Australia’s leading auto mall to capture prestige pre-owned market as construction commences on new Dutton One development at Essendon Fields Auto

Essendon Fields Auto is pleased to announce that one of the biggest names in the pre-owned prestige car market, Dutton One, will be the latest addition to Australia’s largest auto mall.

Construction at Essendon Fields Auto is now underway to develop the 17^th Dutton One dealership in Australia. The new facility, spread over 2,044 sqm, is due to open to the public in early 2024.

The new Dutton One dealership, which will take up a prime position on Lionel Street in Essendon Fields, will occupy one of the last remaining sites in the Essendon Fields Automotive precinct.

Essendon Fields and the Dutton Group believe the addition of Dutton One, which brings its own rich history of the Dutton brand and enviable buyer status in the prestige car market, will significantly expand the precinct’s share of the pre-owned car market in Melbourne.

“Over the last 7 years we have been growing rapidly as we seek to drive trust and credibility in pre-owned vehicle transactions.  We know that consumers are underserviced in this regard so it’s our primary focus to change their perceptions.  Today we are the largest pre-owned group in Australia so it’s fitting that we open at Essendon Fields.  We are delighted to be among a large dealership network in Melbourne’s North-west, where there’s a fast-growing customer base ready to enter the market,” said Suren Chandrajit, Dutton Group CEO.

Essendon Fields Auto has grown to become the largest single-site collection of new car dealers in Australia, with 16 dealerships and over 20 global brands. Pre-owned vehicles are a growing category in the precinct, with Blinkr opening their flagship Australian showroom on site in 2022 and recently expanding into adjoining disused hangar space to meet demand.

Essendon Fields’ CEO Brendan Pihan said he is excited to expand into the prestige pre-owned category with the addition of Dutton One.

“EF Auto is the most accessible location in Melbourne due to our excellent freeway connections, and proximity to Australia’s two fastest growing population corridors in Melbourne’s north and west,’’ Mr Pihan said.

“In an increasingly saturated market, the auto mall concept is best for dealers, because it’s best for customers. Deloitte research shows that customers are willing to travel up to 45 minutes to view the particular make and model they’re looking for, and around 80% of Melbourne’s population – that’s 4 million people – can get to EF in under that travel time. This category expansion into prestige pre-owned makes sense and continues to position EF as the first choice for dealers and consumers,” he said.

The new Dutton One dealership site at Essendon Fields is currently under construction by builders H. Troon with development management by Legacy Project Management, and will be visible to over three million cars passing on the Tullamarine freeway each month once complete.

Annual vehicle sales at Essendon Fields (EF) Auto hit a record high in 2022, notching up 21,431 car sales with an estimated retail value of $860 million. Year-on-year new car sales growth at EF Auto was 4%, outpacing the national data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries VFACTS report, which showed 3% growth in new car sales.  With the inclusion of used car sales, which is not tracked by VFACTS data, EF Auto’s annual growth ballooned to 7% in the precinct.

For more information on the last remaining development sites within Essendon Fields Auto please contact Peter Funder via pf@ef.com.au or 0437 689 915, or click here.