How Sam Tomlinson flipped his life – and ended up running a car fleet on the side
Most people get a haircut after heartbreak, but this Adelaide man built a business empire that could see him wave goodbye to his FIFO mining job forever.
After a break-up, most people settle for a haircut or a gym membership.
Sam Tomlinson flipped his entire life.
The 30-year-old from Adelaide split with his partner in 2022 and, needing space, packed up and headed to the mines.
“I enjoyed it – being away and getting that time to reflect,” he said.
He was soon working at Whyalla’s steelworks right as it was being repeatedly shut down due to under-investment and technical failures – issues so severe the state government forced GFG Alliance into administration earlier this year.
Suddenly Mr Tomlinson was without steady work.
But something unexpected kept him afloat: strangers were renting his car.
Months earlier, he’d listed his Audi on Marketplace when a random message pinged through with someone asking if he’d ever considered renting it out instead.
“And it just clicked,” he said.
“I had a few cars just sitting around, so I said sure.”
The two-day hire became two weeks.
The renter, a videographer, returned the car spotless and even shot photos and videos Sam later used to sell it.
“Best thing ever,” he laughed.
His ex had used Turo to rent out her Tesla, and Sam remembered how simple the process was.
He gave it a crack, and suddenly the accidental idea was covering his mortgage while he searched for his next job.
Today he works at Olympic Dam, but the side hustle has taken on a life of its own.
“I love cars … always have,” he said.
“Buying them, driving them, fixing them up, selling them on.”
He started small, importing a Mercedes from Japan.
“Small SUVs always do well – cheap to run, people love them,” Mr Tomlinson said.
Then another car. Then another. Until he realised he wasn’t just dabbling anymore, he was running a fleet.
Now he has seven cars, a mix of luxury, fast machines and big “people movers”, all booked consistently.
When he first began, he earned the bare minimum.
Before long, he was doubling his expectations.
Not everything has gone smoothly – one Mercedes was written off after a bad crash – but, he said, the insurance process was handled quickly and painlessly.
“Thankfully it was insured … they (Turo) just made everything so easy.”
Mr Tomlinson finances the cars, rents them out, then sells them after a few years because it “maximises earnings”.
He still runs his decade-old mobile detailing business, Anywhere Car Care, during his weeks off in Adelaide, servicing loyal repeat customers.
“I’m someone who always needs to be doing something,” he said.
“When I’m at the mines, I get in the zone. It kinda feels like a week off.”
He now owns his home in Port Willunga, bought back in 2018, and is eyeing a second property even though the market has him hesitating.
“I reckon I’ll buy a new car instead,” he joked.
“Got my eye on one of the new Audis. And if I can rent it out, it pays for itself, so it’s a no-brainer.”
He insisted he tells everyone to try doing what he does.
“I don’t need to put more than a few hours in a week,” he said.
“Friends help check the cars, I pay for cleaning … it’s pretty easy.”
The ultimate goal?
“I’d love to leave the mines and just do the cars … be ‘retire optional’ at 40,” he said.
“To slow down, but honestly, I don’t think I could stop completely.”
More Coverage
Originally published as How Sam Tomlinson flipped his life – and ended up running a car fleet on the side
‘Evil bastard’s gone’: Von Einem’s death reignites call for justice
