Originally from České Budějovice, Mach Motors, which recently expanded to Prague, focuses primarily on the sale and service of cars of premium brands. Apart from them, the company also offers brand new SsangYong cars with an attractive price-value ratio. How did it all begin? We interviewed the director of the company, Lubomír Mach, in the new Prague showroom. As he himself says, buying a new car is every guy’s dream. “My dad and I had one of these in the nineties. When the borders opened after the revolution, we immediately set off for Germany.”
How was buying a car abroad then?
We are talking about the time before the Internet, which was diametrically different. We bought a newspaper early in the morning, went through all the interesting ads and set off. At that time we liked the Opel Kadett, but by chance we ended up at a completely different dealer who offered us an older BMW. Dad took a ride, it didn’t take long and we were already driving him home with a smile from ear to ear. It started as a great family passion.
So it went like clockwork…
It is so. And it continued when I was sixteen, when instead of dating, I worked as a tinker and a car painter. I tried car maintenance and various repairs. Even then, a plan for the car import business began to take shape in my head. And we started going to Germany more and more often…
Photo: Mach Motors
Customers can view all ssangyongs at Mach Motors stores. Including the all-new Torres.
Do you remember the first car imported on your own?
I wasn’t even eighteen and I bought a Toyota Tercel with a damaged engine. I had no idea how extensive repairs could even be needed. But luckily it was a minor and easily fixable fault in the wiring. I sold the car after a year and a half of driving, and still made a profit. With that, the business slowly started to take off.
That’s when you started focusing on premium cars…
The BMW 850, a beautiful piece with flip-up lights, became the car of fate in the mid-nineties. They didn’t even bother to fix it in Switzerland, we brought it over and got to work. It wasn’t quite right away, after all, a new bumper cost half of a Golf back then! After half a year, the car went out into the world and brought the first big income. With this, we entered the category of more expensive cars and had an advantage, because there were not many companies with a similar focus in our country. Four years later, we opened the first showroom in České Budějovice.
Photo: Mach Motors
Petr Škutina and Lubomír Mach during the ceremonial opening of the new branch of Mach Motors in Prague. Customers can visit here since last November.
And today, your scope is even more diverse.
Over time, we entered into a partnership with Volvo and opened a Triumph motorcycle dealership. In 2019, we became an authorized partner of the Jaguar and Land Rover brands. And in the same year, coincidentally, the SsangYong brand entered the Czech market again. The vision and pricing policy of Petr Škutina (Country Manager SsangYong for the Czech and Slovak Republics) made a lot of sense to us, so it didn’t take long for us to become the first authorized dealer of the brand in our country.
So much for Budějovice, but today we are sitting in the capital.
Over the years, there have been several incentives for me to offer premium cars in Prague as well. But concerns remained about how such a business would be managed remotely. But when SsangYong was looking for a second partner here two years ago, it all started to make sense. Growing brand reputation, price/value ratio, customer interest… We very quickly found a common language. And what kind of trader would I be if I didn’t add my premiums to it?
Photo: Mach Motors
The Prague branch of Mach Motors can be found in Za Opravnou street.
And when people come to take a look at a premium car today, will they be attracted by a SsangYong?
Yes, the entire automotive world is very closely connected. It often happens that such a customer is looking for a car for his wife, parents or perhaps for the company. And thanks to SsangYong, we can offer it to him. Buyers who switched from a Volvo or BMW to a Rexton came to us because their family had grown and they needed a bigger car.
Korando has been the brand’s sales force for a long time, but what are the reactions to the extravagant novelty of Torres?
We had a customer who went for Korando for sure, but in the end it was Torres who convinced him with his space. Also thanks to the fact that equipped Korando and basic Torres cost similar money today. Even one person interested in a Rexton at the showroom found that the Torres was a sufficient size for him and the price was more interesting. We feel great interest in the Torres model, especially at our new branch in Prague 5. However, due to the size of the luggage compartment and the spaciousness of the interior, this model finds its customers well not only in big cities.
Photo: Mach Motors
An unusual sight for a Czech customer – SsangYong cars and premium cars on one lot.
Well, its electric version will soon arrive. How are you preparing for the arrival of electromobility?
Just like everyone else. We train employees and purchase special equipment for services. At the showrooms, we must mainly ensure charging and have at least one wallbox in order to show the entire process to the customer directly on the spot. It has its specifics, for example importers may have specific requirements for the number and performance of chargers, but this is dealt with individually.
If we go back to the very beginning. Can you remember the most interesting car that passed through your hands?
I can’t do it, I have to go back to the iconic BMW 850 again. When my dad was 70 years old, I bought the same one in Germany and restored it to its original form as a gift. For both of us, it is a symbolic reminder of how our business started. But of course I’m always happy when I manage to sell a supersport or an unusual classic. Personally, I gravitate towards older models – I have a BMW Z8 parked in my garage, for example. That’s beautiful!
2024-02-19 07:00:00
#sells #ssangyongs #premium #cars #business #sense #started #family #passion #Lubomír #Mach #owner #Mach #Motors #Garáž.cz
