McCarthy Motor Holdings chairman Brand Pretorius described CAR as a “loyal companion” and “remarkable success story” when SA’s leading motoring magazine celebrated its 50th birthday at the weekend.
By Mike Fourie – Editor
McCarthy Motor Holdings chairman Brand Pretorius described CAR as a “loyal companion” and “remarkable success story” when SA’s leading motoring magazine celebrated its 50th birthday at the weekend.
The cream of the SA motor industry, business leaders and various high-profile luminaries joined the CAR at a lavish party at the North Gate Dome in Johannesburg on Friday night. Before revealing the Top 12 Best Buys for 2007, CAR publisher Stuart Lowe introduced ex-Toyota exec Pretorius, who arrived on the stage in a Rolls Royce, as the “pre-eminent statesman of the SA motor industry”.
The McCarthy boss gave an eloquent and very personal account of the “special part CAR had played in his life”.
“I’ve read every issue of CAR since it was first published in February 1957. It has been a loyal companion and has informed, educated and entertained me throughout the years,” he said.
Pretorius congratulated Ramsay Son & Parker chairman Alan T Ramsay and his team and hailed CAR as “a remarkable success story… You’ve created a valuable brand, based on integrity, consistency and sustained relevance to the motoring public.
“During my career in the motor industry, no major marketing campaign ever excluded CAR. Advertising in CAR was a solid investment due to (the magazine’s) loyal reader base… No other motoring magazine in the world has the market penetration of CAR.
“For 50 years, CAR has remained resilient despite a proliferation of motoring titles and greater competition from various kinds of media. The team has struck a good balance between tradition and innovation, launched new titles such as CARtoday.com and Autolocator, while South African customers become better informed and more discerning in the digital era,” he added.
Speaking about the South African motor industry in global terms, the McCarthy chairman said there has never been a more exciting time to be in the local motor industry.
“I’m optimistic about South Africa… compared with the 1980s, our economy is strong and there are many more affluent customers entering the car market. What’s more, they are spoiled for choice – today, buyers can choose from 15 brands from 14 countries.
“I’m confident that the CAR brand will still be strong in the next 50 years,” Pretorius concluded.
“Back in the days when you could buy a copy of CAR magazine for only 25 cents, CAR was a big hitter with monthly sales of 8 000 copies. Today – despite the arrival of a thousand new titles – CAR is still the undisputed king of the road with one million monthly readers,” Lowe said.
“Editorial excellence has been the great constant that has underpinned the CAR brand for the last five decades. John Bentley and his editorial team rose to the challenge and went into overdrive to produce an outstanding birthday issue,” he added.
In response, Ramsay thanked Pretorius for his kind words and thanked the CAR production, marketing and management teams for their ongoing contributions to the product.
“The fuel crisis in the Seventies, the dramatic effect it had on the introduction of automotive technology as well as the New South Africa were the most dramatic developments for enthusiasts in our country in the past 50 years,” Ramsay said.
”As I look to the future, I’d say that we’re in for a very exciting time, especially for customers – who will demand even better deals in an increasingly competitive market.
“The industry is going to look very different from what we see today, even after just five years from now,” Ramsay added.
Look out for CARtoday.com’s extended coverage of the Top 12 Best Buys for 2007 – exclusive to the March issue of CAR, on sale on Monday, February 19
