Industry mourns loss of McMillan

Auto industry icon Bob McMillan has died after a battle with cancer. The 74-year-old, who died at home yesterday, was a dealer his entire working life apart from two years after he left school when he was a public accountant. After 52 years in the industry, McMillan retired in 2014, after selling his 50 per cent share of Team McMillan BMW to its co-owner Collins Asset Management. His initiation into the industry started as a teenager who saw an opportunity to make some money selling second-hand Minis with a friend. McMillan’s first role was at John Andrew Ford, before he left to work at a Ford dealership in eastern Sydney. He returned to New Zealand and became a sub-dealer for John Andrew Ford in 1970. Ford NZ told him he was too young to be a dealer but could become a sub-dealer. For every new vehicle he sold, he had to pay John Andrew Ford one per cent, which he did reluctantly. After about 18 months, he became a full dealer and developed Team McMillan Ford in Greenlane. By the mid-80s, Team McMillan had about 180 staff and sold about 3,000 cars and trucks a year, while McMillan chaired Ford’s dealer council in New Zealand for three terms. He took over the original BMW dealership in 1985, which grew to become New Zealand’s largest BMW dealership. He added to the dealership’s portfolio with a brand manager and sales team dedicated to Mini. Team McMillan also took on Rolls-Royce in New Zealand. At age 72, he decided the time was right to retire. McMillan is survived by wife Kerry and children Anna, Scott and Andrew.