Business

The ATL Group on Thursday announced the acquisition of dealerships for luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover, bringing the marquees it now represents in Jamaica to five.

The brands will be represented by ATL Automotives Division, but will share operating space on Oxford Road, New Kingston and Bogue Centre, Montego Bay with German brands Audi and Volkswagen, and Japanese-made Honda.

ATL Autohaus represents the German brands, on which ATL Group scored distribution deals earlier this year, and ATL Motors is dealer for Honda.

"We are delighted to be appointed exclusive dealers for the premium British brands, Jaguar Land and Rover," said Deputy Chairman of the ATL Group Adam Stewart, in a prepared statement.

"We have wonderful plans for Jaguar and Land Rover at our locations in Kingston and Montego Bay."

ATL is investing some US$23 million in showroom and service centres in Kingston and Montego Bay for its car dealerships.

The MoBay facility is due for opening on August 15.

"Our recent acquisition of the top German brands Volkswagen and Audi, under ATL Autohaus, are a perfect fit which we're complementing with the world's leading SUVs in Land Rover and the legendary Jaguar brand."

Jaguar Land Rover, the umbrella outfit for both brands, manages luxury lines within Tata Motors, India's largest automobile company.

The right choice

Tata bought the brands from Ford Motor Company in a US$2.3 billion deal in March 2008.

"We believe that we have made the right choice in a future partner in terms of representing the brands to the Jamaican public," Simon Elliott, regional sales development manager for Jaguar and Land Rover in the Caribbean, said in the statement.

"The proposals for the brands in Jamaica, along with future products including the new Range Rover Evoque announced recently for sale in late 2011, herald a bright new dawn as markets across the Caribbean recover from difficult times, economically," he said.

The Jaguar and Land Rover brands was previously managed by KIG and John Crook Limited in Jamaica, members of the Lascelles deMercado group.

business@gleanerjm.com