Rootes Australia was the Australian affiliate of the Rootes Group, a British motor vehicle manufacturing company. The company was formed immediately after the Second World War initially operating as an importing and distribution firm. In 1946, it began assembling Hillman Minx vehicles at Port Melbourne, Victoria. This was the first instance of a British motor manufacturer establishing a production line in Australia. By 1954, the company had gained a 5.4% share of the local market and subsequently announced plans to create a full local manufacturing facility. A 35-hectare site was acquired for this purpose at Harrisfield (now known as Noble Park), near Dandenong in Victoria. However, the proposed plant was never built.