Realistic prices; variety of stock; friendly service
Sydenham Park Car Sales. Ltd, has moved its Grove Road establishment to a larger site on the corner of Moorhouse Avenue, Lincoln Road and Grove Road. Both yard and offices are larger and have been "completely updated.” according to the manager, Mr Ray Perrv.
The prominent location on a five-road intersection has already proved a further advantage, with 16 cars being sold in the first week following the move on January 20. The previous yard — on Grove Road — opened more than three years ago with
two staff members and 14 cars. From this modest beginning it became "the little yard with the big stock." There is now a staff of three people and the selling average has built up to between 25 and 30 cars a month, with up to 40 cars on offer at a time. The average price of cars handled by the yard is in the $3OOO to $lO,OOO range, with the emphasis on purchasing cars for sale, rather than selling on behalf of owners; the aim is to offer vehicles at highly competitive prices. Late model saloons, mostly ■ family cars, make up the majority of the vehicles in stock, but the yard also deals in modified and restored cars.
Displayed in pride of place last week was a fully-res-tored 1937 Ford V 8 four-door sedan, priced at $6BOO, and there was also an “immaculate” 1926 Model T Ford tourer with a super-charged Chevrolet engine; price, $15,000.
Instead of having a high fence all around, the yard is open to the public so that people can come to take a close look at the cars at any time.
This means that the vehicles are constantly subject to the risk of theft, but Ray Perry says the losses of parts are balanced out by the interest generated through having stock always accessible.
Business hours are from 8 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. on week days, and from 10 a.m. to mid-day on Saturdays, and the staff is on call at all times.
This team consists of Ray Perry, the branch manager; Roger Stocker, salesman; and Donna Sylvester, secretary.
Ray and Roger have both worked for the company for about six years, and Donna started when the Grove Road yard was opened, back in mid-1979.
It was then the fourth yard of the Sydenham Park Car Sales group.
The two others in Christchurch are the “city yard,” opened in the late 1950 s at 541 Colombo Street, and the “Sydenham yard,” opened towards the end of 1961 at 326 Colombo Street.
The Wellington yard opened in Taranaki Street in 1970.
Each yard is operated independently, which means
there is no swapping round of stock from one to another. All the Christchurch yards in the group make use of the group's own motor repairs workshop, alongside Sydenham Park Chev Spares. Ltd, in Bath Street. The workshop has a fulltime mechanic who prechecks vehicles before they are offered for sale. Consequently, would-be purchasers are welcome to subject any car in stock to the Automobile Association’s pre-pur-chase testing service. The normal warranties apply, as required of licensed motor vehicle dealers by Government legislation. That is: category A (up to four years or 50,000 km) carries a three month or 5000 km obligation; category B (up to six years or 75,000 km) carries a two month or 3000 km obligation; and category C (up to eight years or 100,000 km) carries a one month or 1500 km obligation. Category D vehicles (more than eight years old or with a distance reading of more than 100,000 km) are not required to carry a warranty obligation, but Sydenham Park Car Sales offers some sort of parts and labour
guarantee for most of these. Usually it takes the form of a 50-50 agreement with the new owner for a three or six month period. This service is one aspect of the emphasis that the group places on a friendly attitude to enquirers and customers. Car finance is offered for property owners on a nodeposit, personal loan basis, with up to 60 months to pay. Besides this, the Sydenham
Park Car Sales group supports local motoring enthusiasts through sponsorship for local hot rod shows and for the Ruapuna speedway, the Ruapuna motor racing circuit, and the Smokey Hollow drag strip, also at Ruapuna Park.
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Bibliographic details
Press, 11 February 1983, Page 11
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723Realistic prices; variety of stock; friendly service Press, 11 February 1983, Page 11
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