Is Bill Buckle Australia's greatest automotive industry treasure?
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Is Bill Buckle Australia's greatest automotive industry treasure?

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By DanGoAuto - 16 April 2015

 

Bill Buckle driving a 1959 Buckle Coupe at the 2013 Concours d’Elegance Prestige Oblige in Sydney

MENTION Australia’s automotive manufacturing industry and most car fans will jump straight to the imminent withdrawal of all three local volume car-makers before the year 2017 is out.

It will be a sad day when the final Ford, Holden and Toyota rolls off the production line and it is very unlikely cars will ever be made in the same numbers on Australia’s red dirt again, but to say our car industry is completely dead isn’t entirely fair.

Look beyond the mass-produced easily recognisable bread and butter models and you will find a handful of weird and wonderful vehicles still being lovingly crafted on our shores.

The Buckle Coupe’s creator Bill Buckle stands proudly with two of his machines in the town of Bathurst. (Photo credit bucklecoupe.com.au)

If you are prepared to wait or even get your hands dirty, Alpha Sports of Adelaide, DRB in Queensland and Elfin and Bolwell in Victoria will all sell you a high-performance sportscar made here, or if that’s not good enough Joss is hoping to soon offer a supercar that will get from zero to 100km/h in under 3.0 seconds.

Road-cars not your thing? If getting up to your axles in filth is more enticing then Melbourne’s Tomcar will sell you one of the safest and most versatile all-terrain vehicles out there, while Minetti can supply a potent single-seat circuit racer powered by the world’s most powerful motorcycle engines.

Bob Williamson’s Buckle Coupe prepares to go up the hill at Amaroo Park in the mid 1960s (Photo credit bucklecoupe.com.au)

It might not compare to boutique car industries elsewhere in the world such as the United Kingdom or United States, but Australia’s car story might have played out very differently if it weren’t for the work of one man.

Last year, legendary Australian car industry identity Bill Buckle was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his unrivaled service to the motor vehicle industry as a designer and retailer.

Bill started off in the automotive industry by forging niche expertise in  manufacturing processes during the mid 1950s including composite materials, at a time when the technology was relatively unrefined.

With lightweight bodywork and a front-engine, rear-wheel drive, the Buckle Coupe was a competent racer. Bill takes victory at the Gnoo Blas circuit, New South Wales. (Photo credit bucklecoupe.com.au)

With significant advancements in fibreglass production, Buckle produced fibreglass bodies for Goggomobil, and another car that was not only penned by his hand but also shared his name.

While only 20 Buckle Coupes were ever completed, the car was a competent racer and road car, at one stage holding every hill-climb and lap record for the GT class at circuits along the east coast of Australia, including those at Bathurst, Orange, Catalina Park, Sandown and Lowood.

Many classic Australian car fans will fondly recall the Goggomobil Dart, which was designed and produced by Buckle on home soil after he traveled to the company’s hometown of Dingolfing in Bavaria and convinced Hans Glas his quality was up to scratch.

Weighing just 865kg, the Buckle Coupe could hit 160km/h and of the 20 cars built, 16 were involved in various forms of competition including iconic Bathurst. (Photo credit bucklecoupe.com.au)

With rapidly developing composites techniques Mr Buckle was also able to design the glass ‘Sportsroof’ under the Auto Sun and Air division, that was licenced and patented in several markets overseas and for which he received an Australian Design Award in 1977.

More than 5000 Goggomobil cars were made in Australia and during that time Buckle expanded his automotive footprint, acquiring Borgward, Goliath, Lloyd Hartnett, Hillman and Humber vehicle distribution rights, and necessitating the foundation of Bill Buckle Autos in 1961.

His next venture saw the creation of a right-hand drive conversion business in Sydney’s Brookvale, which allowed Australian rev heads to get into previously unattainable exotic American cars such as Buicks, Cadillacs, Lincolns, Mustangs, Thunderbirds, Corvettes, Firebirds and Camaros.

The Buckle coupe borrowed parts from the Ford Zephr of the same years, including its 2.5-litre six-cylinder engine. (Photo credit bucklecoupe.com.au)

With business booming, Buckle then took the plunge as one of the first Australian distributors of a Japanese car brand, acquiring the rights to sell Toyota vehicles such as the Crown, Tiara and 700 in 1964 - a bold business move that would pay off.

Sales initially started slow but steady with about five to 10 Toyotas sold each month, but within 10 years that figure had blossomed to 150 per month.

Before the Bill Buckle Auto group was sold to AP Eagers in 2008 the company had grown substantially, picking up Subaru, Volkswagen, Jaguar and Land Rover franchises in the process.

Bill Buckle made one very special lightweight version of his Coupe. Its ventilated lighter body hid a tubular chassis and its engine had a tuned cylinder head with triple SU carburettors. (Photo credit bucklecoupe.com.au)

Over a bountiful career spanning more than 50 years, Bill Buckle did arguably more for that the emerging Australian motor industry than any other individual, and thanks to him there are more classics on our roads and perhaps just a little more hope for the future.

Daniel Gardner GoAuto.com.au

Protect your Buckle Coupe. Call Shannons Insurance on 13 46 46 to get a quote today.