About Us
1956
Business started Lerwick Johnston, Brent's father, with the company as we know it incorporated in 1957. The company specialised in panelbeating only while Sainbury & Hannagan in Stafford Street handled all refinishing work.
1964
Original Victor the VW was put up, named after Lerwick's father & brother Victor Johnston. A Volkswagen was chosen because they were the only car with a fully steel chassis, making them easy to mount.
1970s
Bridgman St used to be part of State Highway 1's main route out of town but was superseded in the 1970s by a new section of motorway edging the Oval. This change saw a 20% drop in work and launched the start of an advertising campaign. The change in street design also saw an end to Bridgman Street being part of the Dunedin motor racing circuit.
1972
Expansion of premises completed to include a paint shop, with Dulux Paints which has now become global paint company PPG Paints which Bridgman Street still uses today. Brent started his apprenticeship.
1982
Brent Johnston became Managing Director, following the sudden death of his father Lerwick at the age of 51. This left Brent in charge of a large collision repair business with a staff of 18, something that was certainly daunting. With a young family, Brent was supported through this challenging time with support from family, insurance companies and staff including long time paintshop manager & friend, Ray Loader.
1988
The original Victor had unfortunately rusted out and a fibreglass model of the original created by Alan Ashworth of Ashworth Fibreglass was created and erected.
1992
Claymation Bridgman Street Panelbeaters advertisement was created, right here in Dunedin. The advert ran from 1992, and the catching jingle is still in use today, creating nostalgic memories for any generation.
2002
New purpose built Paintshop built, with 4 paint booths, including two truck booths which can handle trucks up to 18m long. The new paint shop marked the arrival of Vicky.
2016
Bridgman Street celebrated 60 years in business.
2017
First repair facility in New Zealand to become an approved Jaguar-Landrover repairer under their Global Repair Standard.
2020
Bridgman Street became a Tesla approved panelshop. All Tesla and Jaguar/Landrover repairs are completed in our dedicated prestige repair area.
2024
Today, Bridgman Street employees around 30 staff.