Wheels stop turning for long-time car dealer

When Gary McGregor looks back on his long career selling cars, he says it’s the people he will miss most.

Gary has just retired after more than 30 years in the car industry, 22 working for Shane Drummond at The Car Company.

Gary first started in the car industry working with Shane for Houston Motors in Motueka. Having injured his leg working in the orchard industry, Gary found himself off work for a few months.

“I knew Shane personally then, and needed something to stop me going crazy, so I asked him if I could go down to the Motueka yard of Houston Motors and wash cars for a few hours a day, for no pay.”

The rest is history.

“I was never knowledgeable about cars, cars were just cars to me and probably still are, I just enjoy talking to people and helping them find what they want.”

He says there’s no specific car he’s sold that stands out to him.

“There are some cars I sold when I first started, you wouldn’t mind owning a few of them nowadays, because they’re probably worth tenfold now.”

Shane says Gary is his longest standing employee at 22 years.

“I’ve employed a lot of people over a long time, Gary is not only humorous but very family-orientated, he’s also unique.”

Gary makes the commute from Motueka to Nelson every day to be at the yard between 5-6am, even he doesn’t officially start until 8.30am. Being a poor sleeper he says he’d rather be at work being useful than waiting around at home having a cup of coffee.

“I’ve talked to people on the yard at 6am who have come back later that day and purchased the car.”

Shane says that’s just one of the things that makes Gary unique.

Gary has been The Car Company’s major representative in Golden Bay, attending the local A&P Show every year, except when it was cancelled due to Covid-19 in 2021.

He has also spearheaded the charity golf competition in the bay for the past 25 years, raising much-needed funds for Tākaka Netball, the rugby club and Tākaka Primary School, something he will continue to do even after retirement.

“I always say, I work in Nelson, sleep in Motueka and socialise in Golden Bay.”

Gary has sold cars to three generations of some families in the region, and he says he will miss the job so much he has decided to stay on as a casual employee.

“To have a guy with his knowledge; most people when they go, they’ve gone the day they hand their notice in, but he’s the total opposite of all that,” Shane says.

Gary says now that he’s retired, he’s looking forward to heading to Queenstown to visit one of his grandsons, who is now a greenkeeper at Millbrook Resort – home of the New Zealand open.

“What better way to visit my grandson than at the NZ Open.”