AUSTRALIA’S longest-running family Volvo dealership, Premier Volvo in Perth, has been sold to multi-franchise luxury dealer Barbagallo Group.

The sale of Premier Volvo ends a 42-year association with the Swedish brand by the Webster family.

Premier Volvo will remain on its current site in the northern Perth suburb of Osborne Park with a lease from the property owners, the Webster family, for a minimum of two years.

The Webster family also sold the adjoining Suzuki franchise, Premier Suzuki, which will go to Tyson Sutton’s Regent Group.

Premier Volvo and Suzuki dealer principal and director Rob Webster told GoAutoNews Premium that “it was the right offer at the right time”.

“It is a reluctant sale but I think it was the time to sell,” he said.

“Barbagallos is the logical buyer. It is virtually opposite where we are and they have a Volvo dealership south of the river in Cannington.”

The Barbagallo Group will now have two Volvo dealerships in WA. The company will soon open the state’s first Infiniti outlet and is to open a new Maserati, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce showroom next to its existing site.

It also has 17 franchises including Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Skoda, Land Rover and Volkswagen in three Perth locations.

The Suzuki franchise will be the 19th for the Regent Group that has dealerships in WA and the Northern Territory.

Both the Barbagallo Group and the Regent Group have agreed to retain most of the staff.

Mr Webster said that once the Volvo sale had been secured, his family agreed they couldn’t continue with a single-franchise operation. Premier Suzuki will be relocated after Regent Group takes over on July 1.

The Webster family, with new business partner Levi Kelder, has become the WA distributors for Avan caravans and mobile homes and will operate the business from the Suzuki site.

“We have previous experience with the caravan industry in WA and this is a full circle for us,” said Mr Webster, who runs the Premier dealerships with brothers Paul and Dale.

The Webster family has been involved in the WA automotive industry since 1915 when their grandfather became an apprentice with Dalgetys.

The family started the Volvo business in 1974 and then bought the Suzuki franchise in 1991.

By Neil Dowling