A substantial car industry was created in Australia in the 20th century through the opening of Australian plants by international manufacturers. The first major carmaker was Ford Australia and the first Australian-designed mass production car was manufactured by Holden in 1948. Australian manufacture of cars rose to a maximum of almost half a million in the 1970s (10th place in the World) and still exceeded 400,000 in 2004. Australia was best known for the design and production of 'large' sized passenger vehicles. By 2009 total production had fallen to around 175,000 and the Australian market was dominated by cars imported from Asia and Europe.
As of 2015, Australian-designed cars were manufactured by General Motors subsidiary Holden, and Ford Australia, while Toyota Australia manufactured local variants of its international models, particularly the Camry. However, the Ford Australia engine and vehicle plants closed in October 2016 and the Holden and Toyota Australia factories closed in late 2017. Only Ford's design and development facilities remain in operation, leaving Australia as one of 13 countries with the capabilities to design and develop mass market cars from scratch. As of 2020, Holden has been shuttered and will no longer be sold as a GM brand.
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) is the peak representative organisation for car manufacturing companies. It is Australia's "biggest car manufacturer lobby group" according to ABC News.
History
Australian constructors were very active at the very beginning of both car and aircraft development and in some areas, ahead of their overseas counterparts. Due to the isolation of Australia, it was more practical for Australia to make its own cars. The first imported car in Australia is believed to be the Pender-Hertel of 1897.
The Highland was one of the first types of automobiles to be offered for sale in Australia, firstly in 1894 as a primitive motorised tricycle, then two years later as a four-wheeled, two-seater vehicle using bicycle components.Davis, Pedr & Tony, "Aussie Cars", Marque Publishing, Sydney, Australia, 1987
The first true cars made in Australia were steam cars. The first of these steam cars, the Phaeton, was made in 1896 by Herbert Thomson and Edward Holmes of Armadale, Melbourne. It was exhibited in 1900 using the first pneumatic tyres made in Australia by Dunlop. The 5 horsepower single cylinder steam carriage which is now in the Institute of Applied Sciences, Melbourne, was reliable and durable enough to take Thomson and a friend 493 miles from Bathurst to Melbourne at an average speed of 8.7 mp/h.
In 1900 Bruno Hammer built a one off automobile in Mount Torrens, South Australia.
In 1901 Harley Tarrant produced the first Tarrant automobile, which was the first petrol-driven car built entirely in Australia in a small workshop in Melbourne. Before that, Tarrant had been using the shop to build engines. Tarrant was joined in this endeavour by bicycle maker, Howard Lewis. The car was powered by a rear-mounted 6 hp Benz engine. This car was followed by many improved designs, including the first fully enclosed car body made in Australia. Later models included locally produced components including: engines, gearboxes and rear axles. The sole surviving Tarrant is on display at the RACV City Club, on the chancery level.
In 1903, the Australian Motoring Association was formed in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria to protect the interests of motorists. In 1924, this was followed by the Australian Automobile Association.
In 1917 the vehicle bodies were required to be made in Australia.
On 31 March 1925, Ford announced that its Australian headquarters were to be at Geelong, Victoria. The first Australian-built Ford was a Model T launched in June 1925.
Tyre manufacturing also existed in Australia. However, the last tyre factory closed in April 2010 when Bridgestone ceased production in their facility in Salisbury, South Australia.
