Barry Grouby Motors had a few cars left to sell before it closed.
But back in the heyday of used car yards, business was cooking for Grouby and more than 40 other similar businesses operating in Rotorua.
Those were the days when if you wanted to buy a car, you’d shoot down the likes of Lake Rd, Old Taupō Rd or Fairy Springs Rd and go window shopping among the packed car yards.
The dealer would wander out and have a nice yarn with you about what you’re after, and if you liked the dealer, chances are you’d feel happy signing on the dotted line and buying one of their cars.
Grouby’s vivacious personality and top-notch chinwagging skills meant he was made for the job.
Barry Grouby snr (left) does a deal back in the day with Brett Aitken in 1988.
But he also inherited those skills. His father, Barry Grouby snr, owned the first Barry Grouby Motors on Pukaki St from 1963 to the early 1970s.
When his marriage ended, he had to sell. Grouby said he and his two young siblings initially went with their mother to Auckland, but she fell on hard times, and the children were at risk of being placed in state care.
Grouby snr wasn’t having that, so turned around his plans to move to Britain, took his young children back and became a solo father on a benefit – something that was unusual for men in the 1970s.
“I give him credit for that, a guy in that era taking on three kids and going on a benefit.”
He “scrimped and saved” and sold the odd car from home before heading back to work for Ken Cumner Motors on Fairy Springs Rd.
Barry Grouby jnr with Barry Grouby snr.
Meanwhile, his son carved out his own career as a car salesman.
Grouby said he spent 18 years working for fellow long-standing car salesman Geoff Kenny – including a stint running a caryard for him in Europe.
He credits Kenny for teaching him a lot about the car-selling game.
In 2005, Grouby opened his own Barry Grouby Motors on Clayton Rd at Koutu Corner.
In 20 years, he reckons he’s sold about 5000 cars. While there’s been plenty of happy customers, admittedly, it wasn’t always plain sailing, and he inadvertently sold the odd “lemon”.
“We always wanted to do good, honest business, and most of my business was repeat, but cars are mechanical, and you can’t always get it right.”
He rattled off a few stories about when people had come storming back claiming this and that, some with the common “buyer’s remorse”. One ended in a punch-up, and another threatened to drive the car through his office.
He said he had always run his business with his wife, Sharryn, the mother of their three children.
He recalled one funny story of when a brunette woman wanted to buy a car at the yard.
She asked who the “blonde” was in the office. When Grouby said it was his wife, the woman went away and came back the next day with blonde hair.
“Some get the wrong end of the stick … Just because you’re being nice.”
Selling cars was always a good time – and he loved the adrenaline rush of a sale.
Grouby said it always made him laugh to sell teenagers their first car.
The former Ken Cumner Motors in Rotorua, where Barry Grouby’s father, Barry Grouby snr, used to work.
He reckoned that in most cases the mum and dad were eyeing up the safe and sturdy four-door car on the lot, saying, “Look, Simon, this looks great”, while “Simon” wasn’t really listening and had his eyes fixed on a WRX or a Skyline a couple of cars over.
Grouby said making a buck in recent years had become too hard, especially trying to import cars from the likes of Japan.
He said the new ”clean car tax”, which applied fees to certain vehicles based on their CO2 emissions to encourage the import of low-emission vehicles in New Zealand, had ended many used-car dealerships.
Unregulated dealers also hampered businesspeople who did things by the book.
Barry Grouby volunteering his time for the Rotorua Lakes Coastguard in 2020. Photo / Ben Fraser
Grouby spent many years as a Rotorua Lakes Coastguard volunteer and president, retiring a few years ago.
Since winding up the car yard just over a month ago, Grouby has made his health a priority. He has turned a favourite pastime – being on the water – into a part-time job by working for Solitaire Lodge as a fishing guide.
Former car salesman Barry Grouby is now making his fishing hobby his job.
As he looked back on his career, he said he wouldn’t change a thing.
“It’s done me, and Sharryn, really well, raising three boys and paying a mortgage. I’ve really enjoyed dealing with the Rotorua public.”
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.