History
70 years in Newcastle and still going strong
1934 The Kloster family opened a showroom in Darby Street, Newcastle. And in the late 1930s a Used Car and Truck outlet was opened on the Tudor Street Corner it occupies today. Then in the 1960s adjacent properties were purchased to accommodate the expanding business.
1950s Kloster Spare Parts business was growing quickly with deliveries by plane to country areas of New South Wales. The landing strip was the old Newcastle Aero Club at Broadmeadow.
1965 Major building works were completed on the Tudor Street site, featuring the modern showroom and its high wall of glass along with the extensive Used Car lot you see today.
1975 Ownership changed several times
1986 The General Manager and Director at the time, Peter Dunn, bought the business from John Larkin. Since taking over, Peter Dunn has seen Kloster Ford sales continue to grow. Peter Robinson (Sales Director) and Trevor Reading (Finance Director) became Directors of the Company in 1987, enabling the Kloster Team to take new directions.
1984 The BMW franchise commenced in 1984 with a record 94 New Vehicle sales in that year.
1988 Expansion to the Raymond Terrace branch operation provided increased sales and service opportunities and convenience to many customers. Together with the NRMA Country Service Centre providing member services and 24-hour road service.
1989 With the increasing importance of the small car segment, the addition of the Daihatsu franchise for Hamilton and Raymond Terrace saw formation of the Kloster Group.
1992, Kloster Ford was named the National Ford "Dealer of the Year"
1994 Kloster Ford marked the 60-year anniversary of continuous Ford representation in this region by totally refurbishing the Ford showroom and customer lounge areas. Also in 1994, further expansion occurred with the purchase of land adjoining BMW for the inclusion of a Nissan franchise. Hyundai joined the Kloster Group in 1994. The Jeep franchise soon followed, adding much needed variety to the 4WD segment available from the Kloster Group.
1998 the Kloster Group became “8 makes in one place” with the inclusion of Kloster Honda. The Kloster Group composition of eight New Vehicle franchises and Used Vehicles, four Service Departments, Mobile and Night Services and the large Parts Distributorship provide unlimited opportunities for the future. During the next five years the Kloster Group acquired another 3 Ford dealerships. Both dealerships at Cardiff and Gateshead were purchased from LakeFord with the Gateshead dealership now selling Honda, Hyundai and Suzuki. The Ford Dealership at Cessnock was also acquired followed by the Ford and Hyundai dealership at Maitland.
2004 The Company relinquished the Renault franchise and in 2005 Daihatsu notified their dealers they were leaving the Australian market.
2009 Klosters celebrated their 75th Anniversary by holding one of their biggest sales to date. Klosters also opened their new Kloster BMW and Kloster MINI Garage, state-of-the-art dealership on Hunter Street in Newcastle West. Setting the benchmark in automotive solutions in the Hunter.
Continuing to meet our customer's needs
Now considered Newcastle's premier motor dealership, The Kloster Group is a multi-franchise dealership offering popular big brands and a huge selection of used vehicles. Klosters continues to meet all of your motoring requirements with new and used vehicle sales, finance and insurance, car care, servicing, body repairs and one of the largest spare parts operations in Australia.
Today, having forged ahead in the automotive industry and gaining a reputation built on integrity, credibility and quality, The Kloster Group continues to build on its exceptional standing throughout the Newcastle and Hunter Region.