Auto-Trail Aussie import rights up for grabs

Queensland-based Elite RV is looking for a buyer to take over the national distribution of UK-built Auto-Trail motorhomes in Australia.

Elite RV director Darren Nye said the sale would include exclusive national supply and distribution rights for the 43-year old UK motorhome brand, the Australian Auto-Trail website, and factory support and backing including the ticking of all local compliance and regulatory boxes prior to being loaded on to the ship.

Nye said all Auto-Trail models are manufactured to fully comply with Australian Design Rules (ADRs), so no further homologation is required upon arrival in Australia. He claimed another advantage is the "higher profit margins (with a) significantly higher percentage mark-up than the Australian industry standard".

"Backed by state-of-the-art construction, a robust supply chain, and regulatory advantages, this is your chance to dominate the luxury RV market in Australia with a quality brand that offers significant points of difference to that of locally built motorhomes," he said.

Auto-Trail was established in 1982 and currently builds a range of campervans and motorhomes at its manufacturing facility in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, with a workforce of around 200.

Elite RV has been the official distributor of Auto-Trail motorhomes (and also Elddis caravans for a short while) since 2012. The brand had a strong start in Australia with a number of big dealers hopping on board. However, they're now only available at two retail outlets across the country, including one on Queensland's Gold Coast and another at Lynbrook in Victoria.

According to the Auto-Trail Australia website, local buyers can choose from five different UK-built models; all C-class style motorhomes based on Fiat Ducato chassis and ranging in price from $219,990 to $264,990.

Together with Adria, Auto-Trail is one of few remaining overseas brands left flying the flag for British and European RV manufacturers down under, with a number of local suppliers of Bailey, Swift, Knaus, Hymer, Geist and Concorde RVs all pulling up stumps at various times over the past 20 years.

Contact Darren Nye at Elite RV for further details about acquiring the Auto-Trail Australian distribution rights.