bodies issued ne...
03/09/2026

Beijing just told its own car makers to pump the brakes on overseas price wars.

Three Chinese government bodies issued new guidelines on 1 September banning automakers from disrupting market competition, imposing undisclosed surcharges, or exporting vehicles that don't meet local market requirements. It's a direct response to the export boom: Chinese passenger vehicle exports were up 72.5% in the first seven months of 2026, roughly 5.3 million vehicles.

Nio CEO William Li summed up the domestic pressure driving it: "The golden era of the Chinese automotive industry is over."

Why this matters:

→ China now produces around 34.5 million vehicles a year, more than the EU, US and Japan combined
→ The Chinese-made Tesla Model Y topped Australian sales outright in May and June this year
→ Guidelines push for pricing transparency, better after-sales support and lawful data handling overseas
→ For a market like ours, heavily reliant on Chinese-built and Chinese-brand vehicles, tighter export discipline could reshape how aggressively brands compete on price here

Worth watching closely. A more disciplined approach from Beijing could take some heat out of the price wars we've seen play out on Australian forecourts.

https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/china-warns-its-car-brands-against-overseas-price-wars

EVs just outsold every other powertrain in Australia. For the first time ever.VFACTS data for August 2026 shows electric...
03/09/2026

EVs just outsold every other powertrain in Australia. For the first time ever.

VFACTS data for August 2026 shows electric vehicles captured a record 24.9% share of the new car market, with 27,078 EVs delivered against 25,824 petrol, 23,608 diesel and 18,662 hybrid vehicles. That's not incremental growth, that's a genuine tipping point.

A few things stood out to me:

→ EV deliveries were up 169.4% year on year, easily the fastest-growing segment in the market
→ Tesla Model Y remains the single best-selling model overall, moving 6,414 units in the month alone
→ BYD (+68.8%) and Tesla (+162.6%) both grew hard, while Toyota, Kia and Mazda all slipped YoY
→ The pattern is stark: virtually every Chinese brand and Tesla grew in the top 10, while every legacy brand around them declined

For an industry built on decades of petrol and diesel dominance, this is the month the ground shifted under everyone's feet. The talent, skills and supply chains that got the sector here won't be the same ones that take it through the next phase of electrification.

Worth watching where the workforce conversation goes next.

https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/vfacts-august-2026-evs-outsell-petrol-diesel-and-hybrid-new-vehicles-in-bumper-month

Motorcycle Holdings just posted the strongest year in its history.MTO — the ASX-listed group behind Team Moto, Peter Ste...
03/09/2026

Motorcycle Holdings just posted the strongest year in its history.

MTO — the ASX-listed group behind Team Moto, Peter Stevens, Harley-Heaven and a string of wholesale brands — delivered a record FY26, and the numbers are hard to ignore: revenue up 21.3% to $788.7 million, net profit up 33.8% to $24.1 million, and wholesale gross margin climbing from 25% to 29% on the back of a stronger Aussie dollar.

CEO Matthew Wiesner put it plainly: "Our record financial results demonstrate our ability to significantly outperform the market while building sustainable competitive advantages."

A few things stand out:

→ 20,127 vehicle wholesales, up 15%, in a year most retail categories were fighting for growth
→ Now holding roughly 19.6% new-vehicle market share and a dominant 50% share of Harley-Davidson sales nationally
→ Swung from $9 million net debt to a $13 million net cash position — a serious balance sheet turnaround
→ Fresh off completing the Peter Stevens Group asset acquisition, with a new CFMoto ATV brand ("Goes") and three new stores flagged for FY27

For an industry that's spent the last couple of years absorbing supply chain noise and shifting consumer sentiment, this is a genuinely standout result — and a sign MTO is playing offence, not defence, heading into next year.

Watch this space.

https://premium.goauto.com.au/mto-posts-record-year/

Chinese car brands are closing in on one in every five new vehicles sold in New Zealand.August registrations put Chinese...
02/09/2026

Chinese car brands are closing in on one in every five new vehicles sold in New Zealand.

August registrations put Chinese brands at 18.7% of the new vehicle market — nearly triple their share from just 2024. BYD, Chery, Jaecoo and GWM all posted solid gains, even as Toyota held onto the top spot on the back of the RAV4, Corolla Cross and Hilux.

As MTA sector manager Larry Fallowfield put it: "Chinese vehicles continue to capture the hearts and wallets of a lot of Kiwis."

A few things worth noting:

→ Total light vehicle registrations rose 7.6%, with passenger vehicles up a strong 13%
→ Hybrids remain the most popular fuel type across every buyer segment
→ Light commercial sales fell 14.4%, even as Hilux stayed the top-selling ute
→ Company buyers made up 43% of all registrations

New Zealand is often a leading indicator for where Australia's new vehicle market is headed. If the trajectory holds, Chinese brands closing the gap on the traditional Japanese and Korean incumbents here isn't a matter of if, it's when.

https://autotalk.co.nz/chinese-brands-near-20-of-august-new-vehicle-market/

Suzuki Australia has strengthened its leadership team, appointing Marcus Pachmann as National Sales Manager and promotin...
02/09/2026

Suzuki Australia has strengthened its leadership team, appointing Marcus Pachmann as National Sales Manager and promoting Daniel Sammut to National Marketing Manager.

Marcus joins with 20+ years of automotive experience, including senior roles at BMW Group. Daniel steps up after six years with Suzuki, having led campaigns for the Jimny and the e Vitara's "Good Clean Dirty Fun" launch.

Read more: https://autotalk.com.au/industry-news/suzuki-australia-appoints-new-sales-and-marketing-leaders

A $431.6 million headline loss, but the underlying story at Bapcor is more nuanced.The ASX-listed auto parts distributor...
01/09/2026

A $431.6 million headline loss, but the underlying story at Bapcor is more nuanced.

The ASX-listed auto parts distributor's FY26 result looks brutal on the surface, a A$431.6 million statutory net loss, driven almost entirely by A$442.4 million in non-cash impairment charges. Underlying net profit was A$10.8 million, down 85% on last year, with no final dividend.

New CEO Chris Wilesmith, in the role since January, says the focus has been "restoring the fundamentals of the business." Net bank debt was cut by A$229.8 million to A$135 million, and H2 showed real signs of life: networks returned to growth, retail posted positive like-for-like sales, and cash conversion improved to 109.4%.

New Zealand, retail, and the trade equipment business remain the soft spots, with a portfolio review underway to shed non-core assets.

https://autotalk.com.au/industry-news/bapcor-posts-431-6m-loss-amid-turnaround-push

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