VACC House on St Kilda Road, Melbourne is officially on the market, for around $100 million.
VACC was the first automotive industry association in the Southern Hemisphere to own freehold property. Head of VACC marketing David Dowsey said: "It's likely that we will sell the building late this year/early next year. It's also likely that we will stay in the building for a couple of years while the existing leases expire. Options are still open to us, including building or buying a new building in the CBD or CBD fringe, or leasing a suitable space.The time is now right for us to sell and capitalise on an amazing member-owned asset."
Stage 1 (three stories) was officially opened by the Premier of Victoria, Sir Henry Bolte on 3 September 1958. Accompanying the opening was an eight-page supplement in the Sun News Pictorial and a veteran/vintage car cavalcade down St Kilda Road from the Melbourne CBD, led by a de Dion, the first four-wheel car on the Australian market. Stage 2 (seven stories total) was opened by Sir Henry Bolte on 26 May 1970.
The building's most distinctive feature is the copper-coated Belgian glass throughout. It is close to irreplaceable today.
The building houses around 120 VACC staff, the President's office, two board rooms and numerous function rooms, along with VACC's commercial arm, OurAuto, which supplies products and services to automotive businesses around Australia. The building features a complete commercial kitchen and two bars. VACC regularly hosts dinners, some of which are for hundreds of people.
VACC was founded on 20 September 1918 in Bendigo. It first leased rooms at 432 Collins Street, soon after its formation. From 1942, and prior to moving to St Kilda Road, VACC House was located on Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.