Author: Ashleigh Sykes

Anthony Rodriquez was the popular and charismatic Dealer Principal of family business Sylvania BMW.

Anthony was equally as well known for his charity work as he was for his award winning BMW Dealership. He gave generously and was a strong supporter of the Sydney Children’s Hospital and the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Unit, in addition to his contributions to various other charities and sporting clubs.

Anthony was much loved by his Dealer colleagues and was highly respected as a successful and dedicated Dealer.

Our thoughts are with his wife Simone and his three children Felicia, Angelica and Dominic.

Warren Smith was a much loved and long serving member of the Victorian Dealer community and will be missed by many. After taking over the business following the tragic death of his father in 1960, Warren went on to build the Dealership, into one of the largest in Victoria. Renamed to Garry and Warren Smith in 1969, the business now represents multiple franchises in metropolitan Melbourne and through its shareholdings with Dealers in country Victoria.

Warren was widely regarded as a leader and innovator and dedicated many years to making the industry better for all through his role on Dealer committees and the Board of Management at the VACC.

Our condolences go to the Smith family and to Dale and Leigh Smith who continue to run the Dealership.

It is with sadness that we received the news that Adrian Brien, a valued member of the industry, passed away in early February.

With Adrian Brien Ford, he established one of Adelaide’s oldest and most respected Ford dealerships, located in St Marys since 1971. Starting off with Ford only, he later took on further franchises including Honda, Hyundai, Jeep and Chrysler.

For more than 25 years, Adrian was a long-time member of the Ford National Dealer Council (FNDC) and also chaired the organisation for several years. At the time, he was the longest serving Chairman on the FNDC in the world.

He and his fellow Ford Dealers represented the brand during its vintage years, including the years when Ford gained market leadership from General Motors Holden in the early 1980s.

Adrian will be missed. Our thoughts are with his wife Therese, son Marc and his three daughters, Julie, Andrea, and Lisa.

The Window Film Association of Australia and New Zealand (WFAANZ)  have provided us with a fact sheet explaining VLT (visible light transmission) regulations for window tints in Victoria. The fact sheet covers frequently asked questions and can help Dealers to clearly explain i.e. VLT limits, windscreens, privacy glass and reflectance to customers. The fact sheet can be downloaded below and more info is available on the VIC Roads website.

Regulations for for window tints can be quite confusing as they differ from state to state. “In July 2018 the Victorian Road Safety (Vehicles) Regulations 2009 included a revision of the visible light transmission (VLT) allowance for Victorian light vehicles. Providing a compliant rear vision mirror is fitted to both sides of the vehicle, tinters can apply aftermarket film to the rear windows and back window to achieve 20% VLT.  This amendment aligns with model law maintained by the National Transport Commission. This only affects windows behind the driver, the VLT limit of the two front wind up windows remains at 35% VLT. Since this revision, all Australian States and Territories now have the same VLT regulations except the Northern Territory, which allows 15% VLT on rear windows,” explains Ally Cronan, President of the Window Film Association of Australia and New Zealand (WFAANZ).

DOWNLOAD FACTSHEET