CMC Motors Group is winding down vehicle dealing operations in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
An official statement from CMC Automobiles, which was made available to the Tanzania Times says the decision was taken in full compliance with local regulations.
The move puts on brakes an era of more than 70 years in motor vehicle dealership undertakings throghout East Africa.
CMC Automobiles was founded in 1912 by Clement Hirtzel under the name Nairobi Motor Garage, in Nairobi the capital of what was at that time known as British East Africa.
The company started its activities with the importation of the Ford Model T.
Nairobi Motor Garage (NMG) was the first company that distributed vehicles in British East Africa, which today is known as the Republic of Kenya.
Can East Africa afford a Ford?
With the initial sales of the Ford Model T, the company took up 52 percent market share of automobile sales in Kenya at that time.
In July 1948, the company was bought by one Mr. Allen and another Mr. Cooper, who had relocated from the United Kingdom to Nairobi.
The company’s name was changed to Cooper Motor Corporation (CMC) Private Limited, to reflect the new ownership.
New products were introduced including the Land Rover, which was a success in a lot of African markets.
In the decades that followed, the company has developed into a major importer for several different brands.
CMC has maintained a relationship with Ford Motor Company and have sold a variety of pick-up trucks and van models from the American vehicle manufacturer.
End of seven decades’ era
Over the years, the company introduced other brands like Volkswagen, Mazda, Škoda, Maruti, Suzuki, Iveco, Nissan Diesel, Bobcat, Liebherr, Case CE, Case IH and New Holland tractors into the market.
CMC’s CKD assembling of cars began in 1974 with the new Volkswagen Golf.
It was followed by the Volkswagen Santana and by the models Volkswagen Jetta and Volkswagen Transporter in the mid-nineties.
For the Mazda brand, the 323, 626 and Rustler were assembled in Kenya.
Currently the CMC is only assembling the truck model T3500 and the BT-50 for Mazda.
CMC next introduced the Maruti brand to the Kenyan market with the small car Maruti 800 and the SUV Maruti Gypsy King.
The Maruti range was completed with the Maruti Omni some years later.
The latest product is the Maruti Suzuki Swift, which is only imported and not officially distributed through CMC.
In the 1990s the CMC introduced the Suzuki brand to the East African market with the Suzuki Vitara and the Suzuki Alto.
Later the Vitara was replaced by the Suzuki Grand Vitara and the model range was completed with the Suzuki Jimny and Suzuki SX4.
The most recently introduced brand was in 2004 with Škoda and their small car Škoda Fabia, followed by the sedan version, which is assembled as the Škoda Octavia for the East African market.
For the Ford partnership, the CMC had assembled the Ford Escort, the Ford Telstar and the Ford Laser.
Currently assembled models are the Ford F-250 (2004 version), the Ford Ranger THA (2004 version), Ford Focus C307 and the Ford Territory (SX model).
CMC had an arrangement with Leyland, later Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers, to assemble Suzuki SJ13, Mazda 323, and T41, T35, B2200 Pickups, F1300 Miujiza pickups, Land rover and Mitsubishi Pajero.
But initially CMC operated as a blue chip Company, trading in the Nairobi stock exchange during early days.
Reports say that the company was owned by very powerful public figures in the Kenyan government including Bruce Mackenzie, Charles Njonjo and Jeremiah Kiereini, all of whom are no longer alive.