Historical data Historical production YearProduction0 100 200 300 400 195058,000 1960204,000 1970475,000 1980361,000 2000347,122 2005388,985 2006326,000 2007334,772 2008324,118 2009223,354 2010239,443 2011219,376 2012221,224 2013210,538 2014174,986 2015167,538 2016
Source:, OICA
Historical sales Source : BSCB X L Locally developed / manufactured / assembled / badged Year Models and Ranking 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 1977 Ford Falcon L Holden Kingswood L Holden Torana/Sunbird L Datsun 180B/200B Toyota Corona/Celica L not available 1978 Holden Kingswood L Ford Falcon L Holden Torana/Sunbird L Chrysler Sigma L Ford Cortina L Datsun 200B L Toyota Corona/Celica L Toyota Corolla L Datsun 120Y L not available 1979 Holden Commodore L not available 1980 Holden Commodore L 1981 Holden Commodore L 1982 Ford Falcon L Holden Commodore L Mitsubishi Sigma L Ford Laser L Nissan Skyline Holden Gemini L Toyota Corolla L Holden Camira L Toyota Corona L not available 1983 Ford Falcon L Holden Commodore L Holden Camira L Mitsubishi Sigma L Ford Laser L not available 1984 Ford Falcon L Holden Commodore L Ford Laser L Toyota Corona L Ford Telstar L not available Holden Camira L not available 1985 Ford Falcon L Holden Commodore L Ford Laser L Toyota Corolla L Mitsubishi Magna L not available 1986 Ford Falcon L Holden Commodore L Ford Laser L Mitsubishi Magna L Toyota Corolla L not available 1987 Ford Falcon L Holden Commodore L Mitsubishi Magna L Ford Laser L Toyota Camry/Corona L Toyota Corolla L Nissan Pintara/Skyline L not available 1988 Ford Falcon L Holden Commodore L Mitsubishi Magna L Toyota Camry L not available Nissan Pulsar L not available 1989 Holden Commodore L Ford Falcon L Mitsubishi Magna L Ford Laser L Toyota Camry L Toyota Corolla L not available 1990 Holden Commodore L Ford Falcon L Ford Laser L Mitsubishi Magna L Toyota Camry L not available 1991 Holden Commodore L Ford Falcon L Ford Laser L Toyota Camry L Mitsubishi Magna L not available 1992 Ford Falcon L Holden Commodore L Mitsubishi Magna/Verada L Toyota Camry L Toyota Corolla L Ford Laser L Nissan Pulsar L Toyota HiLux Mazda 626 not available 1993 Ford Falcon L Holden Commodore L Mitsubishi Magna/Verada L Toyota Camry/Vienta L Toyota Corolla L Toyota HiLux Ford Laser L not available Hyundai Excel 1994 Holden Commodore L Ford Falcon L Mitsubishi Magna/Verada L Toyota Camry/Vienta L Toyota Corolla L Toyota HiLux Hyundai Excel not available 1995 Ford Falcon L Holden Commodore L Toyota Camry/Vienta L Mitsubishi Magna/Verada L Hyundai Excel not available Ford Festiva L not available 1996 Holden Commodore L Ford Falcon L Hyundai Excel not available Daewoo 1.5i/Cielo 1997 Holden Commodore L Ford Falcon L Mitsubishi Magna/Verada L Hyundai Excel not available Nissan Pulsar not available 1998 Holden Commodore L Ford Falcon L Hyundai Excel Toyota Camry/Vienta L not available Mitsubishi Lancer 1999 Holden Commodore L Ford Falcon L Toyota Camry/Vienta L Hyundai Excel Toyota Corolla L Mitsubishi Magna/Verada L Nissan Pulsar not available Holden Rodeo L not available 2000 Holden Commodore L Ford Falcon L Toyota Camry/Vienta L Toyota Corolla Hyundai Excel/Accent not available Mitsubishi Lancer Holden Astra L 2001 Holden Commodore L Ford Falcon L Toyota Corolla L Holden Astra L Toyota Camry/Vienta L Mitsubishi Magna/Verada L Hyundai Accent/Excel not available 2002 Holden Commodore L Ford Falcon L Toyota Corolla Toyota Camry L Holden Astra L Mitsubishi Magna/Verada L Toyota HiLux not available 2003 Holden Commodore L Ford Falcon L Toyota Camry L Toyota Corolla Holden Astra L Toyota HiLux Mitsubishi Magna/Verada L Mazda 323 Ford Falcon Ute L Holden Rodeo L 2004 Holden Commodore L Ford Falcon L Toyota Camry L Toyota Corolla Toyota HiLux Holden Astra L Holden Rodeo L Holden Commodore Ute L Mazda3 Ford Falcon Ute L 2005 Holden Commodore L Ford Falcon L Toyota Corolla Toyota Camry L Holden Astra