New car dealers to hold auto show
Buying a car in Belize is often a complicated ordeal involving sending money up to the States, then waiting weeks for someone to buy and then drive or ship down your car or truck. Then once it’s here you get to deal with customs. If you buy a used car already here you have no way of knowing how long its been in Belize and you could still spend weeks waiting for parts if you have mechanical problems, for which of course you have no warranty. But Belize’s new car dealers want to change the car buying experience for the better. To show you the wide array of brand new vehicles available right here in Belize, four dealers are teaming up for the very first auto show on Saturday at the Belize City Center.
Hyacinth Latchman
“The key players are Bravo Motors, Belize Diesel and Equipment, Belize Estate and JMA Motors. Their main objective is to convince you that you can afford to buy new vehicles like this one here in Belize.”
Eddie Bouloy Jr., Bravo Motors
“What we hope to achieve is that in the past few years a lot of dealers have come on stream. The whole automotive market is a young market for Belize. We want to create and increase awareness and exposure of the general public on a whole. Not only the vehicle sales aspect of the business but the whole service that we sell and the whole concept of buying a new car.”
Israel Marin, Belize Diesel and Equipment
“We are trying to show that here in Belize you can get not only good prices for new vehicles but you could get proper maintenance for vehicles or on your Toyota. The main objective of this car show is to promote and showcase the 1999 models and for all the dealers. And buying in Belize is better and of course the dealer warranty is better.”
While the feeling is mutual for Bravo and Belize Diesel and Equipment, Belize Estate Ford dealers say they want to promote interest in their product and show off their top of the line 1999 vehicles. But they don’t come cheap.
Bill Bowman, Belize Estate
“A fully loaded 1999 model for KIA fully loaded Sportage Grand will run you VAT included somewhere about fifty-six thousand dollars Belize.”
Allan Auil of JMA Motors says that in the past people had to buy a new vehicle in the United States but now you can get a wide variety of brands right here in Belize. He says those accustomed to buying used cars may actually be able to afford a new one instead.
Allan Auil, JMA Motors
“You can get the same car, same quality for less in Belize and with the warranty you can also get them serviced and you can get the spare parts for them. For those who buy used cars we want to show them that there may be new cars within their price range. If they buy a new car from a Belizean dealer they will be keeping their dollars at home and they will help the economy that way.”
Eddie Bouloy Jr.
“Our price range varies to meet many different budgets. We start at about thirty thousand to one hundred and thirty thousand dollars depending on what you are looking for. Something like this Dodge Ram would be about sixty thousand duty free and eighty thousand duty paid. We offer a five-year financing of one hundred percent financing on all the vehicles. So somebody could walk in and we can go down to the bank and arrange for financing for you and in one day you could drive out with a car and we just make payment to the bank.”
Bill Bowman
“Financing is available from all the local financial institutions in Belize with interest ranging from ten and three quarter upwards; that is add on interest. But the financial part of it, the financing part of it will have to be negotiated directly with the local banks.”
Well, I don’t have to wait for the auto show on Saturday, I’ve already found the vehicle I want. Well, I can dream, can’t I? Reporting for News Five, I am Hyacinth Latchman.
If you’d like to do a little dreaming of your own, or even purchasing, this Saturday the auto show begins at ten a.m.
