Limited | |
Industry | Automotive industry |
Founded | 1912 |
Founder | Clement Hirtzel |
Headquarters | Nairobi, Kenya |
Area served
|
East Africa: KM, DJ, KE, TZ, UG, ER, ET, MZ, MS, MW, RE, MG, BI, RW, SO1/2, SC, YT, SS, ZM, ZW |
Products | Automobiles, Buses, Pickups, Tractors and commercial vehicles |
Parent | Al-Futtaim Group |
Website | Homepage |
The Cooper Motor Corporation, also known as CMC Motors Group Limited, is the fifth-largest importer of vehicles and fifth-largest car-assembly company in Kenya, the largest economy in the East African Community.
The company headquarters are located between Lusaka Road and Bunyala Road in the Industrial Area of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya and the largest city in that country. The manufacturing unit and vehicle assembly plants are on Bunyala Road, while the showrooms are on Lusaka Road. Workshop Road connects the two locations. The coordinates of the company headquarters are:1°17'57.0"S, 36°49'39.0"E (Latitude:-1.299167; Longitude:36.827500).
CMC was founded in 1912 by Clement Hirtzel under the name Nairobi Motor Garage, in Nairobi the capital of what was at that time known as British East Africa. The company started its activities with the importation of the Ford Model T. Nairobi Motor Garage was the first company that distributed vehicles in British East Africa, which today is known as the Republic of Kenya. With the initial sales of the Ford Model T, NMG took up 52% market share of automobile sales in Kenya at that time.
In July 1948, the company was bought by one Mr. Allen and another Mr. Cooper, who had relocated from the United Kingdom to Nairobi. The company's name was changed to Cooper Motor Corporation Private Limited, to reflect the new ownership. New products were introduced including the Land Rover, which was a success in a lot of African markets. Over the decades, the company has developed into a major importer for several different brands. CMC has maintained a relationship with Ford Motor Company and have sold a variety of pick-up trucks and van models from the American vehicle manufacturer.
Over the years, the company introduced other brands like Volkswagen, Mazda, Škoda, Maruti, Suzuki, Iveco, Nissan Diesel, Bobcat, Liebherr, Case CE, Case IH, New Holland into the market.