It incenses Wellington "Willie" Soong so. Of course, Jaguar Cars, Inc. has a service center. It’s been advertised a lot in mostly black and white print ads now properly framed and displayed at the service center itself, and written about by motoring journalists every so often.
And there are a lot of Jaguars on the road chauffeuring owners who set themselves apart from moneyed peers who go for the ubiquitous BMWs, the now fashionable Volvos, or the just above ordinary Benzes.
The sunburnt Willie turns beet-red lamenting how people still have the perception — fanned no doubt by the competition - he doesn’t have a proper service center for the vehicles he sells.
Willie’s inis is multiplied four-fold now that he also hawks Land Rovers, Ferraris, and Maseratis, car marques nobody can sniff at.
Still, he felt the need to invite selected characters in the automotive beat to his service center just off-center of the Makati Central Business District that all four brands share. The timing was propitious as Louis Lees was a-visiting. Lees carries the impressive title of service development manager, customer service, of Ford Motor Company’s Premier Automotive Group that comprises Jaguar, Aston Martin, Land Rover and Volvo.
Lees comes a-calling every once in a while to check up on Willie’s service center and make sure it’s up to snuff and up to date with Land Rover’s and Jaguar’s latest in diagnostic equipment and techniques.
The day we were at the service center, known by the way as Formula Sports, Inc., on 3904 Quingua St., Makati, it was filled with some of the latest Jaguars for preventive maintenance services, a number of old, injured and near dead Jaguars needing major surgery, Land Rovers needing some major and minor attention, as well as a couple of Ferraris, and a Sentra.
Apparently, Willie doesn’t mind the Japanese being given attention from his European trained mechanics and technicians. Or to share Willie’s complete aluminum body repair facility — the only one of its kind in the country to service the all new aluminum Jaguar XJ and the latest Ferraris.
The service center can comfortably accommodate more than 30 vehicles at one time. Laptops abound as they are used for diagnostic tests as well as new generation electronic test hardware. The center offers full warranty services for all four brands in Willie’s brand list.
Before the visit, word reached us of another of Willie’s lamentations. Seems there are people putting a spin to stories of MG Rover’s shutting down operations in Britain, linking Land Rover to the mess.
Willie wants people to know Land Rover is not part MG Rover. Ford bought Land Rover from BMW in 2000. Under Ford, the marquee has been having great success with the Freelander and has of late successfully launched the LR3. There are plans to launch all-new Ranger Rover Sport in June this year and Range Rover for 2006.
It’s really tough when competition likes to fan stories, all certainly untrue, about Willie’s car business which is an extension of his being an enthusiast.
Willie certainly runs a first class operation which extends to courtesies for the likes of this backseat driver. We were treated to a packlunch of Rack’s ribs, the best in town for our money, and this part-time commuter even got a free ride to work after. On a vintage Toyota Liteace, no less.
