Bob Aldons, Founder of Car Business, a multi-dimensional automotive company that aims to help you to buy your new car for a better price than you can do on your own joins Enterprise Radio. Bob Aldons has been in the car business for over 38 years starting as a sales cadet and becoming the owner of a multi-franchise, multi-million dollar car dealership.
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Listen to interview with host Eric Dye & guest Bob Aldons discuss the following:
* How much money do car dealers actually make in Australia?
* How do I buy a new car cheaper?
* What’s the best way to get more for my current car?
* Should I take dealer car finance?
* What about dealer service vs independents?
Born in Sri Lanka and educated at Stafford State School and St Pauls School Bald Hills in Brisbane, Bob Aldons first worked locally as a trainee underwriting officer with MLC Fire and General Insurance Company. However, after 18 months in the position, he decided to leave that company and start a career path in sales when he completed a training course with Jonathan Ascot P/L. Finishing the course a short time later he was placed with the Express Newspaper (A News Limited Publication) at their Redcliffe branch becoming their youngest sales executive at 19 years of age.
On December 16th 1977 Rupert Murdoch decided to close the Express Group in Queensland and Bob found himself out of work, with no real prospect on the horizon. On visiting one of his clients, Torque Ford, to advise of the closure of the local paper, one of the owners, Bryan Wood, suggested he apply for a Fleet sales position with their Strathpine branch run by Branch Manager, Peter Conder.
On February 16th 1978 Bob started with Torque Ford and gradually built his portfolio of fleet and private clients before being transferred back to their head office at Redcliffe in late 1978. From there his business acumen and experience developed being awarded several prestigious Ford Australia awards for sales. In mid-1980, Torque Ford was struggling financially and local business identity Darrell Butcher was tempted from an early retirement to purchase Torque Ford from Bryan Wood and the late Allan Piper. Butcher took over the business on 16th December 1980. The timing for him was fortunate in that the motor industry market rebounded in early 1981, particularly for Ford with the release of the KA Laser. The market boomed and Bob structured a formidable team around him to take advantage of the market. Sleepy Torque Ford, previously averaging around 40 new cars a month, leapt to national prominence consistently selling nearly 100 new cars a month and becoming a force in the Ford market. From 1986 Torque Ford was named as the Ford Australia National Dealer of the Year 6 times in 7 years, a record which is still unsurpassed today.
In May 1988 Butcher bought the Toyota franchise for Redcliffe and Bob was charged with relocating it to a site at Kippa-Ring and setting up the sales operations. Business escalated for Bob and Torque Toyota. In 1990, ever on the acquisition trail Butcher took over the business of Lloyd Ford at Strathpine and shortly after Metro Ford in Brisbane. Being responsible for the new car operations, Bob was running 4 dealerships,
