Savanna-la-mar, Westmoreland – Local car maker, Excel Motors Ltd, rolled out its 2003 line of Island Cruisers Friday evening with the Government of Jamaica, through its development agency Jampro, pledging support to help identify markets for the vehicles produced.

The company began operating in 1994, produced one line of vehicles in 1999, then brought in a German engineer in 2001 to fine-tune design and achieve Jamaica Bureau of Standards levels.

Director Patrick Marzouca and his team of 25 employees completed four vehicles in four days last week, in time for the launch; and today, they will start filling an order for 40 more cars.

“I have an order for 25 cars locally and 15 for the Barbados market,” said Marzouca.

According to Marzouca, the overseas market looks promising now, but the ride has not been a smooth one. Marzouca said he sold a lucrative car rental business in the United States in 1994 and moved into manufacturing in Jamaica, but his venture was greeted with some scepticism.

His biggest disappointment, he said, has been the reaction of some locals.

“My biggest disappointment has been the automatic negative reaction of most Jamaicans to the idea of a vehicle made in Jamaica,” he lamented.

But he persisted and his goal now is to target markets such as the Caribbean car rental industry and the local police force. According to Marzouca, the cars could be tailor-made to suit the requirements of the lawmen.

The chassis and the fiberglass bodies of the Excel Motors cars are made from local materials but most of the fittings are imported from Japan.

The four completed prototypes that were on display at the launch are equally divided between soft and hard tops. The soft-top vehicles have a US$12,000 price tag, while the hard tops will be sold for US$11,500. The vehicles come in both manual and automatic transmission.

With the land space available to the firm, the current production potential can be increased to up to six times; but before any expansion can be done, Marzouca said, the market must be created.

That is where Jampro comes in.

In officially launching the 2003 line of Island Cruiser vehicles, minister of development, Dr Paul Robertson, made it clear that his ministry was fully behind the business venture.

“JAMPRO will continue to source assistance and provide support in the identification and development of markets for this line of vehicle,” he said.

“My job is to support any serious effort of development and this is a serious effort,” he continued.

According to the minister, over the last financial year, Jampro-assisted investments totalled $10.68 billion.