After more than 50 years, South Australian mechanic and used car dealer John Chigros is closing the doors on his Renmark business.
After completing his apprenticeship, Mr Chigros and his father founded Chigros Motors in 1972.
Since then, Mr Chigros has witnessed plenty of highs and lows in the industry.
“There’s been lots of changes,” he said.
“The automobile industry has gone through multiple iterations because of events like the recession and fuel running out in 1978.”
Mr Chigros said buying and selling methods had evolved over time following the rise in online marketplaces and a corresponding rise in scams.
But he said the familiar sight of vehicles parked roadside with sale prices, car specifications, and contact details attached by a cardboard sign or a printout had never truly gone away.
“Like many people, I could never buy a motor car without seeing it,” he said.
“I would never trade a car, sight unseen because of all the issues with it.”
Bringing people back to the roadside
Experts say the online marketplace has become a common way for people to buy and sell their items, including vehicles.
But more awareness around scams and concern around the legitimacy of sellers has brought people back to in person sales.
Griffith University’s Applied Ethics and Cybersecurity senior lecturer David Truffley said he had personal experience with selling items on these platforms.
“I sell some things on Facebook Marketplace, and often people will be really cautious towards me if the item value exceeds about $100,” he said.
“There is a dual problem of how you reach multiple people, but how do you, as the consumer, avoid being scammed?”
Mr Truffley said there were benefits of using roadside sales along with digital marketplaces to tackle both sides of the problem.
“The benefits of this roadside sale allow a prospective buyer to really inspect it and be satisfied with its condition,” he said.
“To me, it is an example of how people solve everyday problems using technology.”
An expensive gamble
Geoff Gwilym is the chief executive of the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce, which represents automotive businesses.
He says all private sales transactions should be approached with caution.
“Australian consumer law provides significant protections to us, and those protections are much harder to access if you are buying a car privately,” Mr Gwilym said.
“Going through a motor car trader, whether it is new or old, will be much safer,” he said.
“Particularly as we move into tighter economic times, I would urge people to think seriously about how they protect themselves.”
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