PERTH-BASED car rental company Pilbara Car and Truck Rental has made a foray into the retail auto sector for the first time by snapping up three car franchises in Broome from automotive company Regent Motor Group.

Regent Motor Group sold four of its franchises at two locations in Broome as part of a reassessment of its dealership portfolio.

Pilbara Car and Truck Rental, headed by entrepreneur Brian Brennan, has a rental car, truck and bus fleet of more than 1000 vehicles and operates in key Western Australian centres.

Mr Brennan bought Regent’s Kia, Ford and Mitsubishi stores and the fourth, Nissan, was sold to the expanding Pilbara Motor Group (PMG). PMG now has four franchises in Broome, adding Nissan to its Toyota, Holden and Hyundai businesses.

Regent Motor Group principal Tyson Sutton told GoAutoNews Premium that the businesses were sold because they were too small and too remote to operate effectively.

Mr Sutton last August bought 70 per cent of WA’s sole BMW and Mini dealership, Auto Classic, which has two outlets in Perth. His group also has the sole BMW motorcycle dealership.

The Regent Motor Group operates 14 franchises and 21 showrooms in WA and the Northern Territory. This includes the Darwin-based business, which has Audi, Porsche and Subaru franchises that Mr Sutton said he has no intention of selling.

By Neil Dowling