Portsea: Late Autobarn co-founder Garry Dumbrell’s family sell luxury coastal property

The family of late Autobarn co-founder Garry Dumbrell, including son Paul — a retired Supercars’ champion and former Total Tools bigwig — are farewelling a luxury Peninsula property.

The house at 92 Campbells Rd, Portsea, features a pool and tennis court.

Former racing car driver and ex-Total Tools boss Paul Dumbrell and his mother Lisa have sold a Mornington Peninsula pad for $5.7m.

Paul is the son of late Autobarn co-founder Garry Dumbrell, who died more than a decade after being diagnosed with cancer, in 2021.

Mr Dumbrell’s widow Lisa is mother to their sons, Paul, and Lucas, a one-time Supercars team owner.

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The five-bedroom house at 92 Campbells Rd, Portsea, – that had been listed for sale by a trust associated with Mr Dumbrell – sold under the hammer on Saturday.

RT Edgar director and auctioneer Jeremy Fox declined to discuss the trust or anyone involved with it, but industry sources indicated its beneficiaries include Paul and Lisa.

The 2300sq m property, named Sahara, features a pool, tennis court, three-car garage and self-contained apartment separate to the main house.

Famous landscape designer Paul Bangay created the gardens.

Sahara’s gardens were curated by well-known landscape designer Paul Bangay.

The house was constructed from materials including Mt Gambier limestone.

Jamie Whincup with Co-Driver Paul Dumbrell at Sandown Racecourse in Melbourne. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Mr Fox said five bidders competed for the keys with a $4.8m offer kicking off the auction.

Sahara was placed on the market at the $5.51m mark before selling to a couple, with grandchildren, who are planning to make the resort-style abode their new home.

“All the buyers wanted to live there and came from Melbourne,” Mr Fox said.

Paul won two Super2 titles and seven Supercars Championship races before retiring from racing in 2018.

He served as a co-driver alongside motorsports champion Jamie Whincup in V8 Supercars’ two-driver endurance races.

In 2012, they won the Bathurst 1000 in a Holden Commodore, followed by finishing in first place at the Sandown 500 in 2013.

The next year, the duo took out the Enduro Cup as the highest-scoring driver combination across the three V8 Supercars’ two-driver endurance events, which included winning the 2014 Sandown 500.

Jamie Whincup and co-driver Paul Dumbrell win the RABBLE.club Sandown 500 event 12 of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, Sandown Raceway, Victoria. Australia. September 14th-16th 2018

The 2300sq m property block is close to Shelley Beach.

During his driving career, Paul worked in the Dumbrell’s family business, the Automotive Brands Group, becoming chief executive in 2009.

He later worked in senior management roles for automotive parts and accessories giant Bapor, then became Total Tools’ chief executive officer from 2018 to 2024.

This year, Paul was appointed building and workplace safety equipment supplier Jaybro Group’s CEO.

Cook in the main house’s timber-fitted kitchen or head out to a second kitchen in the separate, self-contained apartment.

The tennis court has a north-south orientation.

Mr Fox said the Peninsula market was “not all doom and gloom” at the moment despite a flurry of investors and holiday home owners listing abodes since the Victorian government raised land taxes in 2024.

“There’s a lot of people coming from Melbourne, it’s a very good sign,” Mr Fox said.

About 80 groups inspected Sahara during its marketing campaign, he added.

The Dumbrell family sold their 1891-built Hawthorn East mansion for $19.5m in 2022, public records show. Marshall White’s Marcus Chiminello had the listing.

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Originally published as Portsea: Late Autobarn co-founder Garry Dumbrell’s family sell luxury coastal property