Ta-ta, Tata?
Carmax woes could affect
Nano’s fate in Ja
IT IS likely to become increasingly difficult for Jamaican owners of the Tata Nano to service their motor vehicles, given the uncertainty of an authorised distributor to supply parts and services.
The Nano, made in India and once heralded as the cheapest car in the world, was introduced to Jamaica by Metis Motors. The brand was taken over by Carmax, but that dealership has now run into legal issues. One of the company’s principals, Darren Blake, has been charged in a multimillion-dollar fraud case, while Ian Lyn, formerly with Carmax, has not responded to police calls for him to contact them.
This has left those who purchased the Nano in a very uncertain place. Among the purchasers affected is security company Marksman.
Robert Epstein, managing director of Marksman Limited, explained that it has been increasingly difficult to manage the two Tata Nano vehicles they acquired more than one year ago. “We are having problems getting parts. We keep both of them, but we have to keep cannibalising one to fix the other,”
This was confirmed by Courtney Thomas, transport manager of Marksman’s parent company, Guardsman.
“They were giving problems. We bought two but had to use one to keep one going,” he said.
A number of persons, including recording artiste Tanya Stephens and a number of businesses, purchased the small vehicle, its outstanding fuel economy of over 60 miles per gallon a strong selling point. The micro-mini car, capable of seating four passengers has a rear-mounted 624cc engine and a 15-litre petrol tank, .
In 2012, Metis Motors, under the stewardship of director of new business Joe Ferreira, began distribution of the Indianmade motor vehicle in the island. Then, the Nano sold for just under $950,000 new. Plans were reportedly afoot to construct a building that would house a full-service department, garage, customer service area, offices, and parts warehouse.
However, sales of the vehicle had not been faring as well as hoped for and Ferreira left the island.
Responsibility for sales of the two-cylinder hatchback was assumed by Carmax, which targeted fleet businesses, including security and courier services. As a bonus, it also acquired Metis Motor’s Hope Road location.
However, months following Carmax’s takeover of Tata Nano distribution, the five year-old distributor of new and used vehicles began experiencing several problems such as the uncovering of a multimilliondollar fraud.
It is a far cry from the promise of just two years ago when Ferreira told The Gleaner that the Nano was in Jamaica to stay. Then, it was reported that Ferreira said that Metis Motors was in the Jamaican market for the long haul and their seriousness was demonstrated by plans to construct a two-storey building on property at 22B Hope Road, St Andrew, on which the company had a six-year lease.
Ferreira said consumers’ reception to the Nano car “has been affected by events surrounding the entry and exit of another car dealer, which sold a somewhat similar car, but which was having difficulty sourcing spare parts”.