Business secures US marques

Keith Andrews in Whangarei has added premium brands Ram and Jeep to its portfolio.

The company’s full sales, parts and service dealership in Rewa Rewa Road now includes the two American marques, which are owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis.

Jeep and Ram line up alongside BYD, the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) specialist, and Keith Andrews’ longstanding Mercedes-Benz Vans offering.

“We’re proud and excited to extend our passion and expertise to include these two brands for our customers,” says Mac Sykes, operations manager.

“We measure ourselves against the highest standards of service, and look forward to delivering on that for BYD, Jeep and Ram enthusiasts.”

Specialist sales manager David

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Argar, who has been working in the car industry since 1994, adds: “Ram is synonymous with large, powerful utility vehicles at the top end of the market, while Jeep is an iconic brand that hasn’t been represented

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in Northland retail for a long time.

“Both have strong followings, and I’m excited to start building customer relationships through these ranges and BYD.”

“We have a wide range in stock,” enthuses Sykes. “For customers trying to get their heads around owning an EV or hybrid, we can provide specialist advice and access to home-charging technology.”

The Whangarei dealership’s announcement comes with Ram Trucks Australia having produced its 20,000th right-hand-drive (RHD) truck at its expanded manufacturing facility in Melbourne.

Carl Smiley, chief operating officer, and Billy Hayes, head of sales, marketing and regional operations –

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both representing India and AsiaPacific at Stellantis – were on-hand to celebrate the occasion.

“Ram is one of our strongest and best-known brands in the US, and I’m proud to see it here in Australia,” says Smiley.

“The Ateco Group is a great partner to have on this project. The quality of these RHD trucks is testament to the teamwork between those on the ground in Australia and those back in the US.

“We’re committed to continued support for Ateco and its Ram Trucks Australia business with further technical and engineering assistance. With discussions around future product, including the Revolution EV’s reveal, I’m confident the long-term arrangement will continue to innovate and elevate this partnership.”

Ateco is the world’s only authorised manufacturer of RHD Rams. The relationship with Ram Trucks in the US initially began in late 2013. All models made in Melbourne are international-spec vehicles, and uniquely coded for the Australian and New Zealand markets and local build process.

Meanwhile, a workshop extension by Keith Andrews in

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Hamilton to boost site capacity is slated to be completed in the second quarter of this year. It will create 10 extra jobs.

The upgrade will see it expand to 3,444 square metres, which is a footprint increase of 65 per cent compared to its existing site.

Workshop capacity will increase from eight to 22 vehicle

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bays, including two set aside for certificate of fitness inspections.

The development will also see the dealership’s sales, parts and service support for Mercedes-Benz’s range of vans and trucks, Fuso and Freightliner Trucks expand.

UTE-TAX TRADE IMPACT

Some 4,371 new commercials were registered last month for a drop of 55.5 per cent when compared to 9,817 in March last year ahead of the clean car discount starting on April 1, 2022.

The Ford Ranger was the top model with 1,333 units. Toyota’s Hilux was second on 834 and Mitsubishi’s Triton came third with 304.

As for used-imported commercials, there were 570 registered in March compared with 2,117 in the same month of 2022 for a drop of 73.1 per cent.