IMPORTER OF AMERICAN VEHICLES, RHD TRUCK CONVERSIONS, SPARE PARTS, SERVICE & REPAIRS SPECIALISTS
For over 25 years, Victorian American Imports (VAI) /American Automotive Australia (AAA) has been importing American trucks/vehicles and converting to Righthand drive, then selling them on the Australian Market. Those being the Chevrolet Silverado & the GMC Sierra/Denali and now the H4 pick up & stretch party bus.
Due to our longevity in the industry Victorian American Imports/American Automotive Australia have established unique relationships with their overseas and local suppliers making it possible to offer an extensive range of american parts and accessories in store to keep our customers happy.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN..........
Victorian American Imports (VAI) was launched back in the mid 1990's by John Bakker who remains the sole proprietor of the business today. The business has been based in Traralgon Victorian since its inception.
John Bakker was into building and racing high performance inboard power boats and needed a vehicle that would easily tow his boats, with nothing appealing in Australia John looked at the USA market and Identified that A Chevrolet Pick up would do the job!
John went about purchasing a couple of vehicles and imported them, he contacted a converter in Victoria and arranged for the vehicles to go there and at the same time arranged to be trained to convert the vehicles himself.
Once this was done and John turned up to events driving the Chevrolet towing his boat the demand from like minded people saw the business start and John saw the opportunity to work in an industry that he was passionate about.
From humble beginnings working our of various sheds and sites around Traralgon, John slowly expanded from building boats and engines and doing fibreglass repairs and component manufacture to operating a conversion shop. With changes to the Motor car act in around 2003 Victorian American Imports was the First company to achieve the status of a Registered Automotive Workshop under the revised government scheme and was instrumental in the schemes rule formulation.
Victorian American Imports has had many firsts in the industry, being the first to Introduce Hummer H2 to Australia, achieving compliance in around 2005, from this the introduction of the stretch H2 Hummer buses was achieved with some 70 vehicles provided to and expanding industry.
Over the years Victorian American Imports Pty Ltd have expanded its operation to include new production facilities manufacturing components for its conversion process including dash dash boards, and fibregalss components, vinyl vacuum skinning, water transfer printing and much more.
All production activities are carried out within Australia with materials supplied from Australian manufacturers were possible. The group of companies now includes Victorian American Imports, American Automotive Australia , H4 International and Gippsland Fibreglass.
The companies continue to look ahead and in February 2016 American Automotive Australia achieved the status of a full volume manufacturer for the Chevrolet and GMC HD Series of pickups, removing any restrictions on the volume now available to the Australian public.
In another first H4 International released the most exciting party bus since the release of the H2 stretch range of vehicles. The vehicle is capable of seating 24 people in absolute comfort whilst delivery performance and economy never seen in this style of vehicle before.