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Rootes Australia was the Australian affiliate of the Rootes Group, a British motor vehicle manufacturing company.
The company was formed immediately after the Second World War initially operating as an importing and distribution firm. It began assembling Hillman Minx vehicles at Port Melbourne in Victoria in 1946. This was the first instance of a British motor manufacturer establishing a production line in Australia. By 1954 the company had gained a 5.4% share of the local market and subsequently announced plans to create a full local manufacturing facility. A 35-hectare site was acquired for this purpose at Harrisfield (now known as Noble Park), near Dandenong in Victoria. However, the proposed plant was never built.
Hillman, Humber and Singer models were assembled successfully for a number of years. The company also produced models which were hybrids of the three makes. By the mid-1960s, falling sales and an ageing model line-up meant the Rootes Group was in trouble both in Britain and Australia. In December 1965, Rootes Australia was merged with Chrysler Australia. Assembly operations were continued at the Port Melbourne facility and Hillman cars, Humber cars and Commer trucks were now sold by Chrysler dealers. Chrysler was quick to phase out the Humber brand, however assembly of the Hillman Arrow and Hunter range was commenced in early 1967. Chrysler Australia also utilised Port Melbourne for assembly of the Dodge Phoenix from 1968 and Mitsubishi's Galant from 1971. The last Hillman Hunter was produced in November 1972, and, with Dodge Phoenix and Galant assembly transferred to Tonsley Park in South Australia at the end of 1972, the Port Melbourne facility was closed.
Significant models produced by Rootes Australia included the following: