Ateco Automotive Pty Ltd is soon to transfer Kia import rights to a factory-owned organisation but has now announced it will take over Australian and New Zealand distribution of Ferrari and Maserati, from mid-October.

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The switch from the Sutton Group is part of a worldwide programme to consolidate Fiat Group’s luxury and performance brands under single distributors.


On 1 April, Fiat Group created a new business unit that merged the Maserati and Alfa Romeo brands under the management of Karl-Heinz Kalbfell to increase efficiencies from design, through manufacture to distribution.


The Sutton Group distributed Ferrari in Australia and New Zealand for eight years and Maserati for six years.


Sydney-based Ateco, headed by New Zealander Neville Crichton, has proven history with Fiat Group vehicles in Australasia. It re-launched Alfa Romeo in Australia in 1998 and is also the New Zealand Alfa Romeo and Fiat importer.

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In 2002, Ateco re-launched the Fiat brand in Australia with commercial vehicles.


Ateco has also been successful with Citroën, a brand it took over in 1994, overseeing a 10-fold increase in Australian sales and expanding the range from one to six models. It has also launched the Berlingo van in the light commercial vehicle market.


Kia, taken over in 2000, has achieved a five-fold sales increase from just 4,000 units a year (in a c. 1 million market). The franchise is moving to Kia itself because the automaker has a policy of running its own distribution networks in markets of more than a million units annually.


Kia to set up Australian ‘factory shop’