A familiar face is back in town. With a new British twang and a bounty of exciting experience, Steve van der Merwe has returned from his 12-year stint in the UK to manage Len’s Auto Repairs and Hyundai Grahamstown (both fall under the umbrella of Len’s Auto Car Sales). The auto repair workshop was first started by Steve’s father, Len.
A familiar face is back in town. With a new British twang and a bounty of exciting experience, Steve van der Merwe has returned from his 12-year stint in the UK to manage Len’s Auto Repairs and Hyundai Grahamstown (both fall under the umbrella of Len’s Auto Car Sales). The auto repair workshop was first started by Steve’s father, Len. A born-and-bred Grahamstown mechanic, Len has kept his Bathurst Street businesses successfully in the family since it opened 28 years ago. Steve did his car mechanics apprenticeship at Len’s when he was young and used the skills he acquired to make a name for himself overseas. “We had fun times over there. I worked for two years as an auto electrician with Land Rover and then 10 years with Mercedes-Benz as a diagnostic technician and team manager.” The experience Steve gained in the UK will be of particular benefit to Grahamstown car-owners, especially because, as he explains, Mercedes is a highly progressive brand in the automotive industry, always experimenting with the newest technology and developments. Being involved in such developments, Steve was able to bring back new equipment to add to the workshop, including an air-conditioning re-gassing machine, Snap-on and Bosch computer diagnostic machines and diagnostic machines which specialise in Mercedes and Volkswagen vehicles. “No one else in Grahamstown has the variety of diagnostic machines we do, which means we can cover a whole range of cars extremely well with equipment tailor-made for them,” explained Steve. Even though the Hyundai dealership is a part of the workshop, any sick car is welcome to Len’s surgery. On the subject of the dealership, it has been open for five years now and going very strong. “Hyundai is the fastest growing automotive brand in the world. I myself drive an i20 and it’s brilliant,” said Steve. The Hyundai Elantra was recently named the 2012 Car of the Year for the whole of North America and is a finalist for the 2012 South African Car of the Year. Hyundai was the first automotive company in South Africa to offer a five-year warranty. It’s no wonder Steve has the utmost confidence in the products he sells. That, coupled with the wealth of experience in the workshop, means customers can be assured they’re in good hands when it comes to trusting Len’s. “We pride ourselves on being a family business, always going that extra mile to make our customers happy. We relate to their problems and do our best at ensuring they are taken care of!” With those closing words, we're sure Steve will take Len’s Auto Car Sales to new heights in Grahamstown.