L Mazda3 Toyota HiLux not available Ford Territory L not available 2006 Holden Commodore L Toyota Corolla Ford Falcon L Toyota HiLux Mazda3 Toyota Camry L Toyota Yaris not available 2007 Holden Commodore L Toyota Corolla Toyota HiLux Mazda3 Ford Falcon L Toyota Yaris not available Toyota Aurion L Mitsubishi Lancer not available 2008 Holden Commodore L Toyota Corolla Toyota HiLux Mazda3 Ford Falcon L Toyota Yaris Toyota Camry L Mitsubishi Lancer Toyota Aurion Nissan Navara 2009 Holden Commodore L Toyota Corolla Toyota HiLux Mazda3 Ford Falcon L Hyundai i30 Mitsubishi Lancer Toyota Camry LHyundai GetzToyota Yaris 2010 Holden Commodore L Toyota Corolla Toyota HiLux Mazda3 Hyundai i30 Ford Falcon L Holden Cruze L Toyota Camry LMitsubishi LancerHyundai Getz 2011 Mazda3 Holden Commodore L Toyota HiLux Toyota Corolla Holden Cruze L Hyundai i30 Nissan Navara Toyota Camry LFord Falcon LMitsubishi Lancer 2012 Mazda3 Toyota HiLux Toyota Corolla Holden Commodore L Holden Cruze L Hyundai i30 Toyota Camry L Nissan Navara Toyota Yaris Ford Focus L 2013 Toyota Corolla Mazda3 Toyota HiLux Hyundai i30 Holden Commodore L Toyota Camry L Mitsubishi Triton Holden Cruze LNissan Navara Ford Ranger L 2014 Toyota Corolla Mazda3 Toyota HiLux Hyundai i30 Holden Commodore L Ford Ranger L Mitsubishi Triton Toyota Camry L Mazda CX-5 Volkswagen Golf 2015 Toyota Corolla Mazda3 Toyota HiLux Hyundai i30 Ford Ranger L Holden Commodore L Toyota Camry L Mitsubishi Triton Mazda CX-5 Volkswagen Golf 2016 Toyota HiLux Toyota Corolla Hyundai i30 Ford Ranger L Mazda3 Toyota Camry L Holden Commodore L Mazda CX-5 Mitsubishi Triton Hyundai Tucson 2017 Toyota HiLux Ford Ranger L Toyota Corolla Mazda3 Hyundai i30 Mazda CX-5 Hyundai Tucson Holden Commodore LToyota Camry LMitsubishi Triton 2018 Toyota HiLux Ford Ranger L Toyota Corolla Mazda3 Hyundai i30 Mazda CX-5 Mitsubishi Triton Toyota RAV4 Nissan X-Trail Volkswagen Golf 2019 Toyota HiLux Ford Ranger L Toyota Corolla Hyundai i30 Mitsubishi Triton Mazda CX-5 Mazda3 Toyota RAV4 Kia Cerato Mitsubishi ASX 2020 Toyota HiLux Ford Ranger L Toyota RAV4 Toyota Corolla Mazda CX-5 Hyundai i30 Mitsubishi Triton Toyota Prado Kia Cerato Hyundai Tucson 2021 Toyota HiLux Ford Ranger L Toyota RAV4 Toyota Corolla Hyundai i30 Isuzu D-Max Mazda CX-5 Toyota Prado Mitsubishi Triton MG ZS2022 Toyota HiLux Ford Ranger L Toyota RAV4 Mitsubishi Triton Mazda CX-5 Toyota Corolla Isuzu D-Max MG ZS Hyundai i30 Toyota Prado2023 Ford Ranger L Toyota HiLux Isuzu D-Max Toyota RAV4 MG ZS Tesla Model Y Mitsubishi Outlander Mazda CX-5 Hyundai Tucson Toyota Prado2024 Ford Ranger L Toyota RAV4 Toyota HiLux Isuzu D-Max Mitsubishi Outlander Ford Everest Toyota Corolla MG ZS Kia Sportage Toyota Prado2025 Ford Ranger L Toyota RAV4 Toyota HiLux Isuzu D-Max Ford Everest Toyota Prado Hyundai Kona Mazda CX-5 Mitsubishi Outlander Tesla Model Y 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th See also : Best-selling models in
Large scale manufacturers Current
The current mainstream automotive manufacturers in Australia all build heavy vehicles. Large scale production of light vehicles ended with the departure of Holden.
Bustech
Bustech has manufactured buses in Gold Coast, Queensland since 1998.
Denning Manufacturing
Denning Manufacturing has manufactured buses in Brisbane since 2004
Kenworth
Kenworth Australia is a wholly owned subsidiary of Paccar Inc. Kenworth are currently the largest single-nameplate manufacturer in Australia. Kenworth began Australian production in 1971 and mainly manufactures heavy duty semi trucks specifically for the Australian and New Zealand markets at their plant in Bayswater, Victoria. In 2018, Paccar began assembly of DAF Trucks from a facility next to Kenworth.
Mack Mack trucks have been manufactured in Australia since 1963, starting at Archerfield, Queensland, moving to Rocklea, Queensland three years later, and in 1981 moved to Richlands, Queensland.