From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

AMI emblem attached on American Motors cars assembled during 1968-1978

Australian Motor Industries (AMI) was an automobile assembly firm that was significant in the early history of the automobile industry in Australia.

A company called Eclipse Motors was established in the 1920s for the purpose of imported automobile distribution in Australia. The business expanded into automobile production at its Port Melbourne, Victoria location starting in 1952 under a new name: Standard Motor Company (Aust.) Pty. Ltd. The objective of the franchise for building cars in Australia was to avoid high import taxes, to provide local employment, and possibly establish an indigenous automobile industry.

Therefore, the Port Melbourne assembly plant became a birthplace for the Australian motor industry. The factory imported complete knock down (CKD) kits and had the capacity to assemble about 100 vehicles per day. It produced British models made by the Standard Motor Company and the Triumph Motor Company (Vanguards, Standards, and Triumphs). By 1956, the Standard Motor Company employed over 1600 workers at its modern assembly plant in Port Melbourne and the company had an extensive dealer network all over Australia [1].

1969 AMC AMX assembled by AMI

The company ran into financial trouble in the late-1950s and a new firm, called Australian Motor Industries, was formed out of the rubble. The AMI assembly plant now produced Mercedes-Benz cars from Germany, as well as a full range of American Motors (AMC) vehicles from the United States. Other brands of cars were also assembled at the facility.

All the AMC cars built in Australia were right-hand drive and carried the Rambler brand name. This means that Australians could purchase a Rambler Javelin, Matador, or even a Rambler Gremlin long after the Rambler marque was dropped from use on the equivalent US-made models [2]. CKD kits were shipped from AMC's Kenosha, Wisconsin or Brampton, Ontario facilities, but the Australian cars were built with the required percentage of "local content". This was easily done using parts and components (such as seats, carpet, lights, and heaters) from local Australian suppliers. American Motors cars were built in Port Melbourne by AMI up to 1978.

The first Toyota ever built outside Japan was assembled by AMI in April 1963 [3]. As fast growing company, Toyota took a controlling interest in AMI in 1968, as well as a 40% share in Thiess Holdings, which it renamed Thiess Toyota [4]. The Japanese company bought out the rest of its Australian operations and amalgamated them in 1989 to form Toyota Motor Corporation Australia [5].

Toyota production was transferred from the historic Port Melbourne facility to the company’s new $420 million facility at Altona, Victoria in 1994.