A journey that transformed the global automotive landscape
In the heart of Australia in 1993, an automotive revolution was started by Mr. Peter Hill. A mechanic by passion and an entrepreneur by nature, Peter Hill embarked on a journey that would transform the global automotive landscape. His first successful venture was the conversion of a 1993 GMC Sierra Pickup truck from left-hand drive to right-hand drive. This marked the inception of Autogroup International (AGI), which remains a family-owned business, steadfast to its Australian roots.
From an initial team of just four people, AGI expanded its workforce to close to 200 skilled professionals. Currently, AGI converts over 140 different makes, model, and trim levels of SUVs, Pickup Trucks, and Muscle Cars. Sri Lanka proudly serves as AGI’s global headquarters, managed by Mr. Rob Hill – Peter Hill’s son – who is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chairman.
The Global Expansion
Fueled by the growing demand for high-quality right-hand drive American pickup trucks, the business rapidly expanded in the first decade. Influenced by multiple factors including its central geographical location and proximity to right-hand drive markets, Sri Lanka was chosen as the location for AGI's new conversion facility. The first right-hand drive conversions completed in Sri Lanka were successfully exported in 2003.
A Growing Demand
AGI's presence worldwide burgeoned with demand coming from many countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, India, and United Kingdom. The company's rigorous commitment to quality was recognized in 2003 when it was granted ISO 9001:2015 quality assurance and Australian Government Approval (ADR). The following decade witnessed an escalating international demand across Asia and Africa.
Further Investment
To cater to the growing global demand, the company invested millions of dollars to build a larger, world-class manufacturing facility. This investment fueled AGI's evolution into a solid, trusted global automotive manufacturer, resulting in substantial growth over the past 20 years of operation in Sri Lanka.
Autogroup Customs Launches
Utilising our vast automotive engineering and production capabilities, we launched our bulletproof armoring and bespoke luxury interiors division for a select range of SUV and pickup trucks. This unique capability transformed Autogroup into a true ‘full stack' service provider with RHD conversion, armoring and luxury interiors as part of our growing capability.
The Future
Continuing our strategic vision for growth, AGI has plans to establish new manufacturing facilities in other countries and expand its partner network. As the automotive industry evolves towards electric vehicles, we have invested significantly towards newer technologies for our facility, continuing to deliver world first vehicles including the right hand drive Toyota Tundra Hybrid, Ford F-150 Lightning EV pickup and, of course, the iconic Hummer EV.
For 30-years now, our talented team has converted thousands of safe, high-quality, and compliant vehicles and exported them to our delighted customers in more than forty countries. I am proud of our reputation as being the world’s best and look forward to our exciting future.| Peter Hill – Founder
