Car guru snaps up large lot

WARREN von Bibra, the Gold Coast’s second-biggest motor vehicle dealer, has bought a large slab of land beside the Pacific Motorway at Helensvale but it will not necessarily house automotive businesses.

The 5.56ha holding is on Helensvale Parkway, north of a Super Amart store, and has river and canal frontages.

Mr von Bibra’s group has bought the land from companies associated with the developer of the adjoining River Links canal estate, Pat Gay, and settled the purchase last week.

He yesterday would not disclose the price but property records show it has settled at $17.75 million.

“We’re in no hurry to develop the land,” Mr von Bibra said.

“It could be a couple of years before we do anything.

“There are a number of options open to us and they don’t necessarily relate to the motor industry.”

Mr von Bibra in June sold a large Tweed car yard, which he had developed and was tenanted by the Sharp Motor Group, for $1.2 million at auction.

The property housed von Bibra Twin Towns Auto Village until 2011, when Sharp took over that business.

Mr von Bibra, who moved to the Gold Coast from Tasmania in 2000, today heads a group that sells 12 marques of vehicles and operates from four locations – Robina, Southport (two) and Helensvale.

The business sells 800 new and used cars a year and employs 420 people. The largest dealer on the Gold Coast is the Sydney-based Peter Warren group, which in July bought control of James Frizelle Automotive.