Cantabrian Rick Armstrong has been selling cars for almost three decades and continues to go from strength to strength.
Founded in Christchurch in 1993, the Armstrong Motor Group has expanded into a nationwide operation, with 13 dealerships in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, which employ more than 450 people and offer 19 different brands – from top-end Mercedes to top-selling Toyota.
At any given time Armstrong has more than 1500 vehicles in stock, and by far the biggest dealership is Auckland City Toyota, which was acquired from fellow Rich Lister Sir Colin Giltrap in 2014 and now operates from three locations, offering a fully integrated parts and service operation.
Expanding into Auckland was a pivotal moment for Armstrong as he sought to establish a nationwide brand. “New Zealand’s No 1 selling vehicle brand, in the biggest selling vehicle market, was an opportunity we jumped at,” he says. “Everyone in the group shares my enthusiasm about the Armstrong customer experience and building on the reputation we have.”
At the luxury end of the market the business trades as Armstrong Prestige, which has been recognised as one of the country’s top Mercedes-Benz dealerships for many years. That reputation was enhanced in 2017 when the company opened Mercedes-Benz Botany, a new 5000sq m state-of-the-art showroom on Auckland’s busy Ti Rakau Drive and sold 60 vehicles in its first month.
Sharing the same 1.1ha site is a new 5500sq m outlet called East Auckland Hyundai. It is located in one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing areas and Armstrong hopes the brands will be complementary and create a diversified automotive centre that east Auckland has lacked up until now.
Another milestone in 2017 was the acquisition of the New Zealand-wide official distributor rights for the Peugeot and Citroen brands. An obviously delighted Armstrong says that, when the opportunity came up, he jumped at it. “They are great brands with a long and proud history not only in my business but across New Zealand. I’m looking forward to building on their success for a long time into the future.”
While many of his dealerships operate from leased premises, including two major sites owned by Giltrap, Armstrong and his trustees can lay claim to a property portfolio worth more than $30m that also includes a $7.4m family home in the Auckland suburb of Parnell.
Like most of its contemporaries, the company is an avid supporter of communities, national events and charities as a way to say thank you to its loyal customers. In addition to providing vehicles to the Royal New Zealand Ballet, Armstrong sponsors the Wellington Marathon and the Christchurch Kart Club where his teenage son Marcus cut his teeth before moving onto the world stage to join the prestigious Ferrari Driving Academy and win the 2017 Italian F4 championship.
Photo: New Zealand Herald/newspix.co.nz