FEATURE - SEVEN82MOTORS

Photos: Courtesy of SEVEN82MOTORS

If you’ve been keeping an eye on JUST CARS of late, especially in the past couple of years, you’ll know that Gold Coast-based advertiser, SEVEN82MOTORS, has transformed their business from a conventional car sales model, specialising in quality restored classics, customs and hot rods, to a highly-regarded auction house. That’s not all that’s been going on, though.

The SEVEN82MOTORS story starts back in 2007 and was born from founder Ben Atkinson’s love of classic Aussie and American cars, hot rods, lowriders and muscle cars. In the early days, Ben bought and sold the types of cars he was most interested in, with parts and accessory sales, restorations, repairs and servicing part of the mix, too.

For Ben, classic cars aren’t just a business, they’re a lifestyle. He’s restored or built a bunch of cars himself, including an XB Falcon hardtop for his father and an XB sedan for his son. He’s also undertaken builds for friends and customers, but in the past couple of years, the business’s success in the sales/auction space means projects aren’t as big a part of SEVEN82MOTORS as they used to be.

While Ben’s love of cars was born locally, his buying trips to the US ignited a love of American car culture, and although he’s bought cars and collectables from all over the US, Los Angeles has been a favourite destination. Ben loves the LA scene and west coast car culture in general. The fact that LA was also a rich source of cars to add to the SEVEN82MOTORS showroom was a bonus.

Quality from the Start

Speaking of showrooms, it wouldn’t be unfair to say that SEVEN82MOTORS’ initial premises – Unit 7/82 that led to the business name – was pretty humble, but even in those early days, the hallmark of Ben’s business was ‘quality’. Quality in the cars he offered for sale, the way he prepared and presented them, and most importantly, the way he dealt with customers – both buying and selling.

Having been burnt himself when travelling hundreds of miles to find cars that weren’t as advertised, Ben went out of his way to ensure that every vehicle he purchased or had on consignment was accurately described and comprehensively photographed.

When you’re dealing with old cars, even restored ones, you can’t always expect perfection, so the onus is on the buyer to inspect what they’re handing over their hard-earned for. But what Ben does in terms of the curation of cars that cone to SEVEN82MOTORS eases many of those concerns and also explains why he has so many repeat customers – they trust the quality of what‘s on offer and, in turn, trust the SEVEN82MOTORS brand.

JUST CARS’ connection to SEVEN82MOTORS goes back a decade or so, and even back then, we were impressed by the high-quality classics Ben had for sale, leading to several of them being featured with us. If you remember past articles on the likes of a Pontiac GTO Judge and Mercury Monarch Richelieu, they were from SEVEN82MOTORS.

Coping with COVID

Like many other businesses, SEVEN82MOTORS was hit by COVID-19. The border closures, lockdowns, job losses and general insecurity of that time made an impact, and of course, it made Ben’s much-loved overseas buying trips impossible, too.  

Fortunately, Ben had built up a strong local network by this stage, so he could source plenty of good cars domestically, sometimes entirely from within Queensland. And for those stuck interstate, SEVEN82MOTORS’ established practise of thoroughly detailing and documenting each car for sale made it easier for buyers to inspect what was on offer, even when they couldn’t do it in person.

Under the uncertainty of COVID, any shift in the business was going to be a gamble, but Ben’s idea of transforming SEVEN82MOTORS from a conventional dealership into an auction house was one that had been ticking away for years. Ironically, the limitations forced by COVID made it the right time to undertake that transformation.

The Transformation

At the beginning of 2021, a relocation to new premises at 2 Palings Court in Nerang (where SEVEN82MOTORS still operates today) meant Ben’s vision could now become a reality, starting with a series of monthly ‘stock drop’ open day events that put the “show” into showroom.

The idea behind the stock drops was to capitalise on the significantly larger - 2600m2 – space at the Nerang facility to unveil all the new consignments all at once in an event that was open to the public and supported by other attractions, not least of which was Ben’s collection of vintage garagenalia, Coke and Pepsi memorabilia, neon signs and more. The stock drops became car shows in and of themselves and paved the way for what would come next.

But if there as one knock on the stock drop concept, it was the fact that, if a potential buyer missed the open day, they could miss out on cars they were seeking to buy, as so many were snapped up on the day.

Transforming the stock drop concept into a timed online auction was a fairer concept for buyers and sellers alike, allowing buyer’s time – the auctions usually run for a week – to peruse the stock, find their favourite vehicle, inspect and make a bid, while sellers could potentially get a greater return under the auction system.

