Nearly 50 models and variants on site

Press, 23 July 1987, Page 35

Nearly 50 models and variants on site

Some idea of the nature and scope of Toyota New Zealand, Ltd, and its Japanese parent, the Toyota Motor Company, can be gained from the fact that Ilam Toyota, the new Riccarton dealership, will have nearly 50 models and their variants on the site and in its premises on Saturday morning when the dealership will open for business for the first time.

Be it an up-market luxury saloon, a family hack, an economical shopping basket, a luxury high performance grand tourer, a state-of-the-art midengined sports two-seater, a go-anywhere four-wheel-drive station waggon or any one of a variety of light commercial vehicles, Ilam Toyota will have it in stock and available for sale.

Ilam Toyota’s dealer principal, Mr Bruce Miles, is determined to give the people in the area, where a third of Christchurch’s motor vehicles are registered, the opportunity to buy a car or light commercial from his firm that has one of the most comprehensive ranges on offer.

But, as he points out, it is all very well to have the range in the showroom. It is even more important to have the expert trained staff to sell and service the vehicles and the people with the experience in financial matters to give guidance to clients on the best methods of financing their purchases, taking into account individual circumstances.

The ales manager of the Riccarton dealership is Mr Joe Brankin, who will be backed up by two new car salesmen, a fleet salesman and two specialists in used car sales. The sales section will be able to call upon the services of the business manager, Mr Gary Still, who will put together the finance packages to suit the individual requirements of clients.

Although Toyotas are extremely reliable cars, like other makes, they should be regularly ser-

viced to maintain them in economic, tip-top running condition. In fact, most thinking new car buyers place as much weight, if not more, on after-sales service, as they do on the car itself. Benefits stemming from good service are legion. Besides ensuring that the car is always 100 per cent reliable and most infrequently suffers minor breakdowns, good servicing inevitably enhances the resale value of a car. Ilam Toyota has gathered together a team of servicing experts under a service manager. These technicians have undergone Toyota training in servicing techniques and repair work and will undergo refresher courses at regular intervals and prior to the introductions of new Toyota models. Toyota New Zealand, Ltd, lays particular emphasis upon servicing and repair training and has established a wellequipped training school at its Johnsonville headquarters. Even components in the most expensive cars wear out, so it is no surprise that Ilam Toyota has its own spares and accessories department, which is backed up with an overnight delivery service from Toyota New Zealand’s computerised warehouse in Palmerston North.

This modern-as-the-minute facility gives Toyota owners, almost irrespective of the model they run, access to replacement parts within 24 hours.

On rare occasions, the Palmerston North warehouse might not be able to supply a spare that is most infrequently required. In such circumstances, the lines of communication between the warehouse and the parent company’s parts warehouse are so good that often delivery can be effected within a matter of days. In the case of the rarer spares for long discontinued models, delivery could take a little longer.

One must bear in mind that New Zealanders drive what other countries would regard as automotive collectables, as a matter of course. As everyone knows, to be a collectable, an item must be pretty thin on the ground, not only nationally, but internationally. While dealers’ feelings

are naturally a bit mixed about automotive collectables being regarded as everyday cars, as they are in this country, the philosophy of Mr Miles is to give service to every Toyota owner, irrespective of the car. “I share the belief that after-sales service is every bit as important as

the car itself and so, irrespective of whether a client drives a brand new Supra or one of the first Corollas to reach New Zealand, the client is entitled to expect the very best of service at Ilam Toyota, and there is my personal guarantee that he or she will get just that,” said Mr Miles.