THE Stewart family, known as the dealer for Suzuki vehicles in Jamaica, has secured the unique position of having the local dealership for top, competing German luxury brands BMW and Mercedes Benz.

Leading luxury vehicle brands typically prefer exclusivity and insist on sole dealerships.

“It’s a testament to what we can do in business,” Stewart Motors CEO Duncan Stewart commented this week.

Acknowledging that such an arrangement was indeed uncommon, Stewart said that it has nonetheless happened in other Caribbean countries where the same dealer sold competing luxury brands.

With the recent winding up of Issa Transport Group, the Stewarts have now acquired the Benz dealership to complement the BMW franchise they owned and operated as Stewart Motors, and added the Mitsubishi brand to Suzuki at Stewart’s Auto Sales.

Issa Transport Group was the agent for Mercedes Benz through Euro Star Motors and Mitsubishi vehicles through Motor Sales until late March, when the brands officially changed dealership.

The company, owned by the Issa family, also operated the Budget rent-a-car franchise as well as Jamaica Industrial Equipment (JIE), agents for industrial vehicles and equipment, which were both sold to the Stewarts.

Mercedes Benz vehicles are now marketed through the Stewart-owned Silverstar Motors from the South Camp Road, Kingston location, former home of Motor Sales.

And Mitsubishi, gladly gobbled up by the Stewarts, is now sold through Stewart’s Auto Sales, also from South Camp Road.

BMW sales and service will continue at the Orchard Road headquarters of Stewart Motors.

Stewart’s Auto Sales, which since 1982 had the Suzuki brand as its flagship, now also sells Honda motorbikes, another acquisition from Motor Sales.

This expansion of brands has effectively placed the Stewarts at the forefront of motor vehicle dealership in the island.

Operating a rent-a-car franchise, however, is new ground for the family, which has spent decades in the auto industry.

“Budget is new for us but things are good,” Stewart told Auto. “It is an international franchise and we are operating to their standards and reservations.”

The Stewarts’ long and successful history in the local automobile industry started way back in 1938.

“It began with my grandfather in 1938 as a garage,” Stewart recalled. “The business closed during war years and in 1952 Stewart’s Auto Sales was incorporated,” he added.

According to Stewart, over subsequent years the company represented brands such as Singer Vogue and Daimler, until 1982 when the Suzuki brand was added.

“We have been a market leader in the segment we compete for a long time,” he remarked.

Stewart proudly added that Suzuki Grand Vitara is the number one best-selling vehicle in Jamaica every year since 1998.

Stewart Motors was incorporated in 2006 to sell BMW vehicles and MINI, a BMW subsidiary.