Recognising the importance of in-person inspections, these were incorporated into each auction's timeframe (usually three days over the seven-day period), so serious buyers could see cars in the metal and thus make better-informed bids.  

The first ever SEVEN82MOTORS online auction was held in June, 2021, with some very tasty Toranas and Falcons, American muscle and pickups, a Yenko Camaro clone and plenty more in the initial offering.

Each subsequent auction has refined and enhanced the concept, while the addition of attractions on open days, like the ‘Rolla Girls’, a DJ and food trucks, replicate the buzz of the stock drops.

The success achieved by SEVEN82MOTORS auctions over the past 18 months has led to many auctions being oversubscribed, while owners of big dollar show cars, like Wild Cad, Evil XC and most recently, Notorious, have chosen Benny and his team to auction their vehicles.

But Wait, There’s More.

More recently, Ben has added to the whole SEVEN82MOTORS experience, to the point that it’s now a legitimate tourist attraction on the Gold Coast.

Of course, the cars are still the stars, with the 40+ vehicles in each monthly auction taking pride of place, supported by info boards with specs and key features. Additionally, tours of SEVEN82MOTORS’ downstairs garage on open days give enthusiasts the opportunity to check out the various rebuilds, restos and other projects on the go. If you’re lucky, you may spot Benny’s ‘Danger Money’ Ranchero gasser in the garage, too.

But if you’re not into cars, there’s still plenty to see and experience at SEVEN82MOTORS, starting with the themed display walls – Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York – the aforementioned Coke and Pepsi display (aka The Soda Collection) and a treasure trove of collectable car, motorcycle and kustom culture items. Some of these feature in the monthly auctions, but most are just for show and come from Ben's personal collection, hand-picked by him over his many US trips.

More recent changes at SEVEN82MOTORS to enhance the on-site experience include the addition of the ‘Brass Monkey Barber Shop’ on the New York wall, where a cut-throat barber operates on open days. The name comes from Ben’s love of the Beastie Boys. As such, it had to go on the New York wall!

Above this, a DJ booth has been added to bring some aural atmosphere to SEVEN82MOTORS ‘Late Night Shopping’ and ‘Saturday Show Day’ open days, while the Rolla Girls bring visual delight, skating around the facility and adding a touch of fun and ‘50s nostalgia.

Late last year, the Texaco Collection display was added, with an old-school garage frontage built on site and adorned with genuine Texaco neons and other signage.

Over Christmas, more signs and neons were installed, leading to the Nerang facility now offering a real feast for the eyes.

Pretty soon, SEVEN82MOTORS will be offering a feast for the belly, too.

Feeling Hungry?

Past open days for SEVEN82MOTORS auctions have featured food trucks, so if you were after a snack or coffee, you were catered for. But Ben's about to up the ante here, with an on-site diner coming soon.

Incorporating fittings out of a genuine Ruby’s Diner in California, “Big Benny’s Diner” will offer a ‘50s-style, sit-down dining experience, with staples like burgers, fries, hot dogs and sodas on the menu. Work on this was still underway at time of writing, but when it’s complete, this working diner will see Ben’s final plan for the Nerang site come to fruition.

The launch of Big Benny’s Diner will coincide with the Cooly Rocks On festival in June, which SEVEN82MOTORS are a part of. Their promo truck will be on the Coolangatta foreshore every day of the festival, while a cruise to the SEVEN82MOTORS Nerang facility will be hosted by the Gold Coast Muscle Car Club.

“We’re more than an auction house,” Ben humbly declares and he’s not wrong. SEVEN82MOTORS was already a bona fide tourist attraction before, but what’s been added in the past couple of years, along with what’s to come in the very near future, confirms it!

Going Bigger in June

To co-incide with this year’s Cooly Rocks On, the SEVEN82MOTORS June online auction will start earlier, run longer and feature more cars than ever before. There’ll be more open days, too.

Bidding gets underway with the arrival of the Cooly Rocks On cruise (a ticketed event) on the evening of Wednesday, 7 June, and runs right through to Monday, 19 June.

Within that period, there’ll be open days for genuine inspections on 8, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 19 June, with the traditional Late Night Shopping on the 5th, Saturday Show Day on the 17th and Last Minute Monday on the 19th that are open to the public.

For further details on this huge 13-day, 50-car online stock drop auction, including information on opening/closing days and times, how to register for bidding and more, go to: seven82motors.com